Yaowarat street food: where & what to eat
There is no better place to go for street food stalls and restaurants that have been open for over 50 years than Yaowarat. Also known as Bangkok’s Chinatown, this area is simply not to be missed if you’re a foodie. Yaowarat street food has brought visitors in hordes, and for good reason.
With gems hidden in every nook and corner, here are our 12 Yaowarat street food spots that you simply must try here.
1. Jae Ta (ขาหมูใส่ถั่วเจ๊ตา) – rare recipe for braised pork leg featuring peanuts
Having been around for over 50 years, Jae Ta (เจ๊ตา) is a family business that serves a one-up version of khao kha moo (braised pork rice) that you do not want to miss if you’re in Yaowarat. What makes Jae Ta’s braised pork special is the addition of peanuts.
Khao kha moo (ข้าวขาหมู), or braised pork leg stew, is one of the iconic staples of Thai street food. This is a simple yet hearty meal made up of braised pork, fermented vegetables, and of course, Jae Ta’s signature peanuts.
They also offer a mixed meat option for those who would like to try everything. This comes with braised pork, swine entrails, pork tail, and egg.
Ruam Mitr Mor Din is a dish that is a combination of all meat items including braised pork, peanuts, swine entrails, pork tail, tofu, and egg, topped with fermented lettuce and coriander. We recommend getting this as a sharing item for 2 people with an order of steamed rice.
Read our full review here.
Address: 25 Charoen Krung Rd, Pom Prap, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok 10100
Opening Hours: 12pm-6pm, closed Mondays
Contact: +66 8 8225 6644 | Google Maps
2. Krua Porn Lamai (ครัวพรละมัย) – sizzling hot plate noodles with “lava gravy”
Locals know Krua Porn Lamai (ครัวพรละมัย) for their signature “lava gravy” fried noodles.
The fried egg with a perfectly runny yolk, the “lava”, was the undeniable show stopper. And once it coated the noodles and was mixed with the gravy, the egg added an extra creaminess to the dish.
With each mouthful, we were treated to tender noodles, succulent shrimp and squid, and boiled Chinese kale. All the different textures came together very well with the gravy.
Another dish we had was seafood sukiyaki, which was also served on a hot plate. If you want something to slurp on, you can also choose a soup version of this dish.
Read our full review here.
Address: 64 Plaeng Nam Rd, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100
Opening Hours: 10.30am-2am, closed Mondays
Contact: +66 9 9249 5414 | Google Maps
3. Hoo Chalarm (หูฉลามน้ำแดงบรั่นดี) – wok-fried Hong Kong noodles with queues around the block
This isn’t your ordinary street-side stall. With dance music and a huge blazing wok, this shop draws the attention of many passers-by, both locals and tourists. You’ll also see many people stopping to take photos of the chef having a good time cooking.
The signature Hong Kong stir-fried noodles are made up of chewy noodles made from wheat flour, bean sprouts, and our faves – juicy crabmeat and abalone slices.
The noodles were well-seasoned and were not too salty or oily. Plus, they were springy and had a good bite. It also offered a variety of textures, from soft abalone to crunchy bean sprouts.
Aside from the noodles, there are other dishes served here like fish maw soup and Hong Kong Stir-fried abalone with oyster sauce.
Read our full review here.
Address: 456 Phadung Dao Rd, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100
Opening Hours: 6.30pm-12am, closed Mondays
Contact: +66 6 1873 4466 | Google Maps
4. Yaowarat Toasted Buns (ขนมปังเจ้าอร่อยเด็ดเยาวราช) – affordable stuffed toasted bread snack
For Thai locals with a sweet tooth, your Yaowarat street food crawl will not be complete without the Yaowarat Toasted Buns (ขนมปังเจ้าอร่อยเด็ดเยาวราช). This place serves grilled bread stuffed to the max with fillings so satisfying, you’ll be craving for more.
Luckily, we were early, so it didn’t take us long to try their famous toasted bread. Otherwise, we’d have been in the queue for a long time.
We got 4 flavours for our fillings: milk, chocolate, chilli, and egg custard. Other available flavours include sugar and butter, strawberry, marmalade, and pineapple.
The bread itself was amazing – crispy on the outside, while soft and fluffy on the inside. The most exciting flavour for us was chilli, after all, you don’t expect to find chilli in a dessert! It was spicy but creamy and sweet enough to feel like we were having dessert.
However, our favourite had to be the Thai-style egg custard. The filling was thicker than the rest and we had a good mouthful of custard in every bite.
Read our full review here.
Address: 452 Yaowarat Road, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100
Opening Hours: 6pm-11.30pm, Daily
Contact: +66 6 5553 3635 | Google Maps
5. Pa Tong Go Savoey (ปาท่องโก๋ เสวย) – Michelin Bib Gourmand You Tiao
Pa Tong Go Savoey (ปาท่องโก๋ เสวย) is a food cart that serves patonggo, a Thai version of the you tiao (Chinese fried dough sticks) – or like a churro of sorts! Owner Mr. Thanakorn Charoenpimolkul is currently the third generation running his family’s business and makes the fried dough sticks by himself every day.
We had our patonggo with some pandan coconut dipping sauce. The dip was really creamy and wasn’t overly sweet. As for the dough, it was fried just right and didn’t result in being overly crunchy. The dough also retained a nice chewy texture on the inside.
Pa Tong Go Savoey opens at 5:30pm, so head on a little before it opens to be one of the first few in line. The queue moves quickly, so you’ll get your snacks in no time.
Address: Songsawat Road, Yaowarat, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100
Opening Hours: 5.30pm-11.30pm, closed Mondays
Contact: +66 09 5591 5651 | Google Maps
6. Kuay Jab Nay Lek (ก๋วยจั๊บนายเอ็ก) – Michelin-featured rolled noodles
There are over 20 dishes on the menu and we wanted to try everything, but we couldn’t skip on the famous rolled noodle soup, aka kuay jab (ก๋วยจั๊บ), which the restaurant is known for.
This dish comes with white rolled rice noodles served in a clear broth, topped with slow-cooked pork offal-like liver, along with boiled and crispy pork. The broth was packed with flavour. It had a sweetness from the pork, as well as a spicy kick from ground pepper.
Next, we had some crispy pork – thick pieces of crispy pork served with kailan and a red gravy. This was even crispier as it wasn’t served with soup, and the skin was well-seasoned with salt and pepper.
If you find yourself walking along Bangkok’s Yaowarat Road, stop by Kuay Jab Nay Lek (ก๋วยจั๊บนายเอ็ก) for a quick slurp of their authentic rolled noodle soup or munch on fried crispy pork for a hearty meal.
Address: 362 Yaowarat Road, Chakkrawat, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100
Opening Hours: 6pm-12.30am, closed Mondays
Contact: +66 2226 4651 | Google Maps
7. Lim Lao Ngow – old-school Teochew fishball soup
Lim Lao Ngow has been selling its famous “bouncy” fishball noodles in Yaowarat for over 80 years. It’s practically a fixture in the Yaowarat street food scene. Their fishball noodles with soup come with several options for noodles, such as flat rice noodles and egg noodles.
One topping we enjoyed was the slices of fried hue kueh, or fried Chinese fish sausage. It was flavourful and went nicely with the noodles. In fact, their toppings were so good we decided to order them separately.
Another dish to try is their dry egg noodles with fishballs. This is prepared with a dash of Chinese black vinegar, which adds a nice sour tang to the dish. Also, the egg noodles are chewy and springy, without having any overly floury taste.
Address: 299, 301 Song Sawat Rd, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100
Opening Hours: 4.30pm-8.30pm, Daily
Contact: +66 8 1640 4750 | Google Maps
8. Werng Crab Fried Rice (เวิ้งข้าวผัดปู) – Bib Gourmand crab fried rice
We sneaked out of the vibrant streets of Yaowarat Road to a quieter alley around Woeng Nakhon Kasem, where Werng Crab Fried Rice (เวิ้งข้าวผัดปู), also known as Khao Pad Phu Chang Phueak (ข้าวผัดปูช้างเผือก), is located. This shop is over 40 years old and has even been awarded the coveted Michelin Bib Gourmand.
The must-try dish on the menu is the crab fried rice. Though we waited for about 30 minutes for our meal, we noticed that the owner was busy cooking the dishes all by himself, paying close attention to all the ingredients used.
The rice was well seasoned and was not too salty. It comes with a side of lime and sauces like fish sauce and fresh chilli sauce to customise the dish according to your taste.
Each rice grain was nice and glossy from the sauces used during cooking, with additional eggs, spring onions, and onions used to add extra fragrance to the dish. It also had the important “wok hei” taste, adding a nice charred flavour from being wok-fried.
Address: Yaowarat Rd., Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100.
Opening Hours: 6pm-11pm, closed Mondays
Contact: +66 8 1812 5067 | Google Maps
9. Jin’s Clam (ป้าจินหอยแครงลวก) – clams & cockles plucked from the sea
Nestled within Soi Texas is Pa Jin (ป้าจิน), where you can get fresh cockles to feast on. A plate costs around ฿100, and you can choose to have them either raw or boiled. Adventurous foodies can go for the former, which has a slightly stronger “fishy” taste. Don’t worry – the stall is known among regulars for its fresh and high quality cockles.
The boiled cockles were slightly more tender and mild as compared to the raw ones, which we preferred.
Location: Soi Texas, Yaowarat, Bangkok
Opening Hours: 6.30pm-12.30am, closed Mondays
Contact: +66 9 2424 0057 | Google Maps
10. YUAN YUAN MAN MAN – soy and coconut milk ice cream perfect for vegans
The Yaowarat street food scene is for everyone and nothing exemplifies that than this delicious desser stall that’s vegan-friendly. Yuan Yuan Man Man sells delicious milk ice-cream with a variety of Thai-inspired flavours and toppings. The best part is that lactose intolerant or vegan folk can try this, as their ice creams are made from soymilk and coconut!
Our favourite had to be the durian with sticky rice, which comes with a generous drizzle of coconut milk, roasted mung beans, sticky rice, and durian. Lovers of this classic Thai dessert should get it for sure.
Location: Phadung Dao Rd, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100
Opening Hours: 6pm-10.30pm, closed Mondays
Contact: +66 8 8264 5515 | Google Maps
11. Cathay Fish Maw (ร้านกระเพาะปลาคาเธ่ย์) – fish maw soup stall with premium toppings
For around 40 years, Krapopla Cathay (กระเพาะปลาคาเธ่ย์) has been serving fish maw soup with premium toppings like crab and abalone meat as a brunch treat for locals in the area. Definitiely an oldie but goldie stall in the Yaowarat street food scene.
The fish maw soup with all toppings comes with a variety of ingredients like hard-boiled quail eggs, a chicken drumstick and offal (liver and gizzard), sliced abalone, blood jelly, and crabmeat. The fish maw is cooked till soft and airy, while the other ingredients add a nice bite and texture to the dish.
Address: 663 Mangkon Rd, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100
Opening Hours: 7.30am-12pm, Daily
Contact: +66 8 1623 9107 | Google Maps
12. Khao Gaeng Jek Pui (ข้าวแกงเจ็กปุ๊ย) – the legendary “musical chairs” curry rice stall
Image credit: @gigapanda via Instagram
Jek Pui is a bonafide Thai street food legend. The reason they’re known as the “musical chairs” curry rice stall is because there are no tables at this eatery, only chairs. And as soon as someone gets up, someone takes their seat right away.
If that’s enough testament to their quality, then perhaps the fact they often get sold out way before closing hours would.
Image credit: @allabout_ABlife via Instagram
Like most khao gaeng shops in Thailand, you’ll have a huge selection of curries and toppings to choose from to go with your choice of carbs – rice or khanom chin. Our go-to is their classic yellow curry with pork topped with some extra Chinese sausages.
Address: 25 Mangkon Rd, Pom Prap, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok 10100
Opening hours: 1pm-7pm, Daily
Contact: +66 2222 5229 | Google Maps
Yaowarat street food to try
You’re doing yourself a disservice if you’re visiting Thailand and not stopping by Yaowarat as a foodie. It’s an absolute treasure trove of historic family recipes and dishes that you won’t find anywhere else in Thailand, if not the world.
So stop by Yaowarat in the late afternoon, but not on Mondays, and do the full food tour of the place.
For a deep dive into more areas in Thailand, check out our guide on Sao Chingcha – one of Bangkok’s oldest historic districts, the famous Chatuchak market, or Phuket Old Town.
Article originally published by Ra Krishnan on 26th February 2020. Last updated by buranond on 31st August 2023.
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