Persian-Indian-Thai fusion curry of slow-braised beef or chicken in coconut milk, peanuts, potatoes and aromatic dry spices including cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Mild, sweet, tamarind-tart; the gentlest Thai curry.
Where to eat it: 4 restaurants across 1 city.
Massaman curry came to Thailand through Persian Muslim traders in 17th-century Ayutthaya. The name derives from Mussulman (Muslim). The dry-spice profile (cinnamon, star anise, clove, cardamom) is unique among Thai curries and traces directly to subcontinent influence. Often called the world's best dish in viral CNN polls; Krua Apsorn, Blue Elephant and Issaya Siamese Club run defensible Bangkok versions.
Common allergens: Shellfish (shrimp paste), Coconut, Peanut, Fish sauce
Tip from the editors. Massaman improves overnight; the spices bloom and the sauce thickens. The peanuts should still have texture; do not overcook them to paste.
Krua Apsorn Dinso is royal-influenced thai room from 2003 in the old town with bib gourmand stir-fries, the local lunch room missed by tour groups.
Why locals love it: Royal-influenced Thai room from 2003 in the Old Town with Bib Gourmand stir-fries, the local lunch room missed by tour groups.
Tip: Closed Sundays. The Dinso original is better than the newer branches. Lunch through 19:30 only, last seating 19:00.
Blue Elephant Bangkok occupies the 1903 Thai-Chinese Sino-Portuguese mansion on Sathorn, royal-Thai tasting menus from Chef Nooror Somany Steppe.
Signature: Massaman curry, Royal Thai tasting menu, Pomelo salad
Order: The royal-cuisine set menu; the massaman curry and pomelo salad are the canonical openers.
Tip: The 1903 colonial-era building is part of the experience; ask for a table on the upper floor for the carved-wood detail.
Issaya Siamese Club in Bangkok's Sathorn is Chef Ian Kittichai's heritage Thai room in a 1920s villa, the room that put modern Thai on Asia's 50 Best.
Signature: Massaman lamb shank, Pomelo salad with prawn, Banoffee dessert in a jar
Order: The massaman lamb shank, the pomelo salad and the banoffee dessert in the jar.
Tip: Garden tables for evenings, indoor villa room for monsoon season. Sunday brunch is the best value introduction.
Saneh Jaan in Bangkok's Sindhorn Glasshouse runs royal-influenced central Thai cuisine, one Michelin star, with a smart-casual dining room and Sukhothai-era.
Tip: Lunch is the value play with set menus from 850 baht. Reservations on own site; smart casual dress code.
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