1. Many restaurants promise authentic experiences of one sort or another so it’s always nice when some place delivers on their promise. The Thiptara Thai restaurant in the Peninsula Hotel is one that does just that. It’s not just the food here that is authentic but also the décor and the location right on the Chao Phraya River. For any real Thai, dining next to water is always preferred over any other location and Thiptara’s tables command an up-close look at the muddy river that hosts so much traffic. It’s especially interesting at dusk as the lights slowly come on in the many commuter boats gliding up and down. And the restaurant itself, although it’s outdoors with a few covered spaces, is decorated in rustic Thai style with weathered wood and traditional architecture. It’s a nice effect right down to the wooden gate at the entrance to the restaurant and the artifacts on the walls. The food isn’t rustic, however, but is meticulously prepared and presented. The recipes are supposed to be basic Thai home-style cuisine and that may be so but the taste is definitely five-star all the way. From the perfectly cooked crispy soft-shelled crab to the spicy eggplant salad the flavors are all spot on. Or try the deep-fried snowfish with a spicy sweet and sour sauce as well as the river prawns in a creamy curry-like sauce. Equally good is the white prawn appetizer with crispy morning glory which balances the textures of the two ingredients nicely. You’ll also find a number of curries, plenty of meat and poultry dishes – with the tenderloin beef imported from Australia – and even vegetarian selections. Considering the overall result at Thiptara, it’s obvious that the restaurant’s creators have skillfully combined the ingredients needed to create an authentic Thai dining experience right on the banks of the Chao Phraya.