Trai Mai Thai, Austin

When the shutters pop up from the side of its rustic trailer, Trai Mai Thai’s kitchen is ready to transport diners to Thailand. The business's owner and head chef, Ning Kongla, purportedly impressed her boyfriend so much with her cooking that he convinced her to pursue it as a career. With that, Trai Mai Thai was born. There, she stuffs crab rangoon with blue crab from the Gulf to prelude the thai soups, dumplings, and noodle dishes that populate a menu that “reeks of authenticity," according to Austin Monthly. Picnic tables and other food trailers populate the sunny area—dubbed the South Lamar Trailer Bazaar—where the sounds of live music drown out the sound of fancy white tablecloths picketing on the street.