- Local
- Community
- Journalism
Support the independent voice of Dallas and help keep the future of Dallas Observer free.
Leading up to September's Best of Dallas® 2017 issue, we're sharing (in no particular order) our 100 Favorite Dishes, the Dallas entrées, appetizers and desserts that really stuck with us this year.
It's hard to deny the allure of a dish roasted in a clay pot. When it arrives at your table, the lid pulls away to reveal a steaming mountain of flavors that all came together in a fragrant broth. At Royal Thai, they've had a long time to perfect these clay pot recipes; the restaurant has been a Dallas Thai staple since 1992.
First-timers at Royal Thai might feel overwhelmed by the massive menu, but the ample descriptions make it pretty easy if you know what you're in the mood for. Try the goong op, a clay pot-roasted dish filled with juicy shrimp, mushrooms, carrots, celery, napa cabbage and glass noodles in a white wine-ginger sauce. For a noodle dish, it's pleasantly light, the glass noodles soaking up that white wine-ginger goodness but remaining an accent, rather than the focus of the dish. As with any Royal Thai dish, prepare for leftovers – and this dish in particular tastes pretty stellar when reheated the next day.