Jet Tila’s Top Red Flag For Second-rate Thai Restaurants

According to renowned chef Jet Tila, if you want to spot a promising Thai restaurant without even trying the food, simply pay close attention to its table settings.

In an interview with Business Insider, Tila said to look for Thai restaurants that set their tables with a fork and a spoon. He describes this as the “proper” way to eat Thai food.

This is particularly true for dishes that feature rice. However, if a Thai restaurant puts chopsticks instead, they may be “pandering” to Americanized conceptions of Thai food.

They might also be leaning into a misconception that all East and Southeast Asian cuisines are eaten with chopsticks. The same applies to countries next to Thailand.

Before forks and spoons arrived, Thai food was predominantly eaten with the hands. Now, Thai people use the fork to push food into the spoon and then eat from the spoon.

There may also be a practical reason for avoiding chopsticks. Thai rice does not stick together as much as the variations of rice used in East Asia, making spoons a better option.

However, Tila does note one exception. In a noodle house, he says that chopsticks will be the norm, especially for soup-based noodle dishes like guay tiew ruea (boat noodles).