Thai food, unlike Chinese, caters to a niche market in Pakistan — only recently, did it begin to gather a more mass market appeal. Nonetheless, Lahore has only one stand alone Thai restaurant present in the city; there are other places which offer Thai food on their menus but don’t exclusively serve the cuisine. Here is a round-up of what to eat when it comes to everything Thai.
Opium
Opium is the only stand alone Thai restaurant in Lahore and somehow, it hasn’t picked up as much as it should have. Opium is not the place you visit when you want to have a simple red curry but rather, explore their menu for some interesting finds. Since it is not light on the pocket and you will end up spending at least Rs1,000 to Rs1,500 per head, it’s advisable to explore here rather than sticking to the usual.
For one, their revamped version of the Hot Pot is a must-try. Even though traditionally a Chinese delicacy, Opium offers Hot Pot with a Thai broth. Their Tom Yum Hot Pot is a must-try. For those who haven’t tried the dish, it is basically a glorified soup with vegetables, chicken, beef, prawn, fish, squid and other seafood simmered in a light broth at your table. A new way to experience table top cooking, Opium’s Hot Pot has a balance of flavours and keeps the diner wanting more. However, the soup could’ve been better if possibly some shitake mushrooms were added to the mix.
A great find for seafood lovers at Opium has definitely got to be the Stir Fry Lobster. Stir fired chunks of lobster in a lightly tangy spicy sauce is absolutely a must-have. These items, however, are not available anywhere else in Lahore. Even though the quality of flavour has improved at Opium, basic items such as Prawn Tempura, Tamarind Fish and Dim Sum are still not up to the mark and need a lot of work to get the flavour and quality right.
Yum
Yum has been the go to place for Thai food in Lahore ever since its opening. With fabulous Tom Yum soup, Red Curry and Tamarind Fish, the place doesn’t need much more on its menu to attract customers. Even though it is a dual cuisine restaurant, Yum’s chunky deep fried fish lathered with tamarind sauce is a treat for the taste buds. With a month left till summer hits Lahore, Tamarind fish is a must-try. As it is a casual dining restaurant, it falls in the Rs800 to Rs1,000 per head bracket. Their Red Curry has got to be one of the most authentic Thai curries available in Lahore.
Steve’s Golden Wok
One of those oldies that has been around since the beginning of time, Steve’s Wok is probably the first restaurant to have introduced Thai food on a mass market level in Lahore. One of the cheaper options to enjoy Thai food with a slightly desi twist to it, Golden Wok has the spiciest Tom Yum soup in town. If your taste buds can handle a montage of tangy and spicy flavours, this soup is a must-try. More importantly what has rocked here since the restaurant’s inception, is its Lemongrass Chicken. Crunchy chicken soaked in a thick lemon grass sauce, is an absolute treat. Do expect to be in a food coma afterwards since it is very heavy.
The place itself is not exactly the finest of them all so it is wise sometimes to take away. Ranging between Rs500 to Rs800 per head, Steve’s Wok remains the oldest Thai food establishment in Lahore.
Opium: 2.5/5
Yum: 3.5/5
Steve’s Golden Wok: 3/5
A Lahore-based reporter for Life&Style at The Express Tribune
Published in The Express Tribune, March 28th, 2013.
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