Big Bad Thai dining room
El Nido · Palawan

Our Story

Big Bad Thai started the way every good Thai meal does — in a family kitchen.
A dish served at Big Bad Thai

From Mom's kitchen in Isan

Our recipes come straight from Mom's kitchen in Isan — the heart of northeastern Thailand, where the food is bold, herbaceous and unapologetically punchy.

Apple grew up cooking these dishes. Nelly fell for the food (and the cook). Together they carried that kitchen across the sea to a little corner of El Nido — same recipes, same heat, nothing lost in translation.

A signature seafood dish

Nothing watered down

We don't tame our food for tourist palates. The curries are fragrant and fiery, the salads sharp with lime and chili, the portions generous — exactly the way they're meant to be.

Every dish is made from scratch: pastes pounded fresh, herbs picked daily, no shortcuts. Bold flavor, big plates, real Thai.

Diners overlooking Bacuit Bay

A table on the Bacuit Bay

Freshly rebuilt, our open-air room sits right on the El Nido waterfront, where the sea breeze rolls in and the limestone cliffs of Bacuit Bay frame every sunset.

Behind it all is a Filipino team who treat every guest like family — warm, quick with a recommendation, and genuinely glad you came.

01

Authentic

Traditional Thai recipes from our chef's family, honored exactly as they were taught.

02

Bold

Big portions, big flavors, confident heat. We cook with conviction.

03

Fun

A vibrant, welcoming room where great food meets great energy.

04

Community

A home for locals and travellers alike, here on the El Nido bay.

Come taste the story.
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