Royal Thai, 210 Franklin Rd, serves authentic Thai food in a comfortable, relaxing atmosphere.
One of the things I’ve always enjoyed about Royal Thai is how quiet the restaurant seems to be even during lunch and dinner times. Unlike other restaurants, where the staff seem to be running around and you can hear the chefs clanging around in the kitchen, Royal Thai is a quiet place to dine—a nice place to get away for your lunch break or decompress after a long day at work.
Nita and Woody Siriyutwatana have been the proud owners of Royal Thai since 1994, when they opened their first restaurant in downtown Nashville. Since then, the restaurant has expanded to Brentwood, Hermitage and even Kentucky.
If you’ve never tried Thai food, you may be wondering what the difference is between Thai and Chinese food. I love how Royal Thai explains this difference. They say “ a Thai meal offers a combination of flavors; sweet, hot, sour, salty and bitter. Thai cooking strives for a balance of these flavors as well as a balance of texture and color. With over twenty-five distinct flavor combinations, Thai literally picks up where most Asian food leaves off.”
A few of my favorite items at Royal Thai is Tom Ka Gai and Royal Thai Delight. Tom Ka Gai is a coconut milk based soup with chicken and mushrooms. The flavors are rich and soothing. On a rainy day, this is the perfect soup to warm you up and make you feel cozy. The Royal Thai Delight is a stir fry dish with scallops, shrimp, squid and crab meat fried with onions, corn, bell pepper, celery and mushrooms, mixed with a light sauce.
Royal Thai offers several healthy options, as well as vegetarian meals. If you’re looking for something on the light side, try the Vegetarian Combination (zucchini, mushrooms and tofu), Royal Thai chicken salad or Yum Woon Sen Bean Thread Salad (bean noodles tossed with chicken, shrimp and seasoned with chili peppers and lime juice).
If you don’t have time to dine in, you can place a to-go order online.
Royal Thai is a great place for those who enjoy Thai food as well as those you haven’t tried Thai food yet. If you’re not sure what to order, the staff at Royal Thai will help you find a dish you’ll like and they can cook anything to the exact spiciness you prefer. Many people associate Thai food with spiciness, but you can definitely order your meal less spicy and still enjoy all the wonderful flavors of Thai food.
Please join our FREE Newsletter
