EastneyEnder wrote on Wed, 08 Mar 2006 12:18:24 G

>>>>>>>..Considerable clipping of previous good advice<<<<<<<<<

E> David Hare-Scott wrote:
??>> Ask the staff. Tell them your chilli tolerance and ask
??>> them to pick a range of dishes that the chef is proud of
??>> that would be suitable for Thai virgins. If the chef isn't
??>> proud of anything or the staff have no idea don't
??>> eat there.



E> There would be four dishes of other kinds on the table -
E> perhaps a curry, a soup, a vegetable dish and a "novelty",
E> probably something like fried eggs or steamed shellfish.
E> Noodle dishes are a popular lunchtime meal, and the only
E> food eaten with chopsticks in Thailand since the King
E> introduced forks and spoons in the 1940's! Knives are never
E> seen on a thai dinner table, and unnecessary anyway. Use
E> your spoon in your right hand to eat - use the fork in your
E> left but only to load the spoon - putting your fork in your
E> mouth is as frowned upon as putting you knife in your mouth
E> at western dinner tables!

I am *not* an expert on Thai food, I just like it a lot and I
think all the previous advice, not just that I am quoting,
should be very useful. As mentioned, you would be well to ask
about hotness, especially since the most authentic places where
"the waiters have trouble with English" may not indicate how
spicy things are.

I was also interested in the comment about the usual utensils
being spoon and fork. I had always been told this was the case
but it is surprising how many Westerners ask for chopsticks
whatever they are eating and I have gotten into several friendly
arguments about it. Some places, including Duangrat's, maybe
the best Thai restaurant in my area, have given up while the
rather fusion Tara Thai chain still seems to make people ask.

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland.