Thai Pavilion: A fashionable restaurant specializing in very authentic Thai food located in the Taj President, Cuffe Parade. The ambience is flashy  – very South Mumbai! The service is prompt, as aside from the curries, I recommend the corn cakes in the appetizers, papaya salad, stir fry vegetable with basil sauce and Pad Thai noodles. Here, a green curry for two with a serving of rice would cost you Rs. 500 all inclusive.

India Jones: A regular hang out of the elite, this restaurant is located in the famous five star of Mumbai, Trident, Nariman Point. It’s sophisticated and very stylish and the service is accordingly top class.  Upon inquiry, some of their very popular dishes are Som Tam salad, Penag curry, Hormok Pak, Pad Thai and Pab Tim Kro. A green curry for two with a serving of rice would cost you Rs.700 all inclusive.

Shiro: This happening restaurant and lounge located in Bombay Dyeing Mills, Worli. It’s a lot hipper than the previous two restaurants, and would be perfect for a romantic date.  Shiro specializes in fusion food, so you can try Don Buri which is a Thai style vegetable served with Japanese rice.  The tofu casserole, Schiuan style green bean, stir fry vegetables in a basil sauce are all excellent choices,  and the decidedly non- Thai ‘chocolate volcano’ dessert is popular. A green curry for two at this restaurant would cost you  Rs. 450 all inclusive. Shiro does not serve the curry with rice so you would have to order it separately.

Joss: A bustling favorite of Mumbaiakars, located in the cultural hub, Kala Ghoda. It’s hugely popular, so it can be very noisy at times, but the service is still good and efficient. Apart from the curries, other Thai dishes that you can enjoy at Joss include Pad Thai, raw papaya and water chestnut salad, Tom Yum soup,and Thai fried rice. A green curry for 2  served with rice would cost you Rs.475 all inclusive, which is a pretty good deal!

East: A perfect place for a romantic Asian dinner, East is located in Kemps Corner. At East I would recommend the Thai basil and tomato soup, Thai Smabal tofu/paneer for an appetizer, Penag curry, Masamman curry and Pad Thai
A green curry for 2 would cost you Rs.260 all inclusive. East does not serve rice with the curry, you can order it separately.

So all you Thai food fans make sure you choose the right place to enjoy a tasty, filling meal. Make sure you have your table reserved however, especially on weekends!

Photo by Adacito used under Creative Commons License.

This post was originally written for mumbai.metrotwin.com where I am a regular food writer http://mumbai.metrotwin.com/2010/03/the-best-thai-in-mumbai/

Preparation time 10 minutes

Cooking time 5 minutes

Ingredients

1. 2 cups of thick grated raw papaya
2. 1 cup french beans, cut an inch long each
3. 1/2 cup tomatoes cut in thin strips
4. 1/3 cup green or red  chillies cut in thin strips
5. 1/2 cup crushed roasted peanuts
6. 1 tbsp lemon juice
7. 1 tsp tamarind pulp
8. 1 tsp sugar
9. 1 tsp minced garlic
10. salt to taste

Directions

In a bowl mix all the ingredients and serve immidieatly. If you plan to serve this dish for a party make it just before serving itou can alter the sweet spicy flavour as per your choice.

Photo source :

ShobhaVKamath

Preparation time 30 minutes

Cooking time 30 minutes

Ingredients

For  paste:

1. 4-6 cloves of garlic
2. 4 hot green chillies
3. 1/2 inch ginger
4. 1 tbsp fresh coriander
5. 1 tbsp fresh basil
6. 1 tsp lemon grass or kafir lime leaves
7. sat and pepper to taste

For curry:

1. 1 cup mixed vegetables like carrots, zucchini, french beans, broccoli cauliflower, spring onions capsicum etc diced into bite size pieces
2. 1 onion diced in big pieces
3. 1/2 cup whole basil leaves
4. 1 tsp oil
5. 2 cups coconut milk
6. salt to taste

Directions

Mix all the ingredients for paste in a blender and grind it inot a fine paste. Heat oil in a wok and saute the onions. Next add the paste and saute it for a minute. Add all the vegetables and saute for a minute again. Add the cocont milk, basil and salt. Let the curry boil until it become thick. Serve hot with steamed rice.