“I landed in 1980 in Bangkok, and I stopped to eat ten times between the airport and the hotel.” – Jean-Georges Vongerichten
That’s right. Even revered chef Jean-Georges is in love with Bangkok’s food.
The capital of Thailand boasts a sheer number of Thai eateries and restaurants; you can find delicious Thai delicacies on every street and in every shopping complex. Singaporeans are no strangers to the lovely — albeit spicy — Southeast Asian cuisine and many even fly to Bangkok over a weekend just to eat.
Despite having visited the city 7 times, we still find ourselves barely scratching the surface of Bangkok’s local food scene. Think you know Thai food well? Well, have you tried kor mu yang, pad pak boong, goong ob woon sen and cowslip creeper? I hope you know there’s more to Thai food than just pad thai and tom yum.
In this guide, we are featuring 7 Thai Restaurants in Bangkok that will cater to your varying budgets.
1. Fai-keaw Yao Wa-rat – The World’s Best Morning Glory (Pad Pak Boong)
Fai-Keaw Yao Wa-rat is a famous roadside vendor in Bangkok’s Chinatown precinct. Watch in awe as the chef skilfully whips up his signature Pad Pak Boong; a fireball shoots up into the sky and morning glory is cooked in the wok within several seconds. The extreme heat has given the vegetables a complex and addictive smokiness.
I dare say that it is the best stir-fried morning glory I have ever had.
Do also order their Goong Ob Woon Sen (glass noodles with shrimp) and Tom Yam Kung. I know the Thai eatery’s shabby location might put off some travellers, but come on… No trip to Bangkok is complete until you eat street food! If you are wondering, we didn’t get any food poisoning. And I will gladly return for their food any day.
Address: Yaowarat Soi 11 Bangkok, 10100
2. Issaya Siamese Club – This Thai restaurant is Ranked number 21 in Asia
Helmed by celebrity chef Ian Kittichai and ranked number 21 in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, Issaya Siamese Club is extremely popular and faces no lack of patrons despite its obscure location. The award-winning modern Thai restaurant is housed in an elegant two-storey villa and located far away from Bangkok’s busy streets.
Needless to say, prices here aren’t cheap at all when compared to other Thai restaurants in Bangkok. There are two menus available; the set menu is priced at 1,500++ baht (SGD 62.80++) and the tasting menu is priced at 2,500++ baht (SGD 104.60) per pax. These menus allow you to sample chef Kittichai’s signature dishes.
The food served in Issaya Siamese Club is an interesting fusion of Thai and Western cuisine. While the restaurant has been lauded for its unique rendition of the traditional Yum Hua Plee, it is the Jasmine Flower Panna Cotta that I fell in love with. The Kanom Dok Mali dessert is served on a banana leaf with jasmine rice ice cream.
Address: 4 Soi Sri Aksorn, Chue Ploeng | Thung Mahamek, Bangkok 10120, Thailand
3. Kub Kao Kub Pla – Try The Thai Restaurant’s Cowslip Creeper Omelette
Kub Kao Kub Pla looks like a café, but is actually a local eatery serving authentic Thai dishes. It sits on the sixth floor of The Helix, EmQuartier and offers a fantastic alternative view of Bangkok’s city centre. If possible, choose to sit by the window, because this will be your scenic view:
Kub Kao Kub Pla’s comprehensive menu features Thai salads, rice, noodle and sides. This is where I ate Cowslip Creeper Omelette (160 baht / SGD 6.70) for the first time. Honestly, I’m not a big fan due to its slight bitter aftertaste.. But I’m glad I finally tried it!
The Green Curry with choice of meat (220 baht / SGD 9.20), Crab Balloon Omelette (360 baht / SGD 15), Pork Neck with sticky rice (180 baht / SGD 7.50) and Tom Yum Goong (280 baht / SGD 11.70) are other popular dishes. The curries served at Kub Kao Kub Pla are very spicy – which is a good sign. You know the restaurant is catering primarily for locals, not western tourists.
Address: 617 Sukhumvit Rd, Khwaeng Khlong Tan Nuea, Khet Watthana, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10110, Thailand
4. Prai Raya Phuket Cuisine Sukhumvit 8 – The Spice Will Make You Cry
Prai Raya Phuket Cuisine Sukhumvit 8’s bestseller is the Crabmeat Yellow Curry with Rice Vermicelli (small – 400 baht / large – 600 baht). The fragrant yellow curry is served with generous portions of fresh crabmeat and best eaten with vermicelli.
Note: Those with low spice tolerance should proceed with caution. We actually requested for ‘less spicy’, but still found ourselves tearing over the fiery spiciness.
Moo Hong (300 baht) is the Thai restaurant’s next bestselling dish. The braised pork belly is cooked for more than three hours to achieve its melt-in-your-mouth texture. Peppery and sweet, the three-layered fatty pork is outrageously sinful.. But totally worth the calories.
Address: 59 Soi Sukhumvit 8, Khwaeng Khlong Toei, Khet Khlong Toei, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10110, Thailand
5. Somtam Nua – Nobody knows about its Central Embassy outlet, yet…
Somtam Nua is renowned for its som tam (papaya salad). No surprise there, since CNN Travel said it is the clear winner for Bangkok’s best som tam in 2010. Ever since then, throngs of tourists have been seen queuing up at Siam Square every day.
Hate to wait? I have an insider’s tip for you:
Somtam Nua has an outlet at Central Embassy too.
Honestly, I don’t exactly get the papaya salad hype. However, Somtam Nua’s fried dishes are AMAZING. I highly recommend the Fried Chicken Wings (small – 98 baht, large – 130 baht), Hot and Spicy Crispy Fish (95 baht) and Pork Shoulder BBQ (115 baht). Wash down all the food with their spicy Northwest Style Pork Bone Soup (97 baht).
Address: 1031 Plooenchit Road, Central Embassy, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
6. The Local by Oamthong Thai Cuisine – Featured in the Michelin Guide 2018
The Local by Oamthong Thai Cuisine has been a perennial favourite amongst locals and foreigners for many years. Each Thai dish on the menu is meticulously prepared according to the family’s generations-old secret recipes.
Start your meal with a refreshing Pomelo Salad (220 baht) served with roasted coconut, shallots and shrimps. Then proceed on to Tom Yum Goong (small – 150 baht, large – 280 baht), Stir-fried Minced Pork (220 baht) and Stir-fried Glass Noodles with Vegetable, Egg, Shrimp and Squid (230 baht). We thoroughly enjoyed every dish! However, the amount of food we ordered was way too much for two people.
Prices are considered wallet-friendly for such a distinguished fine dining restaurant. Cross fingers that The Local by Oamthong Thai Cuisine’s recent Michelin Bib Gourmand Award will not inflate its prices!
Address: 32-32/1 Soi Sukhumvit 23, Khlongtoey Nuea, Wattana, Bangkok, Thailand
7. Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market – The Best Floating Market in Bangkok
According to Mark Wiens, Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market is Bangkok’s best floating market. While I have never been to other floating markets in Bangkok, I had a lot of fun ogling at the vast variety of street food offered here. Many Thai natives go all the way to Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market just to eat and we followed suit.
The idea is to order dishes from different stalls, gather at a communal table and dig into an affordable feast! It’s chaotic, but fun.
What to order: Pla Plao (Thai salt-crusted grilled fish), Goong Ob Woon Sen (glass noodles with shrimp), Khanom Tako (Thai pudding with coconut topping) and bread stuffed with kaya or pandan.
By the way, the piping hot buns I ordered from a tiny unassuming stall were way better than the overrated Yaowarat Toasted Bread.
Address: Soi Bang Ramat, Bang Phrom, Khet Taling Chan, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10170, Thailand
I can’t stress the importance of having internet connection when overseas enough. It allows you to call an Uber/Grab and map out your directions when you’re lost. It’s 2018 and SIM cards have never been cheaper.
I paid only S$8.20 for an unlimited SIM card (valid for 8 days), and I’m definitely using it again for my next trip to Bangkok! The internet connection was reliable, and you can easily pick it up from BKK Suvarnabhumi Airport or DMK Don Muang Airport.
Here is a Google map of all the Thai restaurants featured in this article:
There are so many unique Thai dishes in Bangkok and we haven’t had the time to try them all. If you know of any awesome Bangkok Thai restaurants, please leave a comment and share with us your favourite haunts.
P.s. I just want to give a quick shout out to my awesome friends, Han and Isabel: Thank you for taking me around Bangkok. This listicle wouldn’t be possible without you guys xx
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