Tom Yum: Shanghai's Best Thai Restaurants
Thai food has to be one of the tastiest cuisines in the world. Steaming plates of pad thai, bowls of tom yam soup, dishes of fragrant green curry… mouth-watering stuff. Distinctive flavours – lemongrass, ginger, galangal, coconut – have made Thai food internationally recognisable, and Shanghai has some great restaurants if you’re craving a tasty meal Chiang Mai-style.
The Taikang Lu complex with its quaint, cosy charm, is the perfect location for eating Thai. Three restaurants have their home there, including Alyssa which has outdoor terraces up top and out front where you sip your soup al fresco. Choose from a variety of lunch and dinner sets cooked by eponymous head chef Alyssa Han, including all the Thai classics – pandan chicken, curries, salads, and meat dishes.
Alyssa
Add: 2F, 29 Nongtianzifang, Lane 248 Taikang Lu, Luwan District, Shanghai
上海卢湾区泰康路248弄田子坊29号2楼(近瑞金二路)
Tel: 021 64730938
A couple of doors down is Tai Thai which also has a roof terrace and a street-side patio. It’s not the cheapest in town, but the atmosphere and quality make it a firm favourite for dates and intimate dinners.
Tai Thai 太泰
Add: 17-19, Lane 248 Taikang Lu, near Sinan Lu, Luwan District, Shanghai
上海卢湾区泰康路248弄17-19号， 近思南路
Tel: 021 64668331
Right opposite is Ester’s Bear. On first glance, you wouldn’t think that this place contained a Thai restaurant. From outside it looks like a teddy shop with a café added as an afterthought. But scale the narrow stairs to the first floor, and you’ll find a hidden gem. With two cute terraces each holding one table, and a large bar area spanning the lane, Teddy Thai (for want of a better moniker) is a viable alternative to Taikang Lu’s more expensive Thai restaurants. Coloured curries come in large or small (large is a generous tureen-sized portion) and they serve bottled Hoegaarden beer. Add a panoply of teddy graffiti, teddy pictures, and actual teddies, and it’s a fun (if a little random) place to eat.
Ester’s Bear 泰迪之家
Add: 23, Lane 248 Taikang Lu, Luwan District, Shanghai
上海卢湾区泰康路248弄田子坊23号
Tel: 021 64730645
Further south in the French Concession is Baan Thai – a former villa that is almost painfully pretty with a gently-lapping fountain, lotus-shaped candles, and a dark wood deck. You pay for the pretty though – a meal for two here will set you back a good few hundred.
The expat haven that is Fumin/Julu wouldn’t be complete without a Thai joint. It comes in the form of Coconut Paradise – which is a safe choice for quality on a mid-range budget.
Baan Thai 紫象泰国餐厅&酒吧
Add: 1479 Fuxing Zhong Lu, near Huaihai Zhonglu, Luwan District, Shanghai
上海卢湾区复兴中路1479号(近淮海中路)
Tel: 021 64336955
Coconut Paradise 椰香天堂泰国料理
Add: 38 Fumin Lu, Jing’an District, Shanghai
上海静安区富民路38号(近巨鹿路)
Tel: 021 62481998
Hours: Daily 11:00 – 14:00 pm, 17:00 – 23:00
The area of Jing’an around Kangding Lu and Wuding Lu has two good Thai places. Chiang Mai is known for its northern Thai dishes including coconut crab and pork sausages, and shares a terrace with the Yunnanese restaurant next door. Thai House doesn’t look great from the outside (the entrance is next to the bins belonging to La Ke Xi next door) but things get better once you’re inside. The head chef has nearly 20 years experience in cooking northern Thai cuisine, so the food is top quality. A second branch has recently opened in the French Concession, at 518 Jiashan Lu, near Jianguo Lu.
