Thai Restaurants in Madrid: Bangkok

One of the joys of being in the cosmopolitan city of Madrid is that the gastronomy is permeated with international influence. From Indian to Italian, Mexican to Japanese, the city offers many diverse restaurants with delectable cuisine from around the globe. One such international jewel is located in the heart of the city, above street-level on the vivacious Calle de Arenal. This Thai restaurant, Bangkok, refines dining with flavorful dishes, attentive service, and a tranquil, southeast Asian ambience.

Upon entering the restaurant and climbing the steps to the second level, the space opens into a soothing haven; sapphire and lemon walls, muted candlelight, stone statues of Buddha, and elegant, long-stemmed orchids. A fine-crafted pergola swathed in colorful drapery envelopes the central booths, while tables along the exterior receive spectacular views of bustling Arenal from enormous picture windows. Once settled near one of these windows or by a trickling fountain, the attentive staff will be quick to serve you, with almost no wait period even during busier hours.

Reasonably priced, the menu presents all of the classic recipes needed to satisfy Thai cravings. The spring rolls are crisp and fresh, while the egg noodles of the Pad Thai are fully infused with the rich flavor of chopped peanuts. One reliable and tasty plate, Khao Pad or fried rice, combines long-grained jasmine rice indigenous to Thailand with slices of beef.  A more zesty option, Red Curry Chicken, features tender cuts of chicken and peppers soaked in a piquant red chili curry sauce, accompanied by sticky rice. Other savory dishes on the menu include chicken coconut soup, pineapple pork, green mango salad, and a crab legs in yellow curry sauce. The dessert menu also boasts Thailand’s popular Kao niao ma muang, sticky rice with ripe mango.

A word of warning to zesty-food lovers: although the dishes are full of flavor, don’t expect to thrill your taste buds with fire.  The spices in the cuisine are palpable, but relatively moderate by Thai food standards.

PRICES:
Menú del Día (two plates, drink, dessert)-11.50 euros

Regular Menu
Appetizers- 3.50-9 euros
Soups and Vegetables- 6.50-8.90 euros
Rice- 2.50-8.50 euros
Noodles- 7.50-12.50 euros
Curry- 8.90-12.50 euros
Meat- 8.50-10.90 euros
Fish- 9.90-14.40 euros

Bangkok
Calle Los Bordadores, 15
Metro: Sol, Opera
Telephone: 91 559 1696
Hours: 1:00-4:00 p.m., and 9:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

By Jane Caffrey

Best Restaurants in Madrid: Phuket Thai Restaurant

Phuket’s food offers a superb taste of Thai/Thai fusion cuisine.  Nearly everything is medium to spicy, and it’s fun to pick out a handful of dishes and throw in a few small orders of steamed Jasmine rice.  A word of warning for the economic diners, though: a full meal ends up costing about 20 euros with starters and drinks.  Perhaps the Menú del Día  (the daily lunch menu) is the best bet, which rounds up to about 9,75 euros a person.

The tofu, which is included in many of the vegetarian-friendly options (such as the Green Tofu Curry), has that perfect not-too-smooth texture and a lot of flavor.  All the veggies taste crisp and fresh, including the green and red bell pepper that accompanies most of the plates.

The classics here are still classics: the Pad Thai (served with lemon, not lime here) and the Tom Yum are highly recommended.  All of the curries – green, yellow, and red – are creamy and packed with spice.  If you’re worried about variety, don’t fret.  The beef, chicken, and pork dishes all have their own unique taste, from Red Beef Curry (tender and hearty) to Thai Beef Massaman (very peanut-y and rich).  The Chicken with Lemongrass was a bit dry, but the Yellow Chicken Curry held up our expectations with its coconut milk-meets-spice punch.  The Pork with Pineapple was sweet, spicy, and palatable.  If you’re not a vegetarian or a meat-lover, then check out the lengthy list of seafood options, which offers the same kinds of combinations but with fish or seafood instead.  Or consider ordering the Menú Phuket Thai; it’s only 14,50 euros a person and includes spicy shrimp, soup, salted greens, fish with Thai spices, and rice.

When in the mood for a bit of everything, try the Menú Degustación (the Sampler Menu) for 18,50 euros a person.  You can choose from four starters and four main dishes, and there’s rice and veggie options for each course.  If you want a filling meal and would prefer to choose everything yourself, don’t worry the menu is several pages long. Everything looks promising, and there’s even an exquisite dessert list.  While I didn’t try any of the desserts, I think I’ll have to go back for either the Sticky Rice with Mango and Coconut or the Cake Banoffi Cream Pie.

At the end of the meal, I didn’t feel like I had eaten too much oil, which is always a risk when eating Thai.  Also, Phuket sells Singha, a nutty Thai beer that complements the rich, peanut-y flavors perfectly.

One last word about the décor: it’s bizarre, yet casual and inviting.  The saffron-colored walls, Art Deco combinations, and the musical styling of Michael Bolton fuse comfort with elegance effectively…and may even render a laugh or two.

Phuket Thai Restaurant
Calle Atocha, 115
Hours: Lunch and dinner, Monday – Sunday (all week)
Metro: Atocha

By Michelle Campagna

Thai Food at Siam

SIAM

Address: San Bernardino 6
Metro: Plaza España or Noviciado

Daily 1-4pm and 8pm-midnight

91-559-83-15

Main courses: 10-18 Euro

Set lunch: 11.50 Euro

Craving a big plate of noodles or something with a little more spice than the red sauce splattered on top of your patatas bravas?  Then head down to Madrid´s version of China Town/Curry Lane and order some authentic Thai food at Siam.

Located in the stretch of Calle San Bernardino well known for its wide array of ethnic restaurants, Siam is a little gem that stands out above the rest.  Some things are just harder than others to come by in Madrid and one of those is a quality Asian restaurant.  Although in this particular area you will find more than just a few options of global cuisine, Siam delivers the satisfaction that others lack.

Approaching the establishment your “tourist trap” radar might initially sound – menu translated in English, all too typical decorations and lots of English speakers eating inside – but press on and these fears will soon be alleviated. Realizing that Thai food is not a typical Spanish cuisine and that it would cater equally to the international English- speaking crowd, I began to browse through their fairly extensive menu.  The appetizer menu offers a mix of Asian themed salads and other Thai starters.  The cheapest (3.50€) and best option being the spring rolls, a pair comes out, lightly fried, crisp and tasty. If you have a bigger group and want to sample more, they also offer a mix of four starters.  Next they offer soups and vegetables, including the traditional Thai soup Tom Yam.  On to the main dishes, it breaks down basically into the following options:  Noodles, Rice, Curries and Specialties.  The Pad Thai comes with your choice of with or without meat and stands up against any I´ve tried.  They also offer dishes with transparent cellophane noodles as well as a broad noodle option.  Curries come in red, yellow and green and are accompanied by your choice of fish, shrimp, meat or vegetables.  The green curry was the winner in my book; extremely flavourful with just the right amount of spice.  The specials include plates infused with Thai Basil (quite possibly the worlds best smelling herb), spicy minced meat dishes with chilli and cilantro and a nice selection of seafood options.  Siam can also satisfy your fix for a good tropical flavoured Cocktail (Mai Thai, etc.) and offers a small but sufficient dessert menu, which includes green tea ice cream.

Next time you find yourself wanting a meal from another part of the globe let Siam satisfy your craving and you won’t be disappointed.

For a similar restaurant, check out  Shi Shang.

By Coleman File