Thai food makes a punchy comeback

Flavour-curious fans of Thai food demand 'yum yang' and 'kai tawt' even as red curry and raw papaya salad remain favourites

- Sayoni Bhaduri

Over the last eight months, at least three restaurants specialising in Thai cuisine have opened across the country—Tóa 66 and Khao Man Gai in Mumbai and Baan Phad Thai in Bengaluru—apart from existing restaurants, Fireback (Goa) and Banng (Delhi), setting up outposts in Mumbai.

While Thai food, typically curries, has been part of menus at multi-cuisine restaurants since the 1990s, the new restaurants have introduced original flavours and ingredients, apart from showcasing the diversity of regional specialities.

India has taken to Thai food for various reasons. "The flavours hit all at once, yet there's balance. It's not trying to be subtle. It's expressive, and people respond to that kind of honesty. Thai food, much like Indian food, manages to make one feel both comforted and surprised," explains chef Garima Arora, co-founder of Banng and the two Michelin-starred GAA in Bangkok.

The vibrant flavour profile and preference for gravies and curries makes it a winner in India. Both cuisines use ingredients like tamarind, cilantro and lime, making Thai food more familiar for Indian diners.

Thai cuisine's journey in India is closely linked to chef Ananda Solomon, who started Thai Pavilion in Mumbai in the erstwhile Taj Cuffe Parade in 1993 after spending time in Thailand, learning from cooks in the Thai royal palace as well as villages.

Eventually, he came back to Mumbai with Thai chefs to start the restaurant. Solomon moved on to another Thai restaurant in Mumbai, Thai Naam in 2020. "There were three Thai chefs; one for the range, one for the curries and one for salads. He also hired three Thai fruit carvers who would sit in the restaurant and do live carving," says chef Manish Mehrotra, who spent his formative years under Solomon's tutelage.