Bangkok offers a vibrant tapestry of culinary experiences, from humble street carts to Michelin-starred establishments. Jib Kee stands out for its succulent Cantonese roasted duck, served with peppery broth and a zesty dipping sauce.
At Jay Fai, the Michelin-starred street food stall, a single, iconic chef crafts dishes like Crab Omelet and Drunken Noodles amidst charcoal fires. For a cozy retreat, The Sixth – 6th charms with its intimate setting and delectable red curry with prawns.
Wattana Panich boasts hearty Thai beef noodles steeped in a heritage broth, simmered for forty years. Meanwhile, Thipsamai draws crowds for its renowned Pad Thai variations, including the egg-wrapped Pad Thai Haw Kai Goong Sot.
Each spot offers a unique taste of Bangkok’s diverse culinary landscape, blending tradition with innovation on every plate.
Bangkok Food Trail:
Discover Bangkok’s rich culinary tapestry through its diverse dining spots, ranging from humble street carts to prestigious Michelin-starred venues.
Each location offers a unique gastronomic experience, whether savouring Cantonese roasted duck at Jib Kee, indulging in iconic Pad Thai at Thipsamai, or exploring the innovative dishes at Jay Fai.
From traditional Thai flavours to contemporary interpretations, Bangkok’s food scene promises to delight every palate, making it a must-visit destination for food enthusiasts worldwide.
Best Food Places in Bangkok
1. Jib Kee: The duck place of Bangkok
Jib Kee is the most famous duck place in all of Bangkok. It is located just opposite the small Nang Loeng market along the Nakhon Sawan road. It is also a popular spot for locals during lunchtime.
Authentic Cantonese roasted duck is the major attraction of this spot. The meat is juicy, tender, and made to perfection. You will also get a bowl of peppery broth on the side.
The dish comes with a dipping sauce that combines chillies, dark soy sauce, and a bit of vinegar. The price per person here is between 50-90 Baht. It opens daily from 9 am to 2 pm.
2. Jek Pui:
It is a very popular curry cart located at the corner of Mangkorn and Charoenkrung Roads. People also know this place as a ‘red stool restaurant’ and ‘musical chairs curry stand’.
This is a grub-and-go kinda place. If you want to takeaway food then join the always-long queue and if you want the tool experience then take a stool and sit down and someone will come to ask you for your order.
The most famous dishes here are Yellow Curry with Pork. They also offer red Curry with Beef, Stir-Fried Crab, Roasted Pork Rib, Sweet Pork, and Chicken with fried Bamboo Shoots.
The average price per person here is 50 Baht. It opens daily from 3 pm to 9 pm.
3. Jay Fai: Street food but Michelin Star of Bangkok
Jay Fai is Bangkok’s first street food stall to be awarded a Michelin star in 2018. The must-try dishes here are Crab Omelet, Drunken Noodle, Tom Yum Soup, and Crab Yellow Curry.
Jai Fai has also been featured on Netflix’s Street Food, showcasing some of the world’s best casual roadside stalls and canteens. Every dish in this restaurant is cooked by a single woman.
She wears a cool cap and safety goggles to ward off the heat from the charcoal fires in the alley. If you want to eat at Jay Fai then you have to get a set reserved ahead 3 months ahead of your visit. It opens from Tuesday to Saturday from 2:30 pm to 12:00 am.
4. The Sixth – 6th:
It is located at 6 Soi Tha Tien, Maharaj Road in the Khet Phra Nakhon area. This is a cool place with hip little space and only five tables. This place has a friendly and relaxed atmosphere that makes it a perfect place to eat and chill.
The must-try dish here is red curry with prawns, chicken cashew nuts, and Tom Yan Koong. For dessert, you must try chocolate lava cake with mango or mango sticky rice.
They also serve a wide variety of beverages that include Thai iced tea, Ice Lemon Tea, White Tea, Matcha Tea, and different kinds of homemade sodas. It is open from 10:30 am to 5:15 pm. It is closed on Sundays.
5. Wattana Panich:
This restaurant is popular for Thai Beef noodles with coriander root and over a dozen herbs and spices. This spot can easily be recognized by its gigantic bubbling cauldron of beef stewing in from the restaurant.
Every night, the restaurant uses the previous day’s soup as the base for the next day’s offering. They have been following this pattern for about forty years.
The famous dishes here are Kuay Teow Neau Buai, Beef Noodle Soup, and Kuay Teow Pae. it opens daily from 6 am to 7 pm. It will cost you about 200 Baht per person.
6. Pe Aor:
Pe Aor restaurant is famous for Tom Yum Goong. This restaurant was also featured in the Bangkok episode of Luke Nguyen’s Street Food Asia.
Pe Aor specializes in making creamy versions of Tom Yum Goong soup. The broth of this dish is infused with fat from shrimp heads. Pe Aor also offers Khao Goong rad sauce man boo.
It opens from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 9 pm. The average per-person price is 100 Baht.
7. Eathai: The best of Thai cuisine in Bangkok
It is the best place to taste the whole gamut of flavors and textures of Thai cuisine. Eathai serves vegetarian dishes and meat-free meals prepared with tofu, mushrooms, and veggies.
This food court is located within Eathai Food Center, in the Central Embassy Shopping Mall. Here you can enjoy your food in the air-conditioned setting. Eathai has assembled signature dishes from the central, southern, northern, and Asian cuisines.
The must-try dishes here are shrimp with a half-boiled egg, noodles with minced pork, shrimp fried rice, and chilli and herbs fried egg noodles. It opens daily from 10 am to 9:30 pm.
8. Thipsamai:
The long queue in front of the restaurant will justify its popularity in Bangkok. Thipsamai is popular for serving some of the best pad Thai versions in Bangkok.
They offer two types of pad thai- one wrapped in egg, locally known as Pad Thai Haw Kai Goong Sot, and squeezed tangerine juice. Thipsamai opens from Monday to Saturday from 5 pm to 2 am.
9. Som Tam Jay So:
It is one of the most authentic Isan restaurants in Bangkok. It is very popular among the locals making it a crowded place at lunchtime. As the name suggests one of their specialty is Som Tam or Thai green papaya salad.
Another popular dish is Tam Pa. It is a mix of shredded green papaya, tomatoes, cilantro, crab, and chopped freshwater apple snails. It is open from Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm. The average per-person cost is about 50 Baht.
10. Saawaan:
Saawaan is a Michelin-star awarded restaurant located in a townhouse on Suan Phlu Road. You can see its black-and-golden theme from the French windows.
This restaurant has about 8 tables decorated in floral wallpaper and heliconias. Every dish here on the menu is named after a traditional Thai method of cooking, such as Stir-fried, Boiled, and Raw.
Saawaan serves a complimentary starter, an amuse-bouche of “Kai Luk Koei.” The must-try dishes here are sea urchins, fermented black pork, quail of papaya salad, and Panang curry. It is open from Monday to Wednesday from 6 pm to midnight.
