Fine Dining, On the Fly
THE MICHELIN-STARRED STREET FOOD OF BANGKOK
Cuisine 3 minute read
Street food dining in Bangkok invites you to come as you are and eat as you go. Here are COMO Metropolitan Bangkok's recommendations on finding the best of the city's local eats.
With tightly-packed side-roads brimming with hundreds of expert vendors — many of whom have been honing their recipes for generations — there are few places in the world where fine on-street dining is more plentiful and accessible than Bangkok.
There are no fixed mealtimes in this city; eat when you’re hungry, as often as you like. Start your day with traditional Chinese dim sum, grab an award-winning lunchtime Pad Thai or join the crowds for Michelin-starred seafood at dinner — the only limit is your appetite.
We’ve chosen four of our favourite spots in the city, introducing you to the very best of Bangkok’s street food cuisine, whatever the hour.
01
YAOWARAT ROAD, CHINATOWN
Neon signs, thronging crowds and the enticing scent of authentic Chinese food on the air — welcome to Yaowarat Road, Bangkok’s most intoxicating street food hub.
The obvious time to visit is after 6.00pm, when the streets come alive with vendors and diners clamouring to sample the myriad delicacies on offer in South East Asia’s largest Chinatown. Many sellers have been here for decades, and Michelin-starred eateries sit side-by-side with pop-up carts and family-run curry stalls.
For a calmer atmosphere, visit during the day and enjoy a peaceful wander through the area’s historic temples and historical landmarks. Food stalls are closed on Mondays.
02
TUANG DIM SUM BY CHEF YIP
Hong Kong-born Chef Yip founded Tuang in 2012 to bring high-quality food to ordinary people. Now in his 70s, he’s still on site daily, serving delicious, affordable dim sum to the constant stream of satisfied diners that pass through his doors.
Dim sum is traditionally a breakfast meal, and so Tuang opens from 8.00am until 3.00pm. An integral part of Chinese culture, Chef Yip’s dim sum here has evolved to suit Thai tastes — it’s healthier, featuring less oil and salt.
Food appears quickly from the open-plan kitchen, where the team is kept deliberately small to preserve Chef Yip’s secret recipes. Xia Long Bao and the buns are most popular.
03
THIPSAMAI
Ask a Bangkok local where to find the best Pad Thai in the city and they will send you to Thipsamai. Founded by owner Baisamut’s mother as a simple roadside stall in the 1930s, this iconic Bangkok staple now has six locations and a recipe virtually unchanged for generations.
Tender noodles are tossed in the family’s secret prawn-oil recipe and fried with fresh prawns over a charcoal stove. The whole thing is then delicately encased in a gossamer-thin egg wrap before serving.
The original Thipsamai is on Maha Chai Road in Bangkok’s old town - to find it, simply look for the queue.
04
JAY FAI
This Bangkok icon is named for its chef and owner Supinya ‘Jay Fai’ Junsuta who, in her 70s, is still the undisputed queen of Thai street food cuisine.
Jay Fai has been rightly lauded by Bangkok foodies for decades, and scored her Michelin star in 2018. The dishes here are meant for sharing: enjoy the renowned crab omelette alongside traditional tom yum soup and drunken seafood noodles, before rounding things off with a stir-fried yellow curry and a crisp local beer.
All dishes are prepared by Jay Fai herself who — sporting her trademark ski goggles — cooks them over an open charcoal flame while you watch.
For more recommendations on where to dine and drink during your stay at COMO Metropolitan Bangkok, speak to our dedicated concierge.
