Thai cuisine is arguably Dhaka’s favourite cuisine, besides Bengali, and rightfully so. 

The spice levels match, the love for rice prevails and Thai food is never shy of bold flavours, and we are here for it. 

Here’s a list of a few of our top Thai restaurants: 

Laughing Buddha

While Thai food is one of the most popular cuisines in Bangladesh, most of us are still unfamiliar with the spicier (can you believe it?) dishes from northern Thailand. 

Laughing Buddha serves your traditional Thai fare along with lesser known but equally delicious northern Thai food.

Must-Haves: An unconventional spin, the Larb Gai comes with minced chicken and chicken balls. There is however the conventional mix of mint, basil, red onions, and ground red chillies. 

The larb was appealing and the flavour was authentic. The chicken balls are unique and add some meaty heft to the salad. This is a fantastic alternative to just a green salad. 

Their Namtok, a spicy beef salad, here done with sliced premium sirloin steak is delectable, and you can tell they used high-quality beef cuts by how nicely the steak kept its rendered juices.

The slightly nuanced sweetness of the meat is evident, and the outcome is a dish that lets the meat shine. 

The morning glory that was deep-fried and served with a house-special sauce is what really won us over. 

While the original dish is traditionally prepared with water spinach, and seasoned with garlic, red chillies, and oyster sauce, the deep-fried version adds a new dimension to the plate as it crackles when you munch on it. 

For an appetizer that’s as pleasing to the eyes as it is to the taste buds, try their stir fry seafood young coconut, which has squid, chicken, and prawn cooked in coconut base. The best part about this dish is that you can taste each seafood in its purest form. The coconut flavour does not overwhelm the palate. 

The chicken and prawn pad Thai is another of their successful Thai homages. A sweet, sour, and salty sauce is gradually blended with the dry rice noodles. Close your eyes and imagine you’re in Thailand while you consume this dish, which comes with crushed peanuts, red pepper, and a squeeze of lime.

Blue Salt

Tucked away in a little lane near Gulshan Youth Club Park, on road 113/A this unassuming cafe serves some of the best Thai beef basil in Dhaka.

Must-Haves: their Pad Thai is a classic and well-prepared mix of shrimp, thin rice noodles sautéed and tossed together in a fish and oyster sauce. 

With a touch of brown sugar and tamarind to make for a salty-nutty, slightly sweet sauce that ties the street-style noodles together with a side of lime.

The attention to detail is commendable as the buttery shrimp is subtle yet enjoyable.

The red chilli peppers add just the right amount of heat, and the peanuts add another texture to the dish. 

It is safe to say that authenticity is their utmost priority.

While the dish is heavy on the rice noodles, nor the sauce or the protein overpower each other, and the familiar fragrance of a classic is the cherry on top that is bound to make you gorge on the rich noodles.

The best part is that this Thai delicacy does not disappoint.

Then there was the beef basil with rice that tingles your taste buds with the wholesome mix of fish, soy, and oyster sauce.

The rich umami from the beef served over rice with a sunny side up makes it a delicious dream.  Cutting right through the golden yolk while it drizzles over the meat will make you salivate.

The trick is to mix it well all together and make sure you take your time as you chew because the effect is one you will want to remember.

Baan Busaba

Baan Busaba is the newest East-Asian restaurant in town, focusing on serving authentic East Asian flavours. 

Must haves: Among their thai dishes, we had the steamed whole fish with lime sauce. The masterstroke here was how well-cooked the fish was.

It was moist, falling off the bones, minimally yet mindfully seasoned for us to truly be able to appreciate the fish, and drenched in a deliciously light lime sauce to bring in a memorable tang. 

We paired the warm, fresh steamed fish with lime sauce with white rice, and the bites were simply soul-satisfying. 

The Namtok chicken salad too, and it had been a while since we have had this good of a Namtok salad. 

The combination of the toasted rice, ground dried chillies, moist chicken strips, and the spicy, tart dressing of the salad was superb. 

It was well-balanced between being tangy and savoury, the chicken was moist, and the spice cut right through just mildly. To say this authentic version of the salad hit the spot would be an understatement.