Vienna’s Top 5 Thai restaurants

I knew I’d encountered some serious Thai food at Mamamon when I started experiencing vivid flashbacks of sitting by a street stand in Bangkok on a little plastic chair, slurping noisily at a curry; and when I started to sob a little from the spicy entree dishes I was inhaling.
“We’re serving up all the dishes we miss from home with little modification,”
Pian, young and Thai-born owner of the 8th district’s new neighbourhood family-run Thai place, tells me. She has a personality larger than her stature, and same goes for the intimate confines of her Mamamon Thai eatery.  This place is both fiery and funky. And serving up some of the best home-style Thai cooking in the city.
The diverse menu lists all the favourites, including the pop star of the Thai kitchen, Pad Thai. Mamamon have earned a well-earned fame for this dish during their time on the Donaukanal. But it’s the Khao Soi curry that has me fogging up the window in front of me. The tastes of the pale, yellow coconut curry from the North – around the Chang Mai region – has arrived here to the middle of Vienna unadultered and full of the flavour it’s famous for; along with a tender chicken leg shipwrecked in it and submerged noodles. It’s thrilling, and the spice of the original dish remains unneutered.

They also have… a good range of beer out of Asia, alongwith the Hamburg hipster favourite, Astra
We also recommend… having the homemade Thai iced tea – the taste is far beyond what you expect.

It’s light pine furniture, brown tiles, and imposing purple and orange colour scheme would typically repel, but as soon as the part-owner Suwan greets my short, bald friend as a lieb little buddha and our tastebuds are hit by the perfectly spiced curries, even the hum of the drinks fridge seems to be part of this place’s charisma.
The kitchen specialises in northeastern dishes, whipped up by the women that can be seen from the front window in the open kitchen who come originally from the region.
The Tom Yam Gung soup is worth the lip numbing for a starter. As for the main, choose any of the plentiful coconut curries on the menu. After tasting one of them you’ll understand why the people who come in over the evening to find no table free, resemble a baby who has had their mother’s nipple snatched from them.  During the grand finale of my visit, I can’t help but smirk at them in an elitist-kind-of-way as their eyes follow my fork into my dessert of mango and coconut sticky rice and up to my mouth. Mmm, tastes just like in Thailand. Since 2009, this has been a second home for many locals of the 6th district. Considering the words of the other half of Thai Isaan’s founding duo, Walter – “This is a take-away place – you wouldn’t bring somebody here for a romantic dinner.” On this occasion, I would strongly recommend to forgo romance for curry. And by the way – if Suwan asks if you want to try the Durian, he’s most probably just trying to clear the table for the next customer. Nevertheless, run for your dear life.

With a view of the first district’s St Peter’s church from the window, this place is as plush as the Pope’s slippers. And some would suggest its interior, resembling a mix between a nightclub/casino, is of the same questionable taste as the pope’s slippers. But don’t let your eyes leave your table and you won’t be disappointed with this high-end international chain, Patara.
There is an emphasis on the ‘fine’ in their claim to offering “fine Thai cuisine.” The funky, yet elegant food presentation, the attentive seamless service and the authentically different (and successfully so) play on traditional Thai recipes makes dining here an experience.
Opt for one of the 5 course set menus (only after 6pm) that offer an impressive array of dishes made up of locally sourced, organic produce weaved throughout. The most expensive (€ 67 per person), the Discover Thailand menu, boasts an incredibly complex tapestry of tastes, composed of skillfully spiced dishes, like the traditional spicy Thai lemongrass soup. The pan-seared scallops and wild catch prawns with mushrooms in a Tom yum reduction sauce inspired immediate silence as we went into culinary shock; same goes for the steamed sea bass filet sautéed in a light lime and chili broth. Throw in about an extra € 25 per person and you’ll be served wine carefully selected to complement each individual course.
It’s more cosy upstairs along the large cushioned black sofa bench seats.  The outside terrace in the warmer months also makes for a quiet and pleasant place just off the busy Graben boulevard to devour one of the vibrant curries.

Set in what was formerly an old Viennese Beisl (a small pub), the ambience here is of a typical takeaway. But to eat here one requires time and patience, for as the owner Prachaya says, “Everything in Thaliand takes time, especially the food.”
Considering every dish here is prepared fresh when ordered, the wait is worth it. As a family restaurant you’re sure to feel welcome (ask Prachaya about the story behind the statues on the fridge of the two female heros of Phuket and you’ll understand the name of the place). As part of the recent out-break of pocket-sized quality eateries encircling the 2nd district’s Karmelitermarkt, Kamala is not only the cheapest Thai in town we could find, but bursting with the vibrant taste of Thai. It’s his sister who does the cooking and the global celebrity dish of Thai cuisine, Pad Thai, is her masterpiece.  We’d also recommend the Krapow Gai (Thai Basil Chicken) for those who can handle their spice.

(There’s not much on the menu for vegetarians but seeing as every dish is made fresh when ordered, most dishes can be prepared veggie-style)