If anyone is interested, I found an area with some authentic Thai restaurants as well as some Thai markets. Here it is on google maps: maps.google.com/maps?q=24.96514 … 1&t=m&z=19
It’s in an industrial park about a 5-10 minute cab ride from Yongning station (on a side note, if you just want Thai cooking supplies there is a SE Asian market right outside of exit 1 on the left hand side). I got in a cab and said “Tai guo dian” (泰國店 I think) and he understood and took me there. Alternatively, I’m sure you could take a bus up the main road and then walk the rest of the way.
Anyways, the Thai area has about 3-4 restaurants and 2-3 shops all situated around a corner. All the business seemed to cater to Thai workers in the nearby factories. The menus were in Thai and most had Chinese too from what I could see. I didn’t see any English, so if you can’t read Chinese or Thai, you’d better bring a friend who can (or rely on the pictures that some restaurants had). Lucky for me, I can speak Thai.
The food I had was really authentic and definitely not like the Taiwanified Thai food that is all over the place in Taipei. The prices were pretty good, 80 - 100 NT for your basic Thai dishes (pad kra pao, som tam, pad thai, lad na…) and 150-300 for specialty dishes or stuff with a lot of seafood.
Obviously Yongning is probably pretty far out of the way for most people, but if you have a big craving for authentic Thai food then it’s definitely the place to go.
I can’t even find any blogs in Chinese for this place. It’s near by my place, and it opens till 10, so one time I thought I give it a try. It didn’t disappoint. It’s a hole in the wall kind of place, don’t expect fancy decor, service, or atmospheric. It’s a typical Asian food place where food is all that matters, and the price is amazingly fair.
It’s cheap and authentic. And the owners have good looking daughters… what more can I say…
didn’t take any pictures, I’ll make sure I do that next time.
Hi guys, came across your post about authentic Thai food, and I have to agree that most of the Thai food in Taipei is pretty much unauthentic. I think this is due to a combination of reasons, but mainly to the fact that Thai food has been localized to Taiwanese palette.
There is one restaurant I came across in 190 Lane, Dunhua South Rd, just off Daan rd. The people who run the place are Thai and most of their dishes are more or less authentic. Green curry has a nice kick to it compared to the sometimes watery versions offered in some Thai places. The name is Eating Thai. Chinese name is yidingtai(pinyin). If anyone is in the area, perhaps give them a try and let me know what you guys think.