Best Bangkok street foods


Just when we think we’ve delved into all the tastiest nosh, Bangkok surprises us with new finds and treasures. So, skip the ol’ grilled fish outside Pratunam or coconut ice-cream at Chatuchak – these 10 taste-tastic street stalls will show you where the locals’ foodie scene is at.


1. Baan Pad Thai


Baan Pad Thai is on the 2018 Bib Gourmand list, which is the more affordable cousin of the Michelin award

It’s a crime to come to Bangkok and not have pad thai at least once. So we were adamant that our first such dish was to be the best one we’d ever tasted – and we found the most scrumptious one at Baan Pad Thai.

baan pad thai bangkok

We got the signature Phad Thai Phoo (฿280), which is stir-fried noodles with egg, peanuts, bean sprouts, tofu, garlic chive, dried shrimp and blue crab meat. The noodles were sweet and sour, were packed a complex medley of flavours, making it hands down the best pad thai I’ve had!

baan pad thai bangkok

The bright blue exterior, complete with the wooden furniture, made for a quaint setting

Address: 21-23 Charoenkrung Soi 44 Road, Sathorn Nua, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand
Opening Hours: 11AM-10PM, Daily
Telephone: +66 2 60 5553
Website


2. Doy Kuay Teow Reua


boat noodles

Boat noodle stalls are a dime a dozen in Bangkok, and with each one of them tasting super good, it’s hard to suss out a favourite. Well, we dug around and found Doy Kuay Teow Reua – one of the relatively obscure stalls near Victory Monument.

best boat noodles doy kuay teow reua bangkok

We ordered beef boat noodles (฿15), and they have a pork version too if you prefer. The beef slices and al dente noodles topped with rich sauce was heavenly, and we practically inhaled the entire bowl.

Good things come in small sizes, and fans of boat noodles will know that each portion is purposefully small so you can order more. So fill up your stomach further with bowls of crispy wonton skins (฿10), or order a refreshing bottle of chilled sugarcane juice (฿40) to wash it all down.

Note: You can tell the staff how spicy you want your boat noodles to be.

bangkok boat noodles doy kuay teow reua

The stall is along a winding path that leads to Wat Apai Tharam Temple, and cars aren’t able to drive through here. So what we did was we got off the taxi at Soi Ratchawithi 18 and took a 10-minute walk to this boat noodle paradise.

bangkok boat noodles doy kuay teow reua

You can’t miss this huge marquee-covered coffee shop as you round the corner near the back entrance of the temple

Address: 15 Ratchawithi Rd, Khwaeng Thung Phaya Thai, Khet Ratchathewi, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10400, Thailand
Opening Hours: 8AM-6PM, Daily
Telephone: +66 81 619 1925

3. Nhong Rim Klong

Nhong Rim Klong serves up dishes with crab as its main ingredient, and the number of creative, delicious variations they’re able to come up with are amazing.

Pad Kee Mao Crab

nhong rim klong bangkok crab street food stalls

Pad Kee Mao (฿300) literally means ‘drunken stir-fry’, and this dish is a stir-fry with chunks of crab, onions, garlic, chilli, eggplant, with some basil leaves tossed in. All the flavours complemented each other nicely and I found myself scraping my plate clean and licking my lips for more.

Kai Kon Pu

nhong rim klong bangkok crab street food stalls

For a dose of comfort food, try their Kai Kon Pu (฿200), which has pieces of crab meat cooked in a super creamy omelette. A plate of rice costs ฿10, and they also have Thai milk teas in different colours and flavours.

Tip: Be prepared to wait up to an hour for your food. Get here as early as possible, because even if the place doesn’t seem full, they actually have lots of calls for delivery and takeaway that will add to your waiting time.

nhong rim klong bangkok crab street food stalls

Don’t miss this stall situated along the canal! Just keep an eye out for locals queueing up.

Address: 30 Ekkamai Soi 21, Khwaeng Khlong Tan Nuea, Khet Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat: 8.30AM-4.30PM (Closed on Sundays)
Telephone: +66 86 044 9478

4. Odean Noodle

odean crab noodle bangkok

In between a slew of Chinese restaurants and stalls is Odean Noodle, one of the more reputable places to grab some good ol’ wonton noodles and soup, served Hong Kong-style.

The dish you have to try here is their Noodle with Claws of Crab, and we can see why – the crab flesh was sweet and meaty, and the noodles were immensely springy.

odean crab noodle bangkok

You can choose if you’d like your noodles dry or in broth, as well as the size of the crab claw, with prices starting from ฿150 and going all the way to ฿550. We went for a medium size at 350 Baht, and it’s just the right serving for one person.

But if you’ve slurped the entire bowl and still aren’t satisfied, try their other wonton noodles dishes like Noodle with Roasted Pork (฿40). The menu is in both Thai and English, so you’ll have no trouble browsing the menu!

odean crab noodle bangkok

The place is air-conditioned, so you can enjoy your meal without sitting under the hot sun!

Address: 724 Charoenkrung Road, Khwaeng Samphanthawong, Khet Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100, Thailand
Opening Hours: 8.30AM-8PM, Daily
Telephone: +66 86 888 2341
Website

5. Pe Aor

Pe Aor has a distinctly different Tom Yum Kung (tom yum soup) recipe from many, which is one of the reasons why many locals are drawn to this place. Instead of the usual thin, light broth, the Tom Yum Kung (฿60) here is thick and unabashedly creamy.

pe aor best top yum soup bangkok

The rich soup comes with a giant shrimp along with a choice of 7 types of noodles – we chose rice noodles. The soup broth was extremely milky and this meshed well with the noodles and prawn.

pe aor best top yum soup bangkok

This resto is along the Soi Petchaburi 5 stretch, which has many other superb street food stalls too!

Address: 68/51 Soi Petchaburi 5 (between Soi 5 – 7), Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
Opening Hours: Tue-Sun: 10AM-9PM (Closed on Mondays)
Telephone: +66 2 612 9013

6. Nai Ouan Yen Ta Fo

We’ve heard of all kinds of noodle dishes, but Nai Ouan Yen Ta Fo clearly takes the cake because their noodles are pink. And this dish comes laden with a selection of braised beef, fish balls, crispy wonton, vegetables, squid, tofu, and fried shrimp balls.

nai ouan yentafo pink noodle soup bangkok

The pink comes from the pickled red tofu that is added to the bowl

We ordered the small (฿50) signature Noodle Soup with Yen Ta Fo Sauce, but those with larger appetites can go for the large (฿60) option too. Give all the ingredients a good toss to mix in the sweet sauce!

Note: You’ll only get the pink noodles if you order the spicy version.

nai ouan yentafo pink noodle soup bangkok

When there isn’t sufficient seating space, customers can sit at the coffee shop opposite the stall. There are drinks stall there too, so you can order a drink or two while waiting for your meal.

nai ouan yentafo pink noodle soup bangkok

All the action happens right here in the open, so watch them put your bowl of yen ta fo together

Address: 41 Soi Nava Tanon Road, Saochingcha Pranakorn, Bangkok 10200, Thailand
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri: 9AM-8PM | Sat – Sun: 9AM-4PM
Telephone: +66 2 622 0701
Website

7. Prachak Roasted Duck

Prachak Roasted Duck is famous in Charoenkrung for their roasted duck dishes, and dozens of awards littering their walls is proof of their quality. You’ll feel like you stepped into a Chinese restaurant, sitting at their wooden round tables and red plastic stools with waiters running up and down yelling in Chinese.

prachak roasted duck restaurant bangkok

The star of the show is the Prachak Ped Yang – Roasted Duck – and it’s priced at ฿100, ฿130 or ฿250, depending on the size. We got the ฿100 plate, and the hoisin sauce – a kind of Chinese BBQ sauce – really came through in each bite.

prachak roasted duck restaurant bangkok

Due to its narrow entrance, it’s entirely possible to walk past this famous duck resto in the middle of Charoenkrung. But unlike what it looks like from the outside, the interior is actually spacious, and they even have another 2 floors of dining space – it’s as if they cast a Harry Potter ‘Undetectable Extension Charm’ over the place.

prachak roasted duck restaurant bangkok

Look out for this lady chopping meats at the front of the place – just like a Chinese restaurant!

Address: 1415 Charoenkrung Road, Bangkok 10500, Thailand
Opening Hours: 8AM-8.30PM, Daily
Telephone: +66 2 234 3755

8. Krua Apsorn

Thanon Dinso – or Dinso Road – is known for being filled with good street food, and Krua Apsorn is one of the pioneers of that rep. It’s been open for quite a long time, and the founders supposedly used to cook for the Royal Family!

krua apsorn bangkok crab in egg omelette

This Fluffy Crab Meat Omelet (฿100) is their special: a mound of crab meat expertly wrapped in an egg omelette. When broken apart, it reveals chunks of crab meat, and we couldn’t wait to gorge ourselves on this.

krua apsorn bangkok

The rice always arrives in this heart shape – how cute!

We also tried the Yellow Curry with Young Lotus Roots (฿130), which was recommended by their staff. The curry had a surprisingly sweet and light taste and wasn’t too spicy. Pieces of shrimp in the curry also gave it some extra kick.

krua apsorn bangkok

Address: 169 Thanon Dinso, Bowon Niwet, Bangkok 10200, Thailand
Opening Hours: Mon-Sat: 10:30AM-8PM (Closed on Sundays)
Telephone: +66 2 685 4531

9. Krua Porn Lamai

krua porn lamai bangkok chinatown food

If you’re looking for a place to immerse yourself in Bangkok’s food scene at night, pop by the bustling Yaowarat area – Bangkok’s Chinatown. Pockets of great food stalls can be found here, and one such stall is Krua Porn Lamai.

krua porn lamai bangkok chinatown food

We wondered if we ordered the right dish because of the lack of noodles upon first sight

The stall cooks up a mean noodle dish, and the best in the house is their Rad Na Phu Khao Fai – noodles in gravy on a volcanic hotplate (฿70). If you want the pork and chicken combo, it’s ฿60. The food here is so popular amongst the locals that even English celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has popped by here for a meal!

A sizzling plate of squid, vegetables, prawn, and egg is served on a hotplate, and it’ll take you a few pulls of your fork and spoon before you realise that the noodles are actually inside the egg and buried underneath the mound of food.

krua porn lamai gravy in noodles chinatown bangkok food

All food is cooked at this stall, and customers eat on tables placed on the other side of the street. Because many other stalls line the street, seating is limited, and you might have to wait quite a while for just one dish.

krua porn lamai chinatown bangkok good food

The stall is along the street, with cars zooming past as waiters cross the road to serve you

Address: 64 Plaeng Nam Road, Bangkok 10100, Thailand
Opening Hours: 6PM-2AM, Daily
Telephone: +66 99 249 5414


10. Thip Samai


thip samai best pad thai bangkok

If you’re not a fan of queuing, you might miss out on one of the most famed pad thai places in Bangkok – Thip Samai.

thip samai best pad thai bangkok

The crowds are for the Superb Padthai (฿90), which is essentially pad thai wrapped in an egg omelette. Here, the egg breaks the monotony of the glass noodle dish, while a tinge of lime adds a refreshing zing to the dish. You can go for a version without egg at all for ฿60, but where’s the fun in that?

thip samai best pad thai bangkok

Food prep takes place right next to the queue-up line, so watch them whip up tons of dishes at top speed while waiting for a table

thip samai best pad thai bangkok

The dining area is air-conditioned, and you have to pay ฿20 for that

Address: 313 Maha Chai Road, Samran Rat, Bangkok 10200, Thailand
Opening Hours: 5.30PM-1.30AM, Daily
Telephone: +66 2 221 6280


Embrace authentic Thai street food


Thailand is known for a whole slew of great dishes, but yet, we find ourselves seeking out the same ol’ cafes, night markets, and street stalls, due to lack of planning or out of sheer habit.

So the next time you head to Bangkok, brave unfamiliar streets and get a taste of the most authentic and unadulterated local fare you definitely won’t regret.


This post was written by Alexandria Schoon for TheSmartLocal.com in collaboration with Amazing Thailand.

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