Eating in a thai restaurant is always a real treat. It is no surprise that Thai food is famous all around the world for its unique blend of flavors. Now most towns in the west will have a number of establishments that serve Thai food. The most difficult part is often trying to understand the meals and how to pronounce their names.

If you are new to Thai food then it is wise to be armed with as much knowledge as possible before the day of the meal arrives. Be aware that even with one dish there can be many options and variations. Thailand has many regional specialties when it comes to food. But you can be happy to know that very few dishes will leave you disappointed.

Usually Thais restaurants in the west will come with menus that provide an anglicized name for the dish. It may be useful to learn the phonetic pronunciation so that you don't mistakenly order the wrong items. You will find that certain names and terms are common amongst various dishes. This is because the name of the dish will often be what it contains. To help you it, you should practice speaking out loud a few of the following options.

You may want to start the meal with an appetizer or snack. Thai's love such items. You could go for a grilled banana (Kluay Ping), candy in flour (Roti Sai Mai), or maybe a deep fried spring-roll (Po Pia Tod).

If we imagine Thai food then often noodles spring to mind. But did you know that there are three different varieties of noodles used in Thai cooking? These are egg, rice, and glass; and they come in various sizes such as thin, medium, or wide. The glassy clear noodles are called Wun Sen, whereas the egg varieties are known as Ba Mi. To get a real authentic feel how about also trying to use chopsticks; they are actually easier then they look to get a hang of. Perhaps the most well known noodle choice is Pad Thai; this consists of noodles stir fried with shrimps and peanuts.

Perhaps you would want to get your mouth around a Thai curry. These traditional Thai dishes are not the same as the Indian varieties; they will use a different combination and selection of spices and ingredients. Kaeng is the Thai word for curry; any dishes were you see this will be curry based. There are spicy meat options such as Kaeng Phed and also vegetarian choices like Kaeng Liang.

If you will need rice with your curry then you should ask for Khao. Rice is a staple of most eastern cuisines. If you want to give your taste buds a real work out try a bowl of Khao Tom, a spicy rice soup. If you want shrimp added then also ask for Goong.

It will help you no end to understand the basic terms of Thai food before the big day arrives. This will ensure that you order wisely.