Savour Bangkok’s world-class street food scene with our must-visit spots in the city
Bangkok is surely a paradise for food lovers. Its world-famous street food scene offers an endless choice of flavours and dishes that you could spend a lifetime exploring. From sizzling chicken skewers and aromatic lemongrass curries to coconut sweet treats and refreshing sugarcane drinks, Bangkok’s street food is diverse and delicious. If you’re a foodie eager to explore the best of what the city has to offer, here’s your comprehensive guide to Bangkok’s top street food destinations.
1. Yaowarat (Chinatown)
Bangkok’s Chinatown, or Yaowarat, is top of the list for any foodie. This busy district of labyrinthine streets is renowned for its wide variety of Chinese inspired street food. As you wander through the neon-lit alleyways, you’ll encounter too many food stalls to count, offering everything from succulent pork satay and crispy pancakes to fragrant dim sum and steaming bowls of noodle soup. You must try the Guay Tiew, a delicious wok-fried noodle dish with crispy noodles that are addictively soft and chewy on the inside. Finish off your evening with fried Chinese donuts, topped with coconut flakes and powdered sugar.
Don’t Miss: The Guay Jub from Guay Jub Ouan Pochana. This cart has been selling rolled rice noodles for 50 years. Soft noodles soaked in a rich, peppery broth, topped with crispy, succulent pork belly. An iconic dish from Chinatown.
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2. Chatuchak Weekend Market
The Chatuchak Weekend Market is not just a shopping paradise; it’s also a food lover’s haven. With over 15,000 stalls, this market could keep you busy for years. Highlights from our trip include Moo Pad Krapow (stir-fried pork with basil), Khao Niew Mamuang (mango sticky rice) and Sai Krok Isan (northern Thai fermented sausages). For those with a sweet tooth, try the Coconut Ice Cream served in a coconut shell or Thai Teas from one of the many vendors. We found this market was a great place to sample regional specialties from across Thailand.
Don’t Miss: The duck noodles from, you guessed it, Duck Noodle. Located at section 4 of the main alley, they serve succulent, juicy duck in a variety of ways. We love the duck drumstick noodles, with the most delicious duck drumstick in a rich, velvety broth served on chewy noodles. Despite expanding after COVID, they are always packed and the long queue is there for a reason.
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4. Rattanakosin: Bangkok’s Old Town
Located in the heart of Bangkok, Rattanakosin is an area with a rich heritage, home to the Grand Palace and Wat Pho. Among its many attractions, you’ll find some of the most legendary street food stalls the city has to offer. If you can grab a seat, one of the most celebrated culinary experiences in Bangkok is at the renowned Jay Fai Omelette (see below). While you’re in the area, don’t miss out on chicken stew with deep-fried egg noodles from the Bib Gourmand Sae Phun, open since 1926. Finish off your day with perhaps the best mango sticky rice in Bangkok from K.Panich, who use an 80 year old recipe that’s been lovingly handed down the generations.
Don’t Miss: The aforementioned Jay Fai. She’s a legendary street food chef who has gained acclaim for her masterful wok-fried omelettes, particularly the crab omelette, which is a sumptuous blend of tender crab meat encased in a crispy, golden egg. Her stall, marked by its simple appearance and long lines of eager patrons, has earned her the only Michelin star attributed to a street food stall, something she’s maintained since 2018. Order the crab omelette and fried noodles with seafood & gravy, and thank us later.
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5. Jodd Fairs DanNeramit Night Market
At Jodd Fairs DanNeramit Night Market in Bangkok, street food is the star of the show. This is where you’ll find Taiwanese boba tea stalls nestled next to sizzling pork satay skewers, fresh, crispy Mexican churros opposite Japanese Takoyaki balls drizzled in mayo and paper-thin bonito flakes. The street food scene here is fresh and innovative, popular with a young foodie crowd. There’s over 1000 stalls to choose from, making this a market you can return to again and again.
Don’t Miss: The hugely popular Leng Zaab from Maeklong Noodles & Leng Zaab, a spicy, rich soup made with pork spine. The bold, meaty broth is lightened with a squeeze of lime, while the spines are piled high into the bowl, covered in strips of tender meat perfect for chewing off the bone. If you’re feeling brave, tackle the XXXL version, which is almost the size of a small child.
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6. Silom Road
Silom Road is a major business district that transforms into a busy street food haven come nightfall. Serving thousands of Thai office workers, it’s one of the most underrated places to get authentic, real street food in Bangkok. You’ll find grilled seafood and Thai BBQ, alongside classic Tom Yum noodles and succulent Hainanese chicken rice. The street food here is plentiful and cheap, without compromising on flavour. As you walk along the road, you’ll see meat marinating in rich, coconut curry pots, feel the heat from charcoal fires spitting with meat juices, hear the noise and chatter of locals catching up on their day and you’ll know you’ve arrived in Thailand.
Don’t Miss: The braised pork leg from Michelin recognised stall Charoen Saeng Silom. The 60 year old recipe has refined and perfected the cooking of pork leg, avoiding heavy greasiness and instead serving up the juiciest, most tender piece of meat that’s dripping in flavour. If you go nowhere else in Silom, make it this iconic food stall.
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7. Victory Monument
According to locals, ‘every road leads to Victory Monument’. This busy transport hub of Bangkok is home to a huge variety of street food stalls that serve the crowds who pass through here every day. The maze of streets surrounding the monument are full of small eateries. The area is always buzzing with locals and tourists, making it a fantastic place to enjoy affordable, delicious street food while soaking up the lively atmosphere of one of Bangkok’s most dynamic districts. Grilled chicken skewers sizzle away on flaming hot grills, with pots of spicy noodle soup and rich, coconut curries bubbling away on the roadside. The stalls here serve excellent Khao Man Gai, a simple but perfectly delicious chicken and rice dish, served with a umami broth, pungent chilli sauce, lightened with coriander.
Don’t Miss: The legendary Lung Yai, sometimes said to be the best restaurant in Bangkok. Pull up a plastic chair outside this humble eatery and choose from some of the best Isaan (Northern Thai) food in Bangkok. The grilled chicken is cooked to perfection; juicy, tender and full of flavour, while the laab salads, served with minced pork and beef, are light, heavenly flavour explosions.
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