I think Thai holy basil is supposed to be more anise-y, but I also don’t notice much difference because there are a lot of other things in there that contribute more to the flavor for me (garlic, onions, chilis, soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce…). Yeah, holy basil isn’t really available here. I’ve grown some at home, but when I’ve cooked pad krapao gai myself I usually find it faster to use either regular Taiwanese basil (whatever type that is) or sweet basil I’ve grown myself.
I’d say it’s not the norm, but it’s not too uncommon either - some places just throw the whole stem and leaves in, including the flowering parts. I agree it’s a bit annoying, especially for the older/thicker stems. Sometimes I’ve cut the leaves off, but the standard cutlery in many small restaurants in Thailand is a fork and a spoon, so that’s not too convenient either…
I’ve seen various varieties of basil at the flower market. Never bothered to see which ones because all herbs I’ve ever tried to grow here have fried up into death within 2 days, which I feel is a short enough amount of time for me to be able to blame the climate and not myself for the death of. Except mint. A mint plant mysteriously started growing out of my aloe plant after a full summer of no water going into the pot. (I’m contributing to a fully derailed subtopic here )
I do a good pad ka pao, and larp which is harder to find here. curries i mostly do from store-bought paste and haven’t found a brand i like in taiwan yet…
Thai food is often pretty good in the Taoyuan area. There, Taoyuan finally has something going for it!
Going slightly OT geographically is I don’t get why the Vietnamese restaurants are so disappointing. Lots of Vietnamese wives, so the food should be good. But IME it’s not
That’s the obvious explanation, but it doesn’t seem to be the case so often with Thai food. It could be that Thai food has been here longer, or it might just be my personal experience.
The Vietnamese pictures look good, but they just throw together some food from the table of preprepared crap IME. The Thai places cook things fresh at least.
i think its ok, but used to be much better. over the past few years the dishes seem less carefully prepared, curry watered down, almost no meat in curry…
i used to enjoy it much more before.
You’re Taiwanese, ask a Thai person what they think of the food. Thai Town definitely serves food made for Taiwanese people. But for those of us who lived in Thailand for years, Thai Town is quite expensive and not very authentic. The last time I ate there, there were some stomach issues the next day. In the area I frequent which has a Thai Town there are 3 Thai restaurants, Thai Town is the worst.
I’ve been trying different Thai restaurants around K-town but haven’t found any that are authentic.
It’s mysterious isn’t it with so many Vietnamese around.
Happy to have found Bich Loan in Taipei City’s Gongguan District. They bake their own bread, the meats are substantial and good quality, the balance of flavours is good. It’s a professional operation. So far it’s the best I’ve found.
Who cares? Is there a reason why we should consult their opinion? Can you not form your own opinion? Should people in other countries ask Taiwanese people what we think every time they buy a cup of bubble tea? It’s not like Chinese and Japanese restaurants in the West are particularly authentic.
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