I passed by this inviting place on a cold rainy evening and decided to give it a try. One of the Thai women working there was standing outside the door, as is the custom in this very competitive restaurant district. Business was slow, as this was a Monday and it was pouring rain.

She graciously welcomed me and took my umbrella, saying it was too wet to bring inside! Perhaps she needed it herself, I figured. I sat down and ordered dinner from the menu. Soup was a must to warm my insides, so I decided on Tom Yam Kai, the delightfully spicy lemongrass soup with chicken and mushrooms. It was done perfectly.

As Royal Thai specializes in seafood, I followed that up with Pla Chuchee, pieces of fish, deep fried and covered in a spicy red curry/coconut sauce, which I would classify as Penang (my favorite Thai sauce). There was a LOT of fish, about 6-7 medium pieces, and it was so much I couldn’t finish it. It came with a huge silver colored bowl of rice that I barely made a dent in. The fish was good, clean tasting, and went well with the sauce.

To drink I ordered a jasmine tea, which was served in glass mug instead of teapot, but they did add more hot water, so I got a couple of glasses for 1.90 Euros. A small heineken set me back 3 Euros (big ouch!). The soup was 4.10 and the fish 15.50. Considering how much fish there was, and how good it was, it was well worth it. I’d normally recommend two people split it with another dish.

The decor was a pleasant notch up from most Thai restaurants in Amsterdam. The theme is Thai musical instruments and there are beautiful examples on display as well as other exotic object d’art.

The service here was excellent, but then again, it was a slow Monday evening. As I left the restaurant, the friendly Thai woman handed me back my umbrella and we talked for awhile. The chill of the evening had evaporated…

Check out their very informative website to see the whole menu! Nice photos of some of the dishes. Watch out you don’t drool over your keyboard!