As if we ever need a reason to eat good Thai food…
Full Moon Thai, Dublin 2
Full Moon Thai on Dublin’s Parliament Street has been a popular choice for Thai food lovers since opening its doors in the summer of 2020. Owned and managed by chef Ju McCarthy and her husband Derek. Ju, hails from Thailand so it is suffice to say she knows a thing or two about cooking Thai food. There are a selection of ‘street food’ inspired snacks including Laos inspired Khao Tod (crispy rice balls), edamame and Bangkok style meatballs plus the usual array of curries along with some more unusual dishes, all of which look colourful and fresh. There is also a pretty decent vegan selection and some nice salads on the menu. Open daily for lunch and dinner. www.fullmoon.ie
Once Upon a Thai Food Truck, Meath
Husband and wife team John and Auan are the duo behind Once Upon a Thai food truck in Trim, Co Meath. Auan is a Thailand native and brings her unique understanding of Thai flavours to all their dishes. Her husband John has worked in professional kitchens as a chef for over 18 years. The menu is concise but perfectly formed and includes Thai classics such as chicken or prawn green curry and vegan Penang and there are weekly specials to keep things interesting. Everything is made in-house from scratch including the spring rolls and all the curry pastes, an element that certainly differentiates between a good curry and an excellent one. Once Upon a Thai is open Friday and Saturday from 4.30 – 9pm. www.onceuponathai.ie
Chilli Club, Anne’s Lane, Dublin 2
An oldie but definitely a goodie, Chilli Club has been feeding people great Thai food since 1991 and it’s still going strong. The ambiance in the dining room is warm and friendly with a subtle ‘old school’ vibe that is very appealing, while the food is reliable and delicious. There is a good selection of desserts, including a very retro banana fritter, and, unusually for a Thai restaurant, there is the option to order cheeses from Sheridan’s. Don’t skip the Chilli Club Thai potatoes. www.chiliclub.ie
Nightmarket, Dublin 6
There are few cuisines as fresh and vibrant as Thai and one of the best places to eat authentic Thai food in Dublin is Ranelagh’s Nightmarket. Por Pia Sod (fresh rice paper rolls) with prawn, mango, sweet basil, cucumber, mint, baby spinach and nahm yum dip will remind you that the holy trinity of garlic, citrus and chilli is one of the best flavour combinations ever invented. For those who refuse to let soup season go, tom kha gai with coconut milk, chicken, wild mushroom, lemongrass, galangal, shallots, kaffir lime, lime juice and chilli oil is the best way to eat (or drink?) soup in spring. www.nightmarket.ie
Kin Khao, Athlone
This is your sign to visit Athlone. Kin Khao is fun, vibrant and exciting, both inside and out and the food is the real deal. I first heard of Kin Khao many years ago while doing an internship in a food magazine where everyone was all a flutter about Kin Khao. Reviewers were raving about the food and while there might be more competition these days, Kin Khao continues to be excellent. Grilled pork shoulder skewers with nahm jim jaew sauce or a bowl of Lao beef curry sounds like an appealing way to celebrate Songkran, or even, well, anything. www.kinkhaothai.ie.