Even the most unsophisticated diner understands the vast range of tastes, flavors and styles among different types of Asian foods. And when broken down into large regions, east Asian foods, such as Japanese, Chinese and Korean cuisine, differ as greatly among themselves as they do from, for example, Southeast Asian foods, such as Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian and Thai cooking.

Most large cities also have enough variation in their restaurant offerings that many Americans have experienced some regional differences, such as the different preparations and flavors that separate the Sichuan and Cantonese cuisines in Chinese food – although there are also six other regional Chinese cuisines that Americans rarely experience.

Those regional distinctions also hold true for “Thai food,” although restaurants in the United States usually use “Thai food” to mean “any food cooked in the Thai style.” However, Thai cooking is more accurately separated into Northern, Central, Southern and Ison/Isson cuisine. Each region is distinct, influenced by its own history as well as by nearby countries.

In Bowling Green, the Royal Thai restaurant tends to have southern Thai influences, with its use of curry, basil, lemon grasses and emphasis on seafood. Its offerings also reflect the Asian tradition of balancing various textures and flavors in every dish.

The ingredients give the diner a good idea of southern Thailand’s geography. With the peninsula jutting out into the Gulf of Thailand and the Indian Ocean, seafood plays a large role in cooking there. The geography also reflects Thailand’s central position on the trade routes. Peanuts are native to Africa, peppers come from the Americas, and curry and lemon grass followed trade routes from India. Yet it would be impossible to imagine southern Thai cuisine without these, and indeed the Thai people have taken these disparate ingredients and made them into something unique.

The dishes at Royal Thai reflected those ways that the Thai people use international influences to create a unique cuisine. The satay gai appetizer is curry-marinated chicken in peanut sauce. This is a subtle dish, with the curry forming a base flavor that doesn’t overwhelm the palate. Peanut sauce provides a nice balance to the taste and texture of the chicken and curry.

Goong hom is a single shrimp inside a won ton wrapper, then deep-fried and served with Chinese-style sweet and sour sauce. This is good dish, but the large wrapper covers the taste of the shrimp.

The basil mushroom appetizer caused the most division among my group, with some liking it, with others not so sure. Take an ordinary mushroom and stuff it with group pork and shrimp, then wrap that in a won ton or bean curd wrapper and top it with a basil leaf and sauce. Diners might be tempted to remove the cooked basil leaf, but the taste of the leaf is an important part of the experience, helping to balance out the mild spice of the pork mixture. The coconut milk – a staple of southern Thai cooking – sauce is exquisite, and this was my favorite appetizer.

The pad kee mao brings together noodles and vegetables that figure prominently in Thai cooking, and Royal Thai restaurant gives diners a choice of meat to include in the dish. The dark soy sauce infuses this main course with a saltiness that accents but doesn’t cover up the other flavors. The entire dish is somewhat heavy on the palate, but very good. I’d order this one again.

One of the house specialties is shrimp and asparagus, so I gave that a try. Although snow peas, carrots and baby corn make up one part of this offering, the plate came out absolutely overflowing with baby asparagus. First steamed and then stir-fried, the asparagus remained crispy, which provided a nice balance to the tender shrimp. Another dark soy-based sauce provided some balance to the sweet flavor of the vegetables.

My favorite dish, though, is the Royal Thai delight. A seafood dish brimming with scallops, shrimp and squid, along with (I’m sorry to say) imitation crab meat. The sauce is lighter than other sauces on the menu, probably through the use of a lighter soy sauce. The result, despite the profusion of seafood, is that there’s much more here than I can eat in a single sitting. Despite the southern influence of seafood as a main ingredient, the flavor and style of preparation here follow more of a northern, Laotian/Chinese influence. And it’s quite good.

Royal Thai occupies a niche as the most upscale of Asian cuisine in Bowling Green. The dishes are well-prepared, full of flavor and reflect the diversity of the country of Thailand. A menu of $10 main courses means that the experience won’t break the bank. I highly recommend trying it.

— Our anonymous food reviewer gives new restaurants a six-week grace period before reviewing. To comment, contact Managing Editor Mike Alexieff at 783-3235 or via e-mail to malexieff@bgdailynews.com.

ROYAL THAI

1971 Cave Mill Road

• 781-8277

Hours: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.,

5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily

Cuisine: Thai

Price range: $7 to $17

Specialties: Shrimp and asparagus, Royal Thai delight

Libation situation: Beer

Smoking: No