Claimed to be the best restaurant in Thailand！A finger-licking experience you can’t miss when visiting Bangkok

▲Nara Thai Cuisine cuisine──fried grouper with lemon sweet-sour-spicy sauce.

Text and photos byUnrestrained

On the last day of their trip in Thailand, Unrestrained and D decided to treat themselves to a nice meal！Actually, they ate well every single day in Bangkok—breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, snacks, dinner, and even late-night meals were all covered, and they were stuffed to the brim daily. Most of the spontaneous street food stalls or small eateries they visited were also quite good. The “nice meal” here refers to dining at a more expensive and well-known restaurant. After getting used to street food and small restaurants, they also wanted to see if famous Thai restaurants lived up to their reputations. So, they chose Nara Thai Cuisine, reputed to be the “best restaurant in all of Thailand.” The branch they visited this day was located on the 7th floor of CentralWorld Mall.

▲Exterior of CentralWorld, with the Nara Central World branch located on the 7th floor.

Because the mall is huge, Unrestrained and D wandered around the 7th floor of CentralWorld for quite a while before finding it. Since the place is so famous and they hadn’t made a reservation, they were initially worried about not getting a table right away. But fortunately, it was around 2:00 PM, past the peak dining hours, so they were able to get a table immediately.

However, the restaurant’s dining area is divided into two sections—the indoor ones were all full, leaving only the “outdoor” seating area near the reception. No choice but to take a seat Up！Having a table was already considered lucky. Our table was right by the first table to the right of the reception desk, so every time shoppers walked by or new guests entered the restaurant, they would glance curiously at what we had ordered...

▲The Nara Thai Cuisine branch in CentralWorld Mall.

At the entrance of the restaurant, there were posters showcasing their acclaimed honors. That’s when Unrestrained learned that Nara Thai Cuisine has such a stellar reputation because this chain restaurant was named the best restaurant in Thailand for eight consecutive years from 2007 to 2014！With such an impressive title, it felt like they just had to eat here.

▲The honor posters displayed at the entrance of Nara Thai Cuisine.

▲Couldn’t get a seat inside, so just peek in ><。里面的空间挑高，感觉蛮宽敞的。

▲Unrestrained’s seat was right next to the reception area.

After getting seated, it was time to look at the menu Up. Flipping through the menu, every dish looked beautifully photographed and incredibly appetizing. However, the prices were noticeably higher compared to other restaurants—it was quite pricey！But since they were already there, they decided to go all out and eat to their heart’s content. After all, it’s not every day you get to travel abroad！

The restaurant does not provide free water—you have to pay for it. So, Unrestrained and D simply ordered a Thai milk tea and a lychee iced tea. Now let’s see what other dishes they ordered.

▲We ordered this dish in the center of the photo: fried Thai prawns in yellow curry.

▲We also ordered the dish on the far right of this photo: fried grouper with lemon sweet-sour-spicy sauce.

▲Next came this dish in the center: sweet and sour pork.

▲Greens couldn’t be skipped either, so we also ordered this dish at the bottom center: stir-fried Thai morning glory.

▲We also casually snapped a few pages of the menu.

▲Utensils. The spoon and fork were slightly heavy, and the plates were ceramic—quite refined.

Food arrived Up，and every dish looked absolutely delicious！The two of them ordered four dishes and two drinks—that’s basically a mission to eat until they burst.

▲Thai milk tea, 90 THB. It’s the commonly seen Thai milk tea Up，and it was delicious.

▲Lychee iced tea, 95 THB. Unrestrained wasn’t sure what kind of tea this was, but it tasted sweet with a hint of black tea flavor (not sure if that’s right?), quite refreshing and thirst-quenching, not overly sweet, and the two lychees inside were delicious！

▲Stir-fried Thai morning glory with chili, 150 THB. A bit spicy (obviously, since it’s stir-fried with chili), but just as delicious as your regular stir-fried morning glory. Honestly, it’s hard to mess this one up.

▲Fried grouper with lemon sweet-sour-spicy sauce, 490 THB.

The fried grouper retained the firm, chewy texture of the fish—it wasn’t over-fried or too dry, with a lightly crispy coating on the outside. Additionally, the accompanying lemon sweet-sour-spicy sauce was salty, tangy, and spicy, combining into the perfect dipping sauce and truly the soul of the dish. The fish was delicious to begin with, but paired with this green, spicy sauce, it became a match made in heaven！

Unrestrained thought this dish was extremely tasty—it was their favorite among the four. Wholeheartedly recommended！But it is a bit spicy, so those who can’t handle spice should think twice. Also, a reminder: the portion of fish is very generous—it’s a whole large fish, and although it was super delicious, the two of them almost couldn’t finish it : P.

▲Sweet and sour pork, 250 THB.

This one was pretty delicious too!! The pork is first deep-fried, then coated in a sweet and sour sauce before being stir-fried with bell peppers, pineapple, tomatoes, and more. The taste is perfectly tangy and sweet, with just the right flavor balance. The crispy fried pork coated in that sweet and sour sauce is really smooth and flavorful—super tasty with rice!

▲ Deep-fried Thai prawns with yellow curry, 490 THB.

This dish comes with six large Thai tiger prawns—the shrimp meat is fresh, sweet, and plump. The yellow curry has a savory-sweet flavor, and eggs are beaten into it, giving it a texture somewhat like egg drop soup with a curry twist. This yellow curry also pairs really well with rice, hooray!! The only small downside is that while the yellow curry and prawns are both delicious on their own, they don’t quite come together as a unified flavor—kind of a pity.

▲ We only thought of taking a group photo of all the dishes halfway through the meal, so we ended up with this messy table snapshot instead.

The total bill for two people, including service charge and card fee, came to 1936.17 THB—which is pretty pricey, especially in Thailand!! Although the prices aren’t exactly budget-friendly, Nara Thai Cuisine actually isn’t overpriced for what you get. We didn’t do any research beforehand, just ordered whatever we felt like, and didn’t hit any bad dishes. Of course, a slightly lower price would’ve been even better~~~

Moreover, their dishes are not only beautifully and delicately plated, but the ingredients are fresh and generous in portion. Most importantly, the flavors are top-notch—not the kind of taste you’d typically find at your average Thai restaurant. It’s a traditional base with modern twists, packing a delicious sweet and spicy punch.

Also, the service is great—the staff are all friendly and smiling, and they patiently answer any questions customers might have. For those who haven’t tried it yet and are willing to spend a bit more, I highly recommend giving it a go. As for me, I’d definitely eat here again the next time I’m in Bangkok XD.

※ Nara Thai Cuisine Info:
Official Website:http://www.naracuisine.com/

Nara Thai Cuisine has four branches in Bangkok,
(1) Nara Central World branch, located on the 7th floor of Central World Mall. That’s the one I went to!
(2) Nara Erawan branch, located on the B1 floor of Erawan Bangkok Mall behind the Erawan Shrine.
(3) Nara Eight branch, located in the Thonglor area on Sukhumvit Soi 55.
(4) Nara EmQuartier branch, located on the 7th floor of The EmQuartier Mall, which just opened at BTS Phrom Phong Station at the end of March this year.

※ Directions to Central World Branch:
Getting to this branch is super easy—just head to the 7th floor of Central World Mall and you’ll see it right there!! If you’re not sure where Central World is, take the BTS Skytrain to Chit Lom Station. Once you exit, you’ll see this huge mall complex. Alternatively, you can walk across the skybridge from BTS Siam Station to Central World, though that’s a little bit farther.

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