← Guides · By Ray Lei · Published 2026-11-14

What should I order at a Thai restaurant the first time?

Q: What does 'mai phet' mean and how do you use it?

'Mai phet' (ไม่เผ็ด) means 'not spicy' in Thai. If you are sensitive to heat, tell the server 'mai phet' when ordering. At restaurants in Thailand and Thai restaurants abroad, this phrase is well understood and effective. The kitchen will omit or reduce fresh chilies, though the dish may still have chili paste baked into the base sauce depending on preparation.

Start with pad thai or green curry — both are mild and widely available, and they give you the full range of Thai flavor: pad thai is tangy-sweet-savory, green curry is rich and herbal. Add tom kha gai (coconut soup) for the table and mango sticky rice to finish. Tell the server "mai phet" if you want mild heat.

Thai cuisine is built on five-flavor balance: spicy (phrik, peppers and chilies), sour (manao, lime; makham, tamarind), sweet (nam tan, palm sugar), salty (nam pla, fish sauce), and savory/umami. Most Thai dishes play across two or three of these dimensions simultaneously, which gives the food its characteristic complexity even in simple preparations.

What surprises many first-timers is the range: Thai food is not uniformly spicy. Massaman curry is mild and rich, almost like an Indian-influenced stew. Pad see ew is a smoky, sweet noodle dish with no chili in it. Khao pad is fried rice. The spice level in Thai cooking is adjustable at most restaurants — if you ask, most kitchens can make any dish mild. The guide below covers the ten essential dishes to try, organized roughly from mild to more assertive.

Dishes to order the first time

Thai script	Name	English	What it tastes like	Spice level	Allergen notes
ผัดไทย	Pad Thai	Stir-fried rice noodles	Tangy-sweet-savory noodles with tamarind, egg, bean sprouts, shrimp or tofu; peanuts on top	Mild (spice condiments on side)	Often made with peanuts; egg; shrimp; fish sauce; wheat possible in sauce
แกงเขียวหวาน	Gaeng Khiao Wan	Green curry	Creamy coconut curry with fresh herbal heat from green chili paste, lemongrass, Thai basil	Medium (varies by kitchen)	Fish sauce; shellfish paste in some versions of curry paste; coconut milk
แกงมัสมั่น	Gaeng Massaman	Massaman curry	Rich, mild curry with Indian spice influence (cardamom, cinnamon, star anise); traditionally contains peanuts and potatoes	Mild	Traditionally contains peanuts; fish sauce; coconut milk
ต้มข่าไก่	Tom Kha Gai	Coconut galangal chicken soup	Creamy, lightly sour coconut milk soup with galangal, lemongrass, mushrooms, and chicken; warming and aromatic	Mild to medium	Fish sauce; coconut milk; lemongrass not edible (remove before eating)
ส้มตำ	Som Tum	Green papaya salad	Shredded unripe papaya, tomato, green beans, lime, fish sauce, chili; often made with crushed peanuts and dried shrimp	Medium to very spicy (adjustable)	Often made with peanuts; dried shrimp (shellfish); fish sauce
ลาบ	Larb	Minced meat salad	Minced pork, chicken, or beef with toasted rice powder, fish sauce, lime, and mint; warm and deeply savory	Medium (adjustable)	Fish sauce; some versions with peanuts
ผัดซีอิ๊ว	Pad See Ew	Wide rice noodle stir-fry	Wide flat rice noodles stir-fried over very high heat with Chinese broccoli, egg, and sweet dark soy; smoky and satisfying	Mild	Soy sauce; egg; no peanuts in the dish itself
ข้าวผัด	Khao Pad	Thai fried rice	Jasmine rice stir-fried with egg, onion, tomato, fish sauce; lighter and simpler than Chinese fried rice	Mild	Egg; fish sauce; soy sauce; shellfish if ordered with shrimp
ไก่สะเต๊ะ	Kai Satay	Chicken satay	Turmeric-marinated chicken skewers grilled and served with peanut sauce and cucumber relish	Mild	Peanut sauce contains peanuts; shellfish paste in some marinades
ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง	Khao Niao Mamuang	Mango sticky rice	Sweet glutinous rice with fresh mango and salted coconut cream; the defining Thai dessert	None — sweet dessert	Glutinous rice (gluten-free); coconut; seasonal availability of fresh mango

Understanding spice levels in Thai food

Thai restaurants — both in Thailand and abroad — typically offer spice customization, though the vocabulary and execution vary. Here is how spice is described:

ไม่เผ็ด (Mai phet): Not spicy. Useful for genuine spice-sensitive diners. The kitchen reduces or omits fresh chilies.
เผ็ดน้อย (Phet noi): A little spicy. Mild heat for those who want some flavor warmth without intensity.
เผ็ดปานกลาง (Phet pan klang): Medium spicy. A Thai restaurant's "medium" may still be quite hot for Western palates.
เผ็ดมาก (Phet mak): Very spicy. For people who actively seek heat.
เผ็ดแบบไทย (Phet bab Thai): Thai spicy. This phrase explicitly asks for traditional Thai heat level, which at an authentic restaurant can be significantly hotter than what most tourists order.

When dining in Thailand specifically, note that the default spice level at local restaurants is calibrated for Thai palates, which tend to run hotter than international visitors expect. Specifying "mai phet" or "phet noi" at a local restaurant is not considered unusual or rude.

Practical notes

Thai food is traditionally eaten with a fork and spoon, not chopsticks. The fork is held in the left hand to push food onto the spoon. Chopsticks are only used for noodle dishes at some restaurants.
Fresh jasmine rice (ข้าวสวย, khao suay) is the standard accompaniment and is usually ordered separately or comes with curry dishes. Sticky rice (ข้าวเหนียว, khao niao) is the base starch for Northern and Northeastern Thai food.
Fish sauce (น้ำปลา, nam pla) is in many Thai dishes and is not labeled unless you ask. It is not suitable for vegetarians or those with a fish allergy. Confirm with the kitchen if this matters for your table.
Lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves appear in many dishes as aromatics but are not typically eaten — they are removed to the side of the plate.
To scan an unfamiliar Thai menu and get descriptions and photos of every dish, ChefBear handles Thai script and can help you identify dishes you haven't seen before.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most popular Thai dish for first-timers?

Pad thai is the most widely ordered Thai dish by first-time visitors. It is mild (the spicy elements are served on the side), familiar as a noodle stir-fry, and available at almost every Thai restaurant. Tom kha gai and green curry are also excellent first choices.

Is Thai food always spicy?

No. Thai food ranges widely in spice level. Pad thai, massaman curry, pad see ew, mango sticky rice, and khao pad are mild to medium. Tom yum, larb, som tum, and red curry can be very spicy. At most restaurants, you can request mild (ไม่เผ็ด, mai phet) and the kitchen will reduce or omit fresh chilies.

What does Thai green curry taste like?

Thai green curry is a coconut milk-based curry with a fresh, herbal heat from green chilies, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and Thai basil. The flavor is simultaneously rich from the coconut, fragrant from the aromatics, and gently spicy. It is lighter and more herbaceous than red curry.

What is the difference between pad thai and pad see ew?

Pad thai uses thin rice noodles stir-fried with egg, bean sprouts, and tamarind-based sauce — tangy and slightly sweet, often topped with crushed peanuts. Pad see ew uses wide flat rice noodles stir-fried with Chinese broccoli, egg, and sweet dark soy sauce — smokier, slightly sweeter, and heavier. Pad see ew has no peanuts in the dish itself.

What does "mai phet" mean and how do you use it?

"Mai phet" (ไม่เผ็ด) means "not spicy" in Thai. Tell the server "mai phet" when ordering if you are sensitive to heat. The kitchen will omit or reduce fresh chilies, though some dishes may still have chili paste in the base sauce depending on preparation.