To Thai for

For a pretty small country, Thailand has done incredibly well on the food scene — green curry and Tom Yam soup are up there with spaghetti Bolognaise and fajitas as unshakable contributions to the global menu.

Tonight is the perfect opportunity to give some other Thai favourites a try, with the full-moon festival of Loy Krathong being celebrated by most Thai restaurants around town. Expect special menus and the chance to float your worries away on a water-borne candle, known as a krathong.

Here's a few of tabloid!'s favourite, diverse corners of the Thai scene in Dubai.

Thiptara Royal Thai

Thiptara Royal Thai, is exactly that — a royal experience. From the authentic pavilion setting — found in the shadow of the Burj Dubai — to the genuine dishes, this is the place to go for a faithful Thai encounter.

While an 8pm dinner reservation proved a little quiet (we were only party in the entire restaurant) the ambience steps up a notch later in the evening, with a late rush of sophisticated diners.

A table inside the spacious pavilion is a safe decision, as jackhammers and earth movers do not make for the best background music. Allow the extraordinarily friendly Thai waiters to guide you through the menu, which offers a choice of a la carte or a set menu.

For starters, we began with the dim sim, which was steamed to perfection and consisted of a mixture of shrimp, crab and chicken. The Tom Yan Koong soup was mild, even though it was requested medium in spice and lacking the sourness that is usually the signature of this dish.

Still, the Laab Ped (minced duck salad) proved to be a winner, combining the zesty tang of mint and sweet duck meet. For mains, do not overlook the Pen Nam Makam — a steamed whole fish, fragrantly flavoured with chilli, lemon and garlic. Sticky rice with mango was tempting for dessert, but after consuming all of the large portion, we had definitely had our fill.

Not, however, of Thiptara. It's worthy of a return visit.

Thiptara will have a special lunar set menu tonight from 7pm onwards, priced at Dh390 per person exclusive of beverages.

Call 04-4287961.

Benjarong, Dusit Dubai

It's a Thai room with a view. Everything inside Benjarong, from the chairs, carvings, staff and chef, has been brought in from Thailand, for a really authentic experience — with a stunning vista over the Burj Dubai complex.

But the really exciting thing about Benjarong is the work of its executive chef, who's been there for four years.

Ask her to create a menu, and you'll be served cold noodles with shrimp and chicken, fish cakes topped with cucumber and a perfectly balanced hot-and-sour Tom Yam soup. But it's the mains where she really excels — an incredibly fragrant dish of stir-fried seafood is topped with handfuls of crisp herbs, morning glory (water spinach) becomes emerald-shiny stir-fried with oyster sauce and garlic.

The hands-down favourite at our table? The deep-fried soft-shell crab. Chunks of crab in batter nestle in sweet garlic – you won't make any friends, but with a dish this great, you'd rather keep it all to yourself anyway.

Don't leave without trying the green curry more flavourful here than many tabloid! has tasted.

The Dusit will celebrate Loy Krathong tonight with a special menu, live music and dance, decorative lights and the chance to float a candle (and make a wish!).

Call 04-3174515.

Lemongrass

So what is it that you look for an evening out at a restaurant? Good ambience, great service, knowledgeable staff, an easy air and, above all, super food. If you are willing to compromise on the first few for cuisine that is out of this world, then Lemongrass is it.

The divine Tom Yam soup alone makes the trip worthwhile. This velvety offering is fragrant and heady with a coconut broth that doesn't drown out the other flavours: lime, scallions, and galangal, a Thai herb closely related to ginger, but more intense.

There's plenty of prawns and mushrooms floating about in this delectable dish, which was the top hit with all of us at the table.

For a starter we had Hoy Choub – deep fried mussels filled with peppercorn and seafood, served with sriacha chilli sauce. We found the flavouring was judged perfectly. This is not to alarm you, but be aware that orders take long to reach your table (they are short-staffed on weekends!). So, in between the appetiser and main course, try avoiding those annoying flies.

We loved the Khao Pad — fried rice with mixed seafood and chicken — it tastes better than it looks. And you can't leave a Thai restaurant without trying its curry — that would be like Thanksgiving without turkey — so we we opted for Gaeng Ped – red curry with Thai eggplants and chicken.

Well, Lemongrass is not a place for romance, for flirtation, for beginning a new affair or even for dramatically ending one. It's the place… just for good food.

Call 04-3342325

Mango Tree

Check out the Mango Tree at Souk Al Bahar, near Burj Dubai, for another Loy Krathong celebration, with a three course meal and beverage priced at Dh500 for two.

Call 04-426 7313.