Get Your Thai Fix During Thailand Week Starting September 1 | Sample San Diego's Best Thai Food at Special Preview Event Held August 15 in Escondido

August 12, 2014
By Megan Gallagher | SanDiegoVille Contributor

If pad thai, drunken noodles and coconut soup are among your favorite meals, you’re going to want to mark your calendar for September 1 – 7 when Thailand Week rolls into San Diego. The program was created to promote the wide variety of Thai food in America, and involves hundreds of “Thai Select” restaurants throughout the United States, including many in Southern California. During the week, these restaurants will be offering a 15% discount to diners in an effort to encourage restaurant goers to explore all of the tastes of Thailand. As promotion leading up to Thailand Week, on Friday, August 15, more than two dozen Thai eateries throughout San Diego will show off their culinary chops in an effort to earn their very own “Thai Select” status recognition from Thailand.

So far, participating restaurants in San Diego include Ocean Thai Cuisine’s 2 locations in Oceanside, Kun Thai Kitchen on Convoy St, and Lai Thai Restaurant in National City. While these four Thai restaurants don’t even scratch the surface of the pool of Thai options in San Diego, they are standouts as they have been named “Thai Select” restaurants, an official certification of authenticity and excellence for Thai restaurants given exclusively by the Thai Government.

The “Thai Select” program was established to maintain high standards and quality of Thai food, as well as certify and promote real Thai cuisine around the world. The “Thai Select” status is a reflection of both the authenticity of the food, as well as the hospitality and atmosphere of the restaurant. To date 1,483 restaurants overseas and 67 in Thailand have achieved this prestigious award.

But just because only four San Diego Thai eateries have obtained this status to date, that doesn’t mean all others are left in the dust. On Friday, August 15, more than two dozen San Diego based Thai eateries will offer a taste of their best food in an effort to earn their very own “Thai Select” status at the Thailand Week Thai Food for Health party. The event, a collaboration of work between The Thai Trade Center Los Angeles, Department of International Trade Promotion and The Thai Restaurant Association of San Diego, will give attendees the chance to try dozens of authentic dishes from some of the best restaurants in the county. The restaurants will be judged on food quality, taste and presentation. The formal event takes place from 7-11pm at the California Center for the Arts Escondido, and will also include live entertainment and food demonstrations, including an appearance from honorable celebrity Chef Krongtong na Songhla, who will be demonstrating the preparation of Som Tum, a traditional Thai papaya salad. Chef Krong, as she is known, has cooked for Thai Ambassadors and Royalty, and has successfully opened many Thai eateries around the world.

Hungry for more? Learn more about this unique event by visiting facebook.com/thairestaurantweek and check out photos below from last year's event. And see below for a complete list of San Diego restaurants who are hoping to get “Thai Select” status.

Bangkok Bay
731 S Hwy 101 Solana Beach, CA 92075

Green Shallots Thai Cafe
6755 Mira Mesa Blvd

Green Shallots Thai Gourmet Express
5447 Kearny Villa Rd., San Diego, CA 92123

Nattiya
727 W San Marcos blvd ste 115 San Marcos CA 92078

King & I Of San Marcos
1020 San Marcos Blvd Ste 164 San Marcos, CA 92078

Aiyara Thai Cuisine
41533 Margarita Rd Ste 102 Temecula CA 92591

Rose Garden Thai Cuisine
39400 Murrieta Hotsprings Road Ste105 Murrieta CA 92563

Siam Nara Thai Cuisine
8993 Mira Mesa Blvd Ste 903 San Diego CA 92126

Spices Thai Cafe
3810 Valley Centre DrDelma CA 92130

Sala Thai Restaurant
6161 El Cajon Boulevard, San Diego CA

Rakadeka
10450 Friars Rd Ste X, 4508 Cass St Ste D, 801 S Twin Oaks Valley Rd

@Thai BBQ
39530 Murrieta Hot Springs Rd, Murrieta, CA 92563

Star Anise Thai Cuisine
8935 Towne Centre Drive San Diego CA 92122

Tamarind Thai Restaurant
7970 University Ave, Suite 310

Tam's Thailand
3456 Adams Ave

Thai Pepper Cuisine
3361 Sandrock Rd San Diego 92123

Thai House Cuisine
4225 Convoy Street San Diego CA 92111

Thai Kitchen
27520 Ynez Rd Temecula 92591

Thai Pan Cuisine
138 N. El Camino Real, Encinitas

Thai Society
1070 N. El Camino real, Encinitas

Happy Chang
1450 W Mission Rd San Marcos CA 92069

Mint Downtown Thai
732 4th Ave San Diego CA

Bamboo Fresh Thai Cuisine
7953 University Ave, La Mesa, CA 91941

Rim Talay Thai Cuisine
508 Mission Ave, Oceanside, CA 92054