Dish finder in Bangkok

Minced pork or chicken fried with chillies, garlic and holy basil, over rice. Ask for khai dao, a crisp fried egg, on top: it is the default office lunch.

Shredded papaya pounded in a mortar with lime, fish sauce, palm sugar and chillies. Say how many chillies you want; one is plenty for most.

Poached chicken on rice cooked in its stock, with ginger-soy sauce and a cup of broth. The stalls sell out by early afternoon.

Sweet, garlicky pork on sticks with a bag of sticky rice, sold from carts at every BTS exit in the morning.

Silky rice congee with pork balls, ginger and a soft egg. A gentle breakfast and the standard thing to eat when ill.

Tiny, rich bowls of noodle soup thickened with spices, served a few baht each so people stack the empties. Victory Monument has a whole alley of them.

Prawns in a broth of lemongrass, galangal, lime leaf and chilli, either clear (nam sai) or creamy with evaporated milk (nam khon).

Coconut curry with Thai aubergine and basil, usually with chicken or fish balls. Ladled over rice at curry-on-rice shops (khao kaeng).

Flat rice noodles fried in a hot wok with dark soy, egg and Chinese broccoli. The safe, smoky choice for anyone avoiding chilli.

Isaan food from the north-east: charcoal-grilled chicken and a minced-meat salad with toasted rice and lime, eaten with sticky rice by hand.

Tilapia stuffed with lemongrass, packed in salt and grilled whole, then wrapped in lettuce with noodles and a sharp seafood dip.

Pork leg slow-braised in five-spice and soy until it falls apart, over rice with pickled greens, a boiled egg and raw garlic and chilli on the side.

Chinese-Thai jay shops, marked by yellow flags with red lettering, serve several curries and stir-fries with no meat, fish sauce or garlic. Point at two or three over rice.

Crisp twin doughnuts dunked in hot soy milk or a sweet pandan custard. Sold from street woks early in the morning.

Ripe mango with sweet sticky rice soaked in coconut cream. Best from March to May, when the mangoes are in season.