What is it?: If the other two Central Thai spots on this list are nostalgic favourites for citizens of the capital, Sukhumvit Soi 33’s Sri Trat is dedicated to place, featuring local dishes from tiny Trat Province, wedged down between the Cambodian border and the Gulf of Thailand
Why we love it: For as many tourists as pass through Trat on their way to the white-sand beaches of Koh Chang and Koh Kut, the province itself doesn’t have much of a profile, including in terms of cuisine. Before Sri Trat Province opened, not many people could even tell you what they ate over there. The massaman curry with chicken and unripe durian provides a combination few would have thought of, but that slight sulphuric kick from the durian makes the dish. Barracuda salad with peanut dressing balances sweet and sour beautifully, and gaeng mu chamuang is an iconic local pork curry that highlights the chamuang leaf, an herb that features prominently in local cuisine.
Time Out tip: Sri Trat is one of the few Thai restaurants with a genuinely top-tier cocktail programme. Like the cuisine, they deliver boldness, complexity, and balance, and have just enough sweetness to balance the fire in the dishes.