Spice up Your Life with Nagoya’s Thai Restaurants

May 31, 2024

Spice up Your Life with Nagoya’s Thai Restaurants

Japan is rightly celebrated for being a nation of phenomenal food. From sashimi to oden, from yakitori to yakiniku, there is so much to love about the local cuisine. However, wasabi and Taiwan Ramen aside, there is nothing that really clears out the sinuses, spice-wise. Which is why, for you ‘heat-heads’ out there, those who like me enjoy the fiery burn of the chilli spice, it is great that there are so many fantastic Thai restaurants around the city. Let’s get ready to sweat!

Sukhontha – Nagoya Station

As this is my neck of the woods, Sukontha Meieki (near the Hub, if you know it) has long been my go-to for Thai food. Always bustling, and consistently delicious, it is a great place for a fun night out. While it lacks the charm of Sakura Pakuchi (which is my favorite on this list, and I will be coming to soon), it makes up for in warmth and intimacy. Also, if you can’t decide what to order, or are new to the Thai game, this is a great spot as their two courses – on which you will find all the hits – are very reasonable, as they start from less than 3,000 JPY.

Where: 3 Chome-16-14 Meieki, Nakamura Ward, Nagoya (map)
Website: sukhontha-meieki.owst.jp

Sawasdee Sumiyoshi Tsurumai

Following my go-to spot is a place that comes highly recommended by a friend of mine. In fact, I got of sick of him constantly badgering me to go, so I eventually relented. And it was phenomenal. Which is not surprising, considering that the owner, Mrs Jenta, is from Chiang Mai in Thailand, the chef is also Thai, and the ingredients – including fresh vegetables, seafood, and spices – are shipped directly from Bangkok, arriving in Nagoya just six hours later. You can’t get much more authentic than that! Also, should a member of your company be less inclined towards spicy food, you can just let your waiter know and they will tone it down for you.

Where: Nagoya, Naka Ward, Chiyoda, 3 Chome-11-12 Mugishima 2nd Building 2F (map)
Website: sawasdee-sumiyoshi.com

Higashi Sakura Pakuchi – Sakae

If you are looking for an authentic Thai dining experience (or as close to it as you can get it), then check out Higashi Sakura Pakuchi. Perched on plastic stools staight-outta Bangkok, there is a rowdy and raucous atmosphere in either branches (the Sakae one is the most fun), and you would not be surprised if a tuktuk rolled by. All of your Thai favorites are represented on the menu – with the soft-shelled crab being the pick of the bunch – and a portion of all profits are donated to a charity building schools in Laos.

Where: 1 Chome-6-12 Higashisakura, Higashi Ward, Nagoya (map)
Website: nagoya892.com

Siam Garden

While Sakura Pakuchi is on the rustic side, if you want really good upmarket Thai food, it’s in the direction of Siam Garden in Fushimi that you should head. It’s a bit pricier than you might expect of a Thai restaurant, but it is very elegant, and the food is impressively authentic. In addition, if it says ‘spicy’ on the menu, then that’s just what it is. You have been warned! Furthermore, the building itself is beautiful, and it has been said that it used to be the Thai Embassy. Whether or not this is true, I couldn’t say for sure.

Where: 1 Chome-15-17 Nishiki, Naka Ward, Nagoya (map)
Website: siamgarden.jp

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Image: By drburtoni via flickr.com [CC BY NC 2.0 DEED]