Hanging by the edge of their seat, everyone has been waiting for the day when the global pandemic of COVID-19 will finally be a moment in history. There are so many activities and momentous events that millions of people had to put off due to the virus, like family trips, vacations, weddings, and honeymoons abroad. With so much extra time on your hands, consider planning for your first trip once the travel restrictions have been lifted.
If being cooped up, sitting at home has taken some of the thrills out of your life, your first trip after travel opens up again should be a trip to Bangkok, one of the most exciting cities on the planet. Not only is Bangkok full of excitement, but it’s also full of delicious and amazing food! Recently, the New York Times published an article where they sent photographer Louise Palmberg to capture the food scene in Bangkok. To read more about the variety of the food options in the markets and stalls in Bangkok, check out her article here.
With so many tasty food options in Bangkok, it can be overwhelming to figure out where to eat. That’s why we created a small guide to help you find some of the best street food in Bangkok to help you plan your trip. Get ready to send your palate on an adventure that will dazzle the senses!
Street Food in Bangkok
Street food enjoys a very prestigious reputation in the Kingdom of Thailand. When you try it for yourself, you’ll see why it’s so highly revered! Although you can certainly find a wealth of culinary delights on the streets of any town in Thailand, you’ll find the best in the bustling city of Bangkok.
Jeh O Chula
No trip to Thailand or Bangkok would be complete without a visit to Jeh O Chula, one of the most popular places to eat dinner in the Kingdom’s capital, just a couple blocks from MBK Center. Although everything on the menu is undeniably delicious, you can’t go wrong with Tomyam Mama Noodles, a rich mixture of noodles, pork balls, egg, lime, and crispy pork. You can even have seafood added to it by ordering the All-in Tomyam Mama Noodles. It’s mild on spice with maximum flavor, Jeh O Chula’s Tomyam Mama Noodles are a hit for a reason!
The best part is, you can enjoy this incredible meal for just $3.66 USD (or 144 Baht)! If you end up buying a large bowl of Tomyam Mama Noodles, which is $20.66 (or 650 Baht), it’s the perfect dish to share with your friends. A visit to Jeh O Chula is worth the trip!
Raan Jay Fai
Supinya Junsuta represents the heart and soul of street food cooking in Bangkok. The fiery 73-year-old woman has been cooking some of the best food in Bangkok for ages and owns one of the most respected food stalls in Thailand, Jay Fai. Her extraordinary cooking stood out enough to qualify her for a Michelin star 2 years in a row, a most impressive accomplishment. More impressive is that Jay Fai was the first food stall in Thailand to receive a Michelin star. Her food stall was so famous, it was highlighted in an episode of Netflix’s documentary series Street Food: Asia.
Countless culinary delights have been produced from the charcoal powered stoves and woks of the Jay Fai food stall. In fact, she stands in her food stall for 16 hours a day, making each dish herself. One of the most incredible dishes offered at Jay Fai is the crab omelette. Jay Fai’s crab omelette is an explosion of flavor with a perfect gold finish. This dish is a delight to your sense of sight, smell, and taste!
Wattana Panich
If you like beef noodles, you’re going to love Wattana Panich, which is arguably the best beef noodle shop in Bangkok. This shop offers the best beef noodle soup in Bangkok with its unique soup cooking continuously for 40 years.
Each night, the soup is put into a pot and kept for the next day to be used as the stock. This process gives the beef noodle soup at Wattana Panich a rich and exceptional flavor that is legendary, not to mention perfect. Everything is cooked by periodically tasting the soup. A recipe can be copied, but there is no way to replicate the instinct and experience of owner Nattapong Kaweenuntawong.
Here Hai Restaurant
Alright seafood lovers, this one’s for you! Here Hai restaurant is the destination for seafood in Bangkok. Located in Watthana, Here Hai cooks up the kind of seafood that you’ve always dreamed of! Their flagship dish, Insane Crab Fried Rice, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience; unless you return to Bangkok! This dish is massive and will leave you with the sensation of simultaneously feeling full while craving even more. The best in Thai cuisine uses the best ingredients, and Here Hai uses real crabmeat. You’ll find no imitation here; it’s all authentic Bangkok street food.
One order of Here Hai’s Insane Crab Fried Rice feeds 4-5 people, but there’s no one stopping you from chowing down on the whole dish all by yourself if you so desire. If you can’t finish it all, you’ll have the best leftovers in the world.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
No discussion of Thai cuisine or Bangkok street food would be complete without mentioning Nai Mong Hoy Tod and their incredible oyster omelette. Hoi Thod is a fried oyster omelette, which is quite delicious at Nai Mong Hoi Thod. Before you start raising an eyebrow and start questioning the integrity of the concept of this dish, take a step back and read this. Although it is commonly described as an oyster or shellfish omelette, a more accurate description would be a crispy, flavor-packed shellfish pancake.
Yaowarat Road
You can’t mention Bangkok’s street food scene without mentioning the city’s Chinatown, Yaowarat. It’s so big, it can be overwhelming to figure out where to begin your food journey. One of the famous stalls in Yaowarat is Fai-Kaew Yao Wa Rat. They’re known for amazing stir-fried dishes and the fire spectacle the chef puts on when he cooks. His pak boong fai daeng is one of the most popular dishes in Bangkok’s street food scene, where morning glory is stir-fried with Thai chilies in three seconds.
If you’re looking for some good dessert, look no further than Yaowarat Toasted Buns. They’re buttered toast buns are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. You can also fill the bread with milk, chocolate, egg custard, sugar and butter, and many more sweet flavors! Not only is it delicious, it’s cheap too! You can order Grilled Bread with Fillings for $0.82 USD (or 25 Baht) or Grilled Bread with Sugar for $0.66 USD (or 20 Baht).
Bangkok Is Calling
Street food in Bangkok is unlike any other street food in the world. It’s an inimitable combination of scents, flavors, and delights that will nourish your body and rejuvenate your soul.
Now that your mouth is watering from the thought and description of all of the incredible and unforgettable tastes that Thai street food has to offer, it’s time to start planning your trip. Even though you can’t fly to Bangkok just yet, you can still put a plan together outlining all of the spectacular restaurants that you’d like to hit throughout your trip.
Right now, Bangkok is back in business with numerous safety procedures in place to make your street food experience as enjoyable as before. Some of the preventive measures taken in Thailand’s capital include temperature checks in public venues, hand sanitizer stations set up in restaurants and shopping centers, and social distancing in public transportation. For more info about the safety measures that are being taken in Bangkok, watch the video below.
