Eating Out in Bangkok: What to Order at Any Restaurant

Bangkok is one of the world's great food cities — not because of fine dining, but because of sheer density and quality at every price point. A bowl of kuay teow at a roadside cart at 11pm costs 60 baht (about £1.30) and is as good as anything you'll eat that week. The challenge is knowing which cart, which dish, and how to ask for it.

Comerioscans any Bangkok menu — including laminated ones with Thai and English text — and builds a complete table plan for your group in about 30 seconds. Here's what you need to know before you scan.

The heat question

Thai food varies in spice level from mild to genuinely dangerous. Most Bangkok restaurants calibrate for Thai palates, which means “medium” on a Thai menu is hotter than anything at a Western Thai restaurant. If you can handle heat, order without modification. If not, say “mai phet” (not spicy) — but be aware this changes some dishes significantly.

“Pet nit noi” means “a little spicy.” It's a useful middle ground. Comerio's waiter card includes your spice preference so the kitchen knows before you sit down.

The dishes you shouldn't miss

The unwritten rules of Bangkok restaurants

• Order together, eat together. Thai meals are shared. Dishes arrive at different times and everyone eats from the centre. Don't wait for everyone's plate before starting.
• The condiment rack is part of the meal. Four small containers on the table: chilli flakes, fish sauce, vinegar, sugar. Use them to adjust each dish to your taste.
• Rice is ordered separately. Steamed rice (khao suay) is typically not included in individual dishes. Order it at the start.
• Pad Thai is a tourist dish. It's not bad, but it's not what Bangkok locals eat daily. Try pad kra pao or khao man gai instead.

How Comerio handles a Bangkok menu

Scan any Bangkok restaurant menu with Comerio — whether it's a shophouse restaurant in Chinatown, a food court at a shopping mall, or a riverside fine-dining spot — and you'll get a recommended order for your table in seconds. Comerio understands Thai menu structure, knows to include shared rice, and won't just recommend pad Thai because you're a tourist.

The waiter card includes your dish names in Thai script, your spice preferences, and any dietary requirements — shown to the waiter without any language barrier.