Bangkok is one of the largest cities in the world for food, is everywhere! You can choose between a food street vendor, small family restaurants, take mid-range restaurant chains in shopping malls, International, Fast food restaurants and Michelin star.
Is Pad Thai, chicken and rice, pizza, Indian curry or a Zinger Burger ... Bangkok has it all!
A lot of people I know return from Bangkok to say that the food was not so cheap as they had expected. When Iask where they ate the usual answer is, "oh in the hotel bar". You can pay over the odds for food in Bangkok if you want, if you're prepared to search and perhaps eat in the more plain looking family restaurants then you'll find the legendary tasty and very cheap Thai food.
Here, I will try to give a rundown of the sort of thing you can expect to find in Bangkok along with a few personal recommendations.
Street vendor food
It is a bit clichéd, but it's true that the best food in Bangkok is the street vendor food. Sure, the surroundings are less than salubrious, but I just love the atmosphere and the feel of eating food by the side of a busy road, sat on a plastic stool! You'll find these set-ups all over the city, usually a group of people together each with their own speciality on their own cart. The most common dishes are chicken and rice (Khao man gai), red pork on rice (khao muu daeng), Pad Thai, many kinds of noodle soup and various curries. Just be adventurous and if you're not confident with the language you can always point to what you want! Always have a glass of Thai-style icy milkshake on hand if something is unexpectedly spicy! I always find milk is much better than water at cooling your mouth down.
A good tip from a local if you're not sure which vendor to choose, is go to the busier ones. That generally means the food is tastier and safe. I've never had any problems eating street food.
Other items for sale include various grilled meats on a stick and servings of fruit. My favorites are the various vendors that line the wall of Lumpini Park in the evening in the parking lot along Ratchadamri Road. The stands of Patpong / Silom area are also very popular.
Thai family restaurants
The Thai Family Restaurant is something many foreigners do not know. A lot of people are away to put on the appearance of mild these bodies are also quite difficult to detect, and many peopleJust do not know are there. At first glance it may look like a person with the shutter doors will open at home. Look closely and you can the old aunt or grandmother of the family cook pasta or chicken cut in front of the store to see! The wall decoration is generally very simple, thin metal tables, plastic chairs and bare. The decorations are only houses the spirit daily supply of Fanta and portraits of royalty past and present will be hanging on the walls.
TheEating is not of this world and always at a reasonable price. The menu selection is of course much broader than those of street vendors. Also look out for fish dishes are some extra spicy! Yam Mun Sen (spicy seafood salad with noodles) is one of my favorites.
A good choice in terms of location Lek seafood is not far from Chong Nonsi Skytrain Station.
Chain Restaurants
There are many good restaurants and inexpensive chain in Bangkok, usuallyto find in shopping malls and supermarkets. Here listed are the most important:
Bar BQ Plaza - my personal favorite, I eat here on every visit! Heated first with a mini-gas grid in the center of the table, has also set a bit 'thick moat of water around the outside. You order plates of meat and vegetables and cook / cooking yourself. You will have some dip, lime, garlic and chilli, can be combined to fit are given.
Daidomon - Alongsimilar lines to Bar B Q Plaza, except you actually get a small barbeque in your table instead!
Fuji - A hugely popular chain of Japanese restaurants, serving all the usual offerings of sushi, gyoza, tempura, curries and much more.
Oishi - Another big favourite with Thai's. There are many variations on the theme, but it's basically a Japanese style buffet restaurant, pay one price and eat all you like. The bigger ones serve sushi, teppanyaki (made to order) food and various Chinese foods that are rotated.
See Fah - Serves a good selection of Thai food.
Sizzler - Get there early because these places fill up fast! Popular with Thais and tourists, this is an American fill-ya-face steakhouse with an extensive western menu and unlimited salad bar. You could get seriously overweight if you ate here every day!
MK - Similar concept to Bar B Q Plaza, but here you boil all of your own food. They serve hot items off the menu too, the duck is a Favorite.
Pizza Company - Despite its name, this is a Thai pizza chain, but they sell all favorite pizza toppings, bread, garlic, etc. similar to the standard Pizza Hut pizza and something too expensive, but it's filling a good If a pizza has to be repaired!
I'm sure there are more than I lost, but it covers the most important choices!
International Restaurants
There are a number of Italian, French, English, American, Indian restaurants in Bangkok and etc. etc. I will not even trycategorize them here! Wherever you stay, you'll more than likely have a few in your vicinity. The main concentration of European food is around the Silom and lower Sukhumvit areas. Great Japanese food is available on Soi Thaniya (Little Tokyo) just off Silom (near Pat Pong). This is also a great people watching spot, spend an hour in any of these Japanese eateries and you'll see a never ending procession of Japanese executives coming and going, some in groups, some alone. Some reading newspapers, some reading comics (!!). All with a mobile phone or IPhone glued to their ears!
Arab and Indian food is plentiful around Ploen Chit and Nana skytrain stations and surround Sois. I like Mrs Balbir's Indian restaurant, on Sukhumvit Soi 11/1 (Nana skytrain station). For a cracking pizza, try Bangkok Pizza on Sukhumvit Soi 26/1.
Fast Food
You can get your fix of KFC, McDonalds and Burger King all over Bangkok....enough said!
Upmarket eateries
If you fancy a splurge on upmarket eateries there is also plenty to choose from. For the location, try Vertigo on top of the Banyan Tree Hotel on Sathon Road (weather permitting of course!).
Baan Khanita (off Sukhumvit Soi 23) is an award winning Thai restaurant and La Normandie in the Oriental Hotel offers great food and great views of the Chao Phraya river.
There are many, many more but of course, I need to save up before I can afford to visit another!
Bad food experiences are rare in Bangkok, be adventurous and simply decide not only get the option of room service, and to explore what in your area. If you have further suggestions to add to this list please let me know and I will be happy to add your contributions to my list.
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