Basil, mint, peanuts, limes, lemongrass, chiles, cilantro – these are a few of my favorite things. They are also elements that play a starring role in Thai cuisine. Elements of Thai cuisine include a blend of salty, sweet, sour, bitter and spicy-hot, all of which create an amazing dining experience. Thai food is more than just spring rolls and pad thai, not that there is anything wrong with these delights. Thai cuisine is quite inventive and offers a range of flavors with textural variety. Soups, salads with papaya, and curry dishes can all be found on typical Thai restaurant menus.

In Wichita we are very lucky to have some fantastic places to choose from when it comes to Thai food. If you are a beginner to the world of Thai cuisine or if you are totally over pad thai and ready to dive into some more adventuresome things, you can find it in Wichita. I have explored several of these places and have a few favorites to share.

1. Taste of Thai (447 N. St. Francis): I have to say that this is my favorite place in town for Thai food. I have tried many things on the menu and never been disappointed. Owned by Jeff & Vatsana Saysombat, Taste of Thai has a large menu with many delicious choices. The meats and vegetables are always fresh and perfectly cooked. The Phraram Long Somg (#64) is my personal favorite and a must try. It comes with your choice of stir fried meat (I usually go for the beef) with a peanut curry sauce that is to die for and is served on a bed of cooked spinach and broccoli and served with rice. For curry lovers, the Panang Curry (#23) is the way to go. It is served in traditional style with peas, carrots, green beans and broccoli, and has the most amazing flavor profile. It starts out kind of sweet, while the heat slowly builds until you are pretty much warm all over. The spring rolls are so fresh and served with this great, clear peanut sauce that can surprise you with a hot kick in the tongue if you aren’t careful. I am not usually a big crab Rangoon fan, but I do love them here. They are perfectly crisp with the perfect crab-to-cream-cheese ratio.

2. Thai Tradition (650 N. Carriage Pkwy): This restaurant lives up to its name, as it has truly become a tradition in Wichita. My guess is that a lot of people in town had their first dish of pad thai here; I know I did. But there is so much more to this restaurant to talk about, so let’s start with the Tom Kha soup. Just thinking about it, I can taste the coconut milk broth. It is served with your choice of meat, and the broth is simmered with kalanga root, mushrooms, lemongrass and diced onions. I normally gravitate to the spicy side of Thai food, but my favorite thing to get at Thai Tradition is the Pad See Eew with chicken. The soy-fried noodles are flat and tasty with just enough egg for added yumminess, and it’s served with fresh-cooked broccoli. I have heard that the papaya salad is a must try, though I have not had it yet. It is called Som Thum and is green papaya served with fresh chili peppers, tomatoes and limes.

3. Siam Cuisine (6249 E. 21st Street North): All of the reviews that I read about Siam were glowing. So when I got my crew together and headed out there, I was super excited to try it. We went at lunch, so we ordered from the lunch special menu, which meant a cup of hot and sour soup, spring roll and a salad with our entrees all for around $6.00. After much consideration, I decided on the Spicy Basil Noodles with chicken. I can handle a little heat and this dish definitely had it – my mouth was pretty fired up. But it wasn’t just hot, it had an amazing flavor. I picked up the taste of sesame oil, chiles, garlic and, of course, the Thai basil. One of the lunch crew tried the pineapple curry that was served with shrimp and she really liked it. The pad thai that another crew member tried looked unbelievable; the plate was filled with fresh sprouts, carrots and limes and got rave reviews. The day we went nobody tried the Crying Tiger beef, but according to several eyewitness reports I have heard, it is a must-try dish.

4. Thai House (969 N. West St.): One of the greatest things about Thai House is that it’s family-owned and very affordable. When I first stepped inside the restaurant, I was struck by how small it is – only a few four-top tables are available, along with a few bar seats. The kitchen is right there and you can watch them whip up your meal from scratch. The chefs make everything to order and they encourage you to call ahead if you are on a tight timeline. One of specialties at Thai House is their satays – marinated chicken or pork charbroiled and served with a cool cucumber dip or peanut sauce. Because I am a creature of habit, I couldn’t resist trying the Pra Ram Long Song – the peanut curry dish stir fried with spinach and broccoli and served with rice. It was a very mild dish, and the sauce was thick and rich with peanut flavors. If you like spring rolls with the rice paper and served cold, beware – the spring rolls at Thai House are served warm over a bed of plum sauce and it is a slightly different taste experience.

Feel free to share your favorite dishes from these fabulous restaurants or tell us about a Thai restaurant in Wichita that you love.

Related posts:

1. [meet] Ask verb: What’s the Best Meal You’ve Eaten at a Wichita Restaurant?
2. [eat] Unforgettable Wichita Food
3. [eat] Zen Vegetarian Cuisine
4. [eat] Mike’s Wine Dive: The Food
5. [eat] Lunch With Liz: Saigon