Pad krapao, made here with chicken, is a common Thai dish that typically consists of meat stir fried with Thai basil and garlic. It’s meant to balance sweet, salty, spicy and savory flavors. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
When I lived in the United Arab Emirates in the late 2000s and early 2010s, my friends and I regularly visited a Thai restaurant in Dubai called Lemongrass. The flavorful food was excellent and patrons often had to wait in line to get in.
To this day, I think of Lemongrass whenever I have a Thai meal, and comparisons are inevitable. So when I learned that a new Thai restaurant had opened in Kaiserslautern, Germany, I was curious to find out how it matched up to my old haunt.
Tida serves Thai food in a charming corner of the city near the hipster-esque cafe Carlo Ohio Coffee and Things and the Union Studio arthouse cinema.
Diners eat al fresco at Tida Thai Restaurant in downtown Kaiserslautern, Sept. 21, 2023. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
Outdoor wooden tables and large windows with green casing offer a peek into the restaurant, which is filled with yellow seat cushions and various light fixtures with wooden shades.
I recently visited Tida for the first time with two colleagues for lunch. We sat inside at a window seat, and as the foot traffic passed outside, the laid-back atmosphere made me feel like it was a place I’d like to frequent, based on the ambiance alone.
One of my colleagues had already eaten at the restaurant several times since its May opening. The other was relatively unfamiliar with Thai cuisine and said he was in an adventurous mood, so he tried tofu for the first time.
He took one of the fried cubes that was part of the appetizer called tofu tord and dipped it hesitantly into a homemade sweet chili sauce.
“Actually, it’s not bad,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting it to be so spongy.”
Tanakorn Sangkamanee prepares food at Tida Thai Restaurant in Kaiserslautern. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
The dish, which we all shared, had a lovely soft texture that was juxtaposed with a sprinkling of crunchy peanut pieces on top. The sauce, we all agreed, was as sweet as it was tart.
Even with its simplicity, it was on par with the fare at Lemongrass.
For his main entree, my colleague who’d previously been to Tida ordered the pad krapao, a common Thai dish that typically consists of meat stir-fried with Thai basil and garlic. It’s meant to balance sweet, salty, spicy and savory flavors.
Tida’s usual balance isn’t spicy enough for his palate. Owners Chattharika Khueayu and Tanakorn Sangkamanee told me the following day that they tone down their dishes for their primarily Western clientele but will make the dishes “Thai spicy” on request.
My colleague, who made the request, described his pad krapao with chicken as having a “nice tickling sensation” and said the spice didn’t overpower the dish, even though I saw the runny nose it gave him.
The susi pla at Tida Thai Restaurant is a whole tilapia fish served with a red curry sauce, chili and kaffir leaves. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
I’ve been a vegetarian for nearly two decades, which could partly explain why I thought the meal my other colleague ordered was one of the most off-putting plates of food I’ve seen in years.
The susi pla is a whole tilapia — head, bones and tiny teeth included — served with a red curry sauce, chili and kaffir leaves. He described the meat as moist with a crispy outer layer.
The sauce was creamy with a hint of spice. He said that it was the best Thai dish he had ever eaten and that he would order it again.
A closer look at the vegetable panang curry at Tida Thai Restaurant reveals some non-traditional Thai ingredients, including carrots and broccoli. They’re easier to source in Germany. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
The vegetable panang curry at Tida Thai Restaurant is served in a metal pot with the restaurant’s name on it. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
My main dish was the vegetable panang curry, which is what I used to order frequently in Dubai. It was presented beautifully in a small metal pan. Fresh Thai basil and chilis were inside, but so too were broccoli and carrots.
These vegetables aren’t normally included in Thai street food, but they are easier to source in Kaiserslautern than some traditional Thai ingredients, the owners said.
My curry was flavorful and certainly better than average, though the substituted ingredients and the thinner consistency left it falling short of Lemongrass level.
On my second visit, I ordered the pad thai, which was a pleasing rendition of the country’s best-known dish. The broccoli and carrots blended harmoniously with it.
The mango and sticky rice with coconut sauce has a subtle, sweet taste at Tida in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
The Anchan berries drink, made with lime juice and fresh berries, isn’t overly sweet at Tida in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
Tida also offers teas, including Thai iced tea, coffees and a small selection of desserts. The mango and sticky rice with coconut sauce has a subtle, sweet taste. The Thai pancake, by contrast, is much sweeter and similar to an elephant ear.
The Thai pancake at Tida Thai Restaurant in Kaiserslautern tastes similar to an elephant ear. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
All Tida’s dishes are presented beautifully and don’t really look like street food. However, they are served quickly. During both visits, I was served in less than five minutes. Speed makes Tida a great choice for a quick weekday lunch for those short on time.
The name of the restaurant is derived from Chattharika and Tanakorn’s two daughters, both of whom have those four letters at the end of their name.
Chattharika Khueayu, who grew up in Kaiserslautern, opened Tida Thai Restaurant with her partner Tanakorn Sangkamanee in May and named it after their two daughters. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
The couple are hoping to see a bit more variety in their clientele, which they say has been predominantly German so far.
“I don’t think many people in the American military know about our place yet,” Chattharika said, “But we would love to welcome them.”
Tida Thai Restaurant in downtown Kaiserslautern opened in May and bills itself as serving authentic Thai street food, though the menu includes fancier fare. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
Tida Thai Restaurant
Address: Pirmasenser Strasse 4, Kaiserslautern
Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 5-10 p.m.; Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, noon-10 p.m.; closed Monday.
Prices: Appetizers, 4.90-7.90 euros; mains 13.50-19.50 euros; desserts 3.50-8.90 euros.
Information: Online: tidathai.de, Phone: +49 631 373 241 49; Email: info@tidathai.de
