Villa dining in Thailand is all about a glorious setting and the right menus to suit your tastes and any dietary requirements or requests you might have. Once your villa staff know what you like and what you do not like or simply cannot eat, then every meal is prepared exactly to your liking, whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner, as well as snacks and light bites throughout the day. This gives you more time to unwind and ‘be’ without having to organize every mealtime or spend time and energy explaining time and again what you want and need.

Your Personal Menu

From allergies to food intolerances, food exclusion to health programs, and specially formulated diets, not to mention plain old-fashioned likes and dislikes, there are plenty of reasons you may be watching what you eat. The chef at a private villa in Thailand can serve up a special menu of delicious dishes and tasty treats whenever, whatever and however you want and need it done.

Even better, because the kitchen caters for you and your fellow guests alone your food preferences are not an afterthought, so you do not have to settle for a less than satisfying menu or leave any part of a meal. Not knowing what you are eating or if a chef has added ingredients to your banned list, can add anxiety to holiday dining; the opposite of what a villa vacation is all about.

Delicious Thai Food

A villa holiday in Thailand is for total relaxation, and incredible food goes together with that chilled-out vacation experience. People often visit Thailand not just because places like Phuket and Koh Samui are stunning, but also because of the friendly people and fantastic Thai food.

Thailand is renowned for its excellent dishes, and your dedicated villa chefs create authentic Thai favorites using local herbs and spices to suit your preference. Think of lemongrass, ginger, chili and fresh coriander, to make mouthwatering, sweet, sour and spicy dishes. Of course, if you prefer to dine on high-quality Western or Japanese food your villa chef can source the right ingredients and concoct any culinary creation of your choosing.

TIP: Speak to your villa specialist or villa manager about the chef’s specialty and for any particular food requests you may have before booking a villa.

Your Dietary Requirements

If you are gluten sensitive or gluten intolerant or suffer from celiac disease, then you can easily avoid breads and processed foods with fresh seafood, imported meats if desired and rice dishes. Thai food rarely contains gluten-based ingredients, though there are a few that need to be avoided such as stocks, ba mee noodles, although rice noodles are fine, and soy sauce too. The villa chef uses only the highest quality ingredients, preparing fresh food for every meal time.

The Asian diet is also low in dairy which is ideal for lactose sensitive or lactose intolerant, or with a milk allergy. Thai tea is usually served with condensed milk, as are some desserts, which should be avoided as this has particularly high lactose content. There are a great many milk alternatives in Thailand too, such as soy milk and rice milk. These can always be used to create sauces for Western dishes too. The good news is that coconut milk, used in so many Thai dishes is lactose-free. Other lactose-free dairy products are also available in a gourmet market such as the Villa Market in Thailand, known for selling imported goods.

Whilst monosodium glutamate (MSG) is not found in many Western kitchens it is standard in Asia. Even a dish as simple as a Thai omelet usually contains MSG.

Fish sauce and oyster sauce are added to Thai dishes and used as condiments too, which is good to know if you need to avoid seafood. Vegetarians can be easily catered for too, with most of the fruit and veg you can get back home available in Thailand, as well as local vegetables such as Japanese radish and morning glory used to make great soups and stir-fries.

If your dietary need on holiday is to lose weight, lower cholesterol or kickstart healthier living, then let your chef know, so that grilled, steamed and baked meals can be prepared instead of fried. You can enjoy creative salads with olive oil, delicate whole fish steamed with a tangy lime and garlic sauce and perfectly cooked grilled meats from Australia and the US.

Being able to personalize your villa menu is a great way to indulge in expertly cooked, appetizing, meals that make you feel good. You may even be taken you on a culinary journey to discover new dishes that you never even knew you could eat!

Bon appetite!

Related: 5 Must-try Thai Food and Video Tutorials of How to Cook Them