A Gastrorgasmic Food Guide to Bangkok

There are few cities in the world that I personally think could rival Singapore as foodie paradise in terms of value and variety. Bangkok, admittedly, is one of them. We spent a weekend there and left feeling like we want to go back every other weekend because every meal we had was absolutely delicious! Here are some of our recommendations on what to eat in Bangkok.

P’Aor

This was top on my list of eateries to go to because their tom yum soup is widely hailed as the best in Bangkok. The star item here is the lobster tom yum noodles. It might seem expensive at SGD 48 a bowl, but is actually quite worth it as the ingredients include lobster, stuffed squid, stuffed crab, mussels and salmon! You would think that the fresh seafood is the highlight of the dish, but no – it is actually the creamy tom yum soup that is considered quite a rarity in the tom yum scene. You won’t regret ordering this dish.

Address: 68/51 Soi Petchaburi 5, Phaya Thai, Ratchathewi, Bangkok
Opening Hours: (Tues to Sun) 10am – 10pm, Closed on Monday
Closest BTS Station: Ratchathewi Station (about a 10 min walk)

Kuah Kling Pak Sod

This restaurant specialises in Southern Thai food, like the cuisine you would typically find in Phuket. Hidden in the back alleys of the Thong Lor neighbourhood, it’s a little tricky to get to but definitely worth the schlep. This is one for the spice lovers as they are very liberal with their chilli padi, but trust me, you will find those chilli-induced tears worth it. Here are some of our favourite dishes:

Address: 21/32 Sukhumvit Soi 29, Bangkok
Opening Hours: Daily; 1100 – 1430 (Lunch), 1730 -2130 (Dinner)
Closest BTS Station: Thong Lor Station
Reservations recommended 

Roast

Bangkok’s hipster scene has clearly blossomed over the last couple of years, and nowhere is this more evident than at The Commons. This four-storey eco foodie heaven is designed to be a community space in the Thonglor neighbourhood. Let’s just say that if they built community centres like this in Singapore, they would be packed with people all the time. Occupying the top floor of The Commons is Roast, which is probably the epitome of all hipster cafes with its airy, light-filled interior decked with Scandi furniture, and seriously Instagrammable-fare that actually tastes damn good. While there were many tantalising options on the brunch menu, we couldn’t resist the all-day dining options. The truffle alfredo with its house-made tagliatelle, crispy bacon and mushroom was simply sublime, and the slow-roasted fried half chicken was even more of a winner. With its succulent meat that has been marinated for 48 hours with buttermilk and house-made hot sauce, you really wouldn’t expect anything less than mouthwatering goodness.

If you can afford more time at The Commons, grab a cold brew coffee at Roots Coffee!

Address: 335 Thonglor Soi 17, Sukhumvit 55, Klongton Nua, Wattana, Bangkok
Opening Hours: Daily; 1000 – 2300 (Mon- Thurs), 0900 – 2300 (Sat), 0900 – 2200 (Sun)
Closest BTS Station: Thong Lor Station

Talad Rod Fai (Srinakarin)

If you had to pick and choose between Bangkok’s night markets, we would highly recommend checking out Talad Rod Fai (Srinakarin). Deemed the original train market, it’s a lot bigger than the one at Ratchada and the food options here were simply staggering. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to sample a lot of the other stalls because our noses led us to this noodle stall that was so good we ended up ordering a bowl of noodles each instead of sharing. While I can’t translate the name of the stall, you can find it opposite the restaurant Rabeang Rodfai. And, if you so happen to see this lady preparing fried eggs two stalls away, please do yourself a favour and get them.

Address: Soi Srinakarin 51, Srinakarin Rd, Bangkok 10250
Opening Hours:  1700 – 0100 (Thurs – Sun)
Closest BTS Station: Udom Suk Station

Recommendations our friends swear by:

As we were only there for a weekend, our limited stomach space meant that we had to be very selective about where we ate. We were blessed to have tons of recommendations from friends and we thought it would be nice to share them here in case you guys have the luxury of more time there! Let us know if these are good:

Katsu-shin: Recommended by a friend who lived in Bangkok for 2 years, this restaurant will have you imagining you’re in Tokyo with its authentic tonkatsu dishes!

Supanniga Eating Room: Don’t be put off by the slightly offensive sounding name because the Thai food here is supposedly anything but nasty. While it opened to much fanfare with some even hailing it as the best restaurant in Bangkok, it serves humble, homely fare reminiscent of those from your grandma’s kitchen. Try out the best-selling dish: the kaeng moo chamuang (170 baht) or pork meat stewed with chamuang leaves.

Baan Somtum: If you’re a fan of somtum (papaya salad), you have to check out this place! With 22 varieties of somtum, you’re absolutely spoilt for choice here. Insider sources say the fried somtum is a must- order!

Die-hard foodie or aspiring chef? You’ll definitely want to learn how to recreate these amazing Thai dishes back at home! Check out the cooking class options in Bangkok here!