#thaiselectphilippines

The Thai SELECT program aims to recognize and endorse Authentic Thai cuisine and quality Thai restaurants and Thai food products all across the globe. When you see this sign outside the restaurant, it means that you are guaranteed to have a unique and authentic Thai dining experience every time you visit.

Thai BBQ Original Restaurant is actually a franchise from Los Angeles, California which was brought to the country by foodie and restaurateur George Pua who also owns and operates popular restaurants such as Rico’s Lechon, K-Pub, Ogawa Japanese Restaurant, and others.

Thai BBQ offers the best flavors of Thailand served in huge American-sized portions. The Vertis North branch is quite big and spacious, with al fresco seating available. They also have other Thai BBQ branches at Tiendesitas and Glorietta.

There’s also a VIP private dining room that can seat up to 14 guests or more for those family get togethers.

The Royal Thai Government’s Department of International Trade Promotion, Ministry of Commerce, has launched the "Thai SELECT” program to certify and promote authentic Thai cuisine around the world. It is a seal of approval granted to Thai restaurants (both overseas and local Thai restaurant that serve authentic Thai food) and processed Thai food products.

The objective is to increase the recognition of quality Thai restaurants and processed Thai food products as well as to encourage Thai restauranteurs and food producers to raise their quality while maintaining authenticity. You can learn more about their programs and activities on their Facebook Page (@thaiselectditp).

Media personality and television host Spanky Enriquez presented the prestigious Thai SELECT award once again to George Pua who also discussed the history of Thai BBQ in the Philippines and his never-ending passion for food and authenticity.

Now it’s time to sample Thai BBQ’s extensive lineup of Thai food and beverages. The Pandan Iced Tea (P120) and Thai Iced Milk Tea (P140) are two of the best refreshments you can have. I particularly liked the Thai Iced Milk Tea with its distinct Thai flavors that is quite different from the usual bubble milk teas all around the metro.

The Yum Pla Dook Foo (P380) is a great Thai appetizer to share with the group. This crispy and flaky deep-fried catfish is served with a special mango salad that goes so well with it.

We also had some soup to whet our taste buds. The Tom Yum Goong (P380) is a traditional hot and sour Thai broth that comes with shrimp, mushrooms, lemon grass, chili paste, and secret spices. You can really taste the flavors of Thailand with every slurp.

The Bagoong Fried Rice (P420) is surely something that Filipinos are familiar with. Bagoong is incorporated with the fried rice which results in a dish that you can eat by itself. But don’t finish it all at once because it actually goes so well with the next dish.

Pour some of the Panang Beef Curry (P580) onto your bagoong rice for a truly wonderful journey. This rich curry dish comes with slices of tender beef in spicy Panang beef curry sauce.

You can also choose to order some plain rice to go with the curry if you want to savor all the sauces when it is absorbed by the rice. It’s not as spicy as other curry dishes which actually suited me well.

There’s also the Honey Duck Dinner (P680) which has a half-serving of steamed duck served with a honey sauce. The duck is more sweet than savory, so this should be a welcome treat for those with a sweet tooth. It comes in a gigantic plate full of java rice as well, so this is one big dinner that will surely satisfy any hungry diner.

One of my favorites that afternoon was the Pla Jien (P1200). This is a whole deep-fried garoupa cooked with spicy oyster mushroom sauce with chili, ginger, and green onions. I think I single-handedly finished this beautiful fish.

Thai BBQ’s signature house special is the Thai BBQ Spareribs (P780). These smoky thick-cut tender pork ribs are cooked in their Original Thai Marinade and served with a sweet and spicy BBQ sauce. This is owner George Pua’s favorite dish among all the specialties and he still keeps having this whenever he visits.

Thai BBQ also has a Special Plate of the Day (P199) for those quick solo lunch meals. This plate comes with two sticks of chicken sate, basil eggplant, steamed rice, and a glass of pandan iced tea. It’s an affordable set that also changes daily so you can have it every day of the week.

For those who prefer to have food delivered to their house or workplace, Thai BBQ also has set packages available exclusively on Grabfood and Foodpanda, like this chicken pandan set with rice. For desserts, the Sticky Rice with Mango (P320) is always a popular choice with its sweet mango slices and sticky rice topped with coconut sauce.

We would like to thank George Pua and Thai BBQ Original Restaurant for hosting our yummy adventure to Thailand that afternoon. Thai SELECT is a very helpful program not just for restaurant owners but also for foodies looking to explore authentic and high-quality Thai establishments. Make sure to look for the Thai SELECT seal of approval the next time you are searching for great Thai cuisine.

Thai BBQ Original Restaurant

Level 2, Ayala Malls Vertis North, North Avenue, Quezon City

8364-0068 / 0917-1111990

www.thaiselect.com

www.facebook.com/thaiselectditp