Memphis is a really cool town and has a lot of BBQ, burgers, pizza and the usual cuisine that southerners enjoy.
Which is fine, but it's just not my cup of tea.
I need spice and I need peppers and to me that means I need flavor.
BBQ and potatoes is just not it.
So what are the best Thai restaurants in Memphis? The best Thai restaurants in Memhpis are:
Emerald Thai
Bangkok Alley
Takeshi Bistro
Thai Nine
Lacks of Thai Options in Memphis
I have tried all of the restaurants above and while they are all great...each has it's pros and cons. The main point I want to make is if you know your Thai food...in Memphis you will be disappointed. Hey, don't shoot the messenger.
Things like Kaffir Lime, Prik Nam Pla, holy basil, fish sauce and other staple Thai ingredients often get overlooked in most of the Asian restaurants in Memphis. Which is why I'm saying...they're all great...they're just not 100% Thai.
While they're various Asian restaurants that typically offer sushi and teriyaki style dishes...true authentic Thai food is just something you see often.
Best Thai Food in Memphis
Emerald Thai is one of only two dedicated Thai restaurant in Memphis that I think is owned by any actual Thai family (I could be wrong.)
The restaurant seems to have a loyal following and the one drawback is it's about a 30 minute drive from the center of Memphis. So if you're making the trek out here, try to have anothe reason to be in the area like going to a Walmart for your weekend errands.
We really enjoyed the chicken basil and Pad Thai, although the noodles looked like a different shape than I'm used to.
Regardless, if you're in Memphis for a while (I wouldn't make my way out here if just in town for a day or two), it's worth going to.
The cons are the prices seemed high for the value and the distance. I also asked for fish sauce chilli and I don't think they had it, which to be is like not having soy sauce in a Chinese restaurant.
Collierville is home to where a lot of office, technology and medical residents of Memphis live and while correlation does not imply causation, I'm guessing a lot of international folks live there as well.
So it's no surprise that the only other dedicated Thai restaurant happens to be there.
Bangkok Alley is like one of those westernized Thai places you see in Los Angeles or New York that cater to the hipster who may not enjoy things super hot. And I don't blame them, you have to do what your local patrons enjoy.
We enjoyed the Tom Yum soup and Satay and the fried rice was also fine.
If you don't enjoy your Thai food super pepppery or spicy this place is great. The food looked fresh and the restaurant is always busy. For me personally (and I could be wrong) - it just wasn't value for money.
Good for office groups and people tired of Pan Asian cuisine only.
Next time I go will definitely try the other dishes and update this post.
This restaurant isn't exactly Thai but they do have a single page dedicated to Thai food only. The difference is everything I've tried here has always been great, so much so that sometimes I prefer it to the other places.
My wife usually orders a Thai dish, I order a few rolls, and if I'm still feeling a little piggy we go for Chicken or Tofu stir fry.
Takeshi is like a lot of Pan Asians in Memphis, where they try to do something for everybody. The nice thing about them is they do a somewhat decent job at it.
The first and only time I came here was a few days after arriving from California, so I can't say how it has been lately. That being said, while the food was fine, it was not really anything I was used to.
It seemed more Chinese than Thai and while I ate it all, it has the same problem that for a restaurant with Thai in the same you would expect chilli poweder, a condiments try, fish sauce and authentic kaffir lime.
The sushi was so so but I think I've overdo for a visit there as well.
I do recall the fried rice, albeit different, being tasty once we jazzed it up at home with some chilly oils.
Best Thai Food Restaurant Alternatives in Memphis
So what is a Thai food lover in this city to do?
Fear not, they're some great ways to still get your fix.
Asian Grocery Stores
Stores like Viet Hoa Market on Cleveland have literally any Asian ingredient other the son. So the interesting thing is you can still find plenty of ingredients to make authentic Thai food including the chilli pastes and produce...just not the restaurant itself.
Vietnamese Restaurants
There is a large Vietnamese population however in the city so although it's not Thai, for fans of noodles and soups you can still get a similar fix if that fits your palette.
I'll write another post about Vietnamese restaurants here as they're all something special in this town.
Pan Asian Restaurants Galore
Memphis still does have a lot of Pan Asian cusines where each has it's own story. And the fun part of this city is that you mind find one that blow away what you tried in San Francisco or Chicago.
In fact, one of my favorite Thai restaurants just happened to be in Nashville, Tennessee.
Conclusion
While Memphis is definitely more known for BBQ and southern comfort food, the Asian food here is still up to par with most major cities.
I probably know more about Thai food than 99% of Americans and while it's my favorite food, the lack of super authentic places here doesn't mean I don't get my fix.
If you're looking for Thai food in Memphis, Tennessee feel free to try any of the places above and let me know what you think. I guarantee while you might find it a little different, you will still probably be happy you don't have ribs and fries for your 7 meal here.
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