All those indigenous foods are on offer in Bangkok depending on the area. So, to try a wide selection of different street foods, one will have to travel around Bangkok. Our local guides know the best street-food places like the above mentioned “street-food hot spots”, but also outstanding individual places specializing only in a certain dish. Whether you are looking for Issan specialties, Southern Thai or Northern Thai food, our guides not only know the place to go, but also how to get there avoiding the worst of the traffic.
Did you know that some individual street-food places are so good in a particular dish that you have to call a day in advance to reserve your meal? Once they open late morning, they are often sold out within the hour. There is actually one famous street-food stall that received a star by the Guide Michelin that has a long line even before opening hours.
During the day in certain places like Bangkok’s Chinatown, you will hardly see any street-food stalls. But, at around 6 pm that picture changes and Jawarat Road, a main thoroughfare of Chinatown and extremely busy during the day, turns into a street-food center during the night. Your local guide knows which markets hold the very best food, freshly cooked in front of you and which food is a specialty in each market to fit your wants and needs.
With exceptions like Jawarat Road, street-food stalls open during the morning and get very busy throughout lunch. Office towers on all major roads in Bangkok release their employees onto the streets as they head to their favorite street-food stalls for lunch. The prices are kept low and the quality is generally good depending on the individual stall.
Your local guide will ask when ordering food for you, if you would like it mild or hot. Certain food, especially food from Issan, tend to be very spicy. They use Chilly like Europeans use spring onions and those little green ones really deliver a punch. Thai peppers may not be as high on the Scoville scale as a Habanero, but they are about 23 times as hot as a Jalapeno. Thai people, especially those from Issan, use them in abundance on their food.
The following are some of the most popular Thai street-food dishes available:
* Som tam – Papaya salad
* Khao pad – Fried Rice
* Pad thai kung – Noodles with shrimp
* Khao mun gai - Steamed chicken on rice
* Gai/Moo bing - Grilled chicken/pork skewers
* Sai krok Issan- Sour Issan sausage
* Pad krapao moo- Stir-fried pork with basil
* Pla pao - Fish barbecued in salt
Thai restaurants
Your local guide knows a wide selection of Thai restaurants in Bangkok. Modern, sophisticated places like Bo Ian (Essential Thai) which is influenced by street food, and was rewarded a Michelin star. They create refined royal cuisines while keeping home-cooking traditions at the heart. There are also high class Thai restaurants like the “Blue Elephant” in beautiful traditional buildings, adding a unique atmosphere to your dining experience. Our local guides know where they are and how to get to them without experiencing the Bangkok traffic jam that is ever so present in the evening starting at about 4pm and lasting in central areas until 10pm. Our guides will take you on rides like the “BTS Sky Train” which rides above all the traffic and will get you to your destination in a jiffy.
Besides those outstanding restaurants on the top of Thai cuisine, there are thousands of others that offer great food at very affordable prices. They are usually shop-house restaurants that are rather unassuming, but deliver a quality product.
One example Is Sawang Noodle, one of Bangkoks best restaurants for noodle dishes. It is located in an unassuming shop-house located at 982 Phetchaburi Road close to Central World at Siam. However, you would never find the place by yourself. It is much better than any of the “Trouristy” places on Sukhumvit or Silom Road. Your local Guide will take you to places where you will see few, if any tourists where you can enjoy Thai food like a local.
Book a local guide and go on a discovery of Thai food like a pro. TV programs reporting on Thai food in Bangkok all hire local guides to take them to those unusual places. If you are looking for the unusual, Bangkok also has that to offer and our guides know where to find it. If you hanker for deep fried crickets, steamed water Beatles or deep fried Chinese silk worms, our guides know the best places and how to get there.
What to drink in Bangkok
As far as Thai Drinks are concerned, most international Beers are available from Heineken to German wheat beer and Carlsberg. The locals like to drink Johnny Walker black, highly diluted with water and ice. Most people think that the famous “Mai Tai” is a Thai cocktail, but it is not. It was most likely invented in California at a Tiki restaurant. Among the country folks in Thailand and also some of the poorer population of Bangkok, “Lao Kau” is the drink of choice. This is an unrefined very cheap drink, similar to “Hooch” and not really recommended for consumption. Your local guide will certainly try and dissuade you from trying more than one.
There are some local “Whiskey’s” and Brandy’s of questionable quality, but imported ones are readily available at every bar, pub and restaurant. Most up-market Thai restaurants will also offer a selection of imported wines as do all better international restaurants in Bangkok.
There are a lot of English Pubs and German Beer gardens in Bangkok serving draft English or German beers.
Book a local guide and make your Bangkok experience something special!
