I was born and raised in Indonesia. However, ever since coming to Japan, instead of going to Indonesian restaurant, Thai restaurant is actually the place that I’ve visited the most and will keep on visiting.
When I was in Indonesia, the only Thai food that I know was Tom Yam Kung. For those of you who do not know, Tom Yam Kung is a spicy seafood soup. Please note that what I mean by spicy is like, really spicy, especially for people who is not used to spicy foods. Apart from Tom Yam Kung, I know nothing about Thai food. I was not even interested to try.
However, everything changed after I got close with a Thai girl. She shares the same hobby with me; eating. Whenever we’re bored, we’d open Instagram and watch food porn. Who else does the same thing? Don’t be ashamed and raise your hand high!
One day, we were too hungry and couldn’t stand watching videos of foods anymore. An impromptu visit to a nearby Thai restaurant was the result, which then became our favorite Thai restaurant and our go-to place whenever we miss each other.
The restaurant is called “Baitong”. This restaurant is not one of those famous restaurants that gets high ranking on TripAdvisor, Taberogu, etc. But, I can promise you this restaurant won’t let you down. The owner of the restaurant is a really nice and honest old lady from Thai who has been living in Japan for so many years.
This place opens from Monday to Saturday. I prefer to go to this place during dinner time because the restaurant offers more interesting Thai foods. However, during lunch time, they also offer set menus that are worth to try.
Since it is really hard to pick just one favorite menu from this place, I’ll share my top 7 picks.
1. Pad Thai
The first one is their Pad Thai; a really famous Thai street food. It is a stir-fried rice noodle mixed with eggs, vegetables, and seafood. The Pad Thai in this place is out of this world. Even my Thai friend said that although she lived in Thai for so many years, the best Pad Thai she’d ever had was the one from Baitong. One extra tip: Add chili oil for more intense kick and thank me later!
2. Tom Yam Kung
What do you call a Thai restaurant without a delicious Tom Yam Kung?
See why it is in one of my top picks? Just looking at it makes my mouth water. This is the best food to have for when the weather is cold or anytime you’re craving for spicy soup. This place serves their Tom Yam Kung in a little clay pot. Cute, isn’t it?
3. Nua Rad Sauce Dang
This dish tastes quite different from other Thai foods because it is neither spicy nor tangy. However, let me warn you; the sauce is addicting. Like, really. It is a red wine sauce that compliments the beef so well. The texture of the beef is also juicy and very easy to munch on.
4. Som Tam (Green Papaya Salad)
For those of you who are concerned with health and have little to no tolerance for oily foods, Som Tum is for you. It is a green papaya salad with a lot of flavor; tangy, spicy, salty, even a bit sweet if your tongue is sensitive enough to notice.
5. Pla Rad Prick
Don’t get fooled by the pics. This dish may look small, but it is actually big enough to feed two hungry people. It is a deep fried fish topped with sweet and sour sauce with a generous amount of pineapples! Sounds legit, right?
6. Kanom Mo Gang
Baitong only serves few desserts and this one is my favorite. It is not something that you can easily find. It tastes like pumpkin cake. What is unique is they put fried onions on top of it. However, trust me, you won’t smell the onion. It just tastes all wonderful and sweet.
7. Thai Milk Tea Last but not least: Thai milk tea!
Fun fact: This drink is actually not in the menu, so try asking the owner for it and taste it yourself!
Here is the address of the restaurant if you’re interested: 【日本語】〒150-0002東京都渋谷区代々木3-39-15 【English】3-39-15 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo-to 〒150-0002
Give it a try and join the addicted-to-Thai-foods club with me!
N.M (Student Staff Leader)