Dao is a Thai restaurant institution in Charlottenburg and, quite frankly, one of the best addresses in town for quality Thai food. Located on the far end of Kantstraße, Dao also offers one of the more sophisticated Thai experiences in Berlin. Owner Pratina Kross (aka Meo) took over the place from her friend Dao in 2012 and has since then steadily continued down the path of high quality Thai food.
“While most good Thai restaurants in town are very modest and low key, Dao definitely takes its interior quite seriously.
While most good Thai restaurants in town are very modest and low key, Dao definitely takes its interior quite seriously. You will realize this the moment you walk into the door, the whole place is actually nice with a warm and cozy vibe. The whole Dao venue generally invites you for a slicker dining experience and once in a while I think that can be really nice.
The menu at Dao is a wide assortment of dishes from all over Thailand without focusing too much on any region. This means you can enjoy all Thai classics from Thom Ka Gai soup to Som Tam papaya salad including curries, pad thais and stir fries. Although you won't find any crazy extravagant things on the menu, all the important dishes are there and, most importantly, almost all of it is very well executed and delicious. Oh yes, the quality is most definitely above average and the ingredients, including curry pastes, are prepared in house and from scratch.
“My favourite dish at Dao is something else though and I have to admit I'm hopelessly in love with their Laab minced meat salads.
The papaya salad is always made fresh to order, and although it's not the best in town, it's still a very good version with a lot of emphasis on a lovely balance of flavours. The Thai curries at Dao belong to best in Berlin and if you're into curries, you should definitely pay Dao a visit. My favourite dish at Dao is something else though and I have to admit I'm hopelessly in love with their Laab minced meat salads. Prepared with roasted rice and raw onions the pork mince laab at Dao is the stuff of dreams, with a killer balance between acidity and spice and truly a dish where the quality of the ingredients does wonders.
Things you go to keep in mind at Dao is that you will pay for this level of sophistication, with mains hitting the 18€ mark this is one of the more expensive Thais in Berlin. Also don't let the prices deceive you, portions are not huge and I always order a starter. When it comes to spice, this is also not the place that's going to send you back to the memory of that hallucination-inducing jungle curry you once had in Bangkok, if you want spice you definitely have to not only ask but also convince the waitresses that you can take it. Dao Thai is one of the best and safest addresses for quality Thai food in Berlin and I would recommend you to go here any day, especially if you're not into the slightly run-down alternatives for good Thai food around Kantstraße.
