Best Street Food in Bangkok 2020

Best Street Food in Bangkok 2020 Edition.

Street food in Bangkok is a melting pot of culture. It brings people together, it celebrates history and is part of showcasing some of the tastiest food each respective country has to offer. There is something magical about walking down a narrow street. Smelling a rich broth cooked by a converted bicycle and being served a heart warming noodle soup whilst sitting on a tiny chair, watching the world go by. You could live in a city like Bangkok for years and still be surprised by a tiny woman cooking Thai food on a corner you have never seen before. Street food is such a big part of why so many flock to the city every year. And our way to celebrate it is to highlight our top picks. We spent a long time going to every soi, district and corner house to bring your our top picks for 2020. With special mention to Gary Butler, the Roaming Cook who helped us create this list and took much of the photography.

The Food

The fact the street food is so versatile and robust as a category meant it was hard to pick and choose our favourites! We chose our venues for there role in the community, popularity and also the way the food has impacted on culture.

The street

Bangkok is certainly one of those cities you could live in all your life and still discover new hidden gems. We spent a long time wandering every Soi, exploring every corner and also asking the locals about the best street food in bustling Bangkok.

Our Top Street Food Spots in Bangkok 2020.

Pe Aor

Best Street Food in Bangkok
Address: Pe Aor Tom Yum Kung Noodle, Phetchaburi Road, Thung Phaya Thai, Ratchathewi, Bangkok,
Hours: Tues – Sun 10:00 – 21:00
Nearest Station: BTS Ratchathewi

Pe Aor is famous for its giant rock lobster Tom Yum soup. This is by no means a typical cheap street food spot with dishes going for 1200 THB but the shear size of the bowl and quality of ingredient sis worth the price tag. This is a dish made for sharing as it’s piled high with fresh squid, mussels and prawns in a rich and fragrant soup. The creamy broth is served alongside a mountain of rice noodles.

if you are a solo foodie then not to worry about the high price. The Tom Yum Kong Sod with two large fresh river prawns and the same creamy broth is 60 THB. A fraction of the price but the same mouth watering experience!

Jay Fai

Best Street Food in Bangkok

Address: 327 Maha Chai Rd, Samran Rat, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200
Hours: Wed – Sun 10:00 – 22:00
Nearest Station: MRT Sam Yot

Chef Jay Fai is a household legend in Bangkoks culinary scene. The 70-year-old lady has been serving up outstanding street food behind her large wok for some 30 years. People from all over the world come to see her wearing her iconic ski goggles as she shows off her wok skills over the charcoal brazier.

Jay Fai’s little shop-house is in the Old Town district. The cues are crazy long here but there is usually a little book outside for you to place your name. Jay Fai has made a name for herself for her twists on classic Thai dishes. Her dry Tom Yum with and Khao Jiew poo (crab omelet) went as far to be featured on Netflix’s Chef table spin off about street food.

As you can imagine, all dishes are stir fried with super-fresh seafood like tiger prawns and giant pieces of crab elevating the meals. And all the portions are extremely generous so you could do with bringing a crew of food lovers to help polish off each plate.

Elvis Suki

Best Street Food in Bangkok
Address: Elvis Suki, 200/37 Soi Yotse, Phlab Phla Chai Rd., Bangkok, Thailand
Hours: Mon-Fri 07:00 – 19:00
Nearest Station: BTS Chong Nonsi

Elvis Suki has a bit of a cult following amongst the foodies of Bangkok. Even many of the cabbies around the city will praise this as a worthing spot to get some grub. The restaurant covers a large outdoor area taking over much of the Soi. There is a second floor Air con area but we prefer to sit in the buzz of the street.

Suki is a big time Thai dish that many people love. Suki is fried ‘soon sen noodles’ which can be served dry or with soup alongside crunchy cabbage and chopped green onions. Suki sauce is served on the side and is a red spicy and slightly tart dip. Elvis Suki have a secret recipe for the sauce which may be the reason it gets so busy!

Another reason for their popularity is there large selection of seafood to choose from. Grilled seabass in banana leaf, herbal steam mussels, boiled cockles and grilled scallops are all very good choices.

Pad Thai Narok

Best Street Food in Bangkok
Address: 593, 27 Sukhumvit Rd, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110
Hours: Tues-Sun 17:30 – 22:00
Nearest Station: BTS Wongwian Yai

Pad Thai is, without a doubt, the most well known and most eaten Thai dish in the world outside of Thailand. Even in Bangkok, it’s hard not to find this popular dish in most Thai restaurants and shop-houses. However, that doesn’t always mean they taste good! Unfortunately it’s common to add lots of sugar to dishes for westerners but not at Pad Thai Narok.

Narok Taek is on the other side of the river in Khlong San. The sauce is heavy on the tamarind making a little bit more sour than average. But it works well with the roasted chili paste! The classic pad Thai is served with the usual suspects like extra bean sprouts, fresh lime wedges, garlic and chives. Even the small dried prawns, are fried with shallots, dried red chilies and lime leaves to create adds extra texture and a salty, savoury flavour to the noodles. Chef Aom chose one thing to be good at and he has become the master of Pad Thai with his high heat wok cooking.

Chee Ching Wo

Noodle

Best Street Food in Bangkok
Address: Phiraphong Alley, Wang Burapha Phirom, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200
Hours: Mon-Fri 09:00 – 17:00
Nearest Station: MRT Sam Yot

Oh there is something so mouth watering when we hear the words Braised Duck Noodle! Chee Ching Wo is a 100 year old Chinatown house serving the best duck noodle in Bangkok. The 90 year old Thai-Chinese chef is now a local legend for making the egg noodles and wontons by hand even today.

His son Yai has now taken the helm of cooking each Chinese spice soup dish. Alongside juicy pork wontons you will be treated a large tender duck drumstick, and a pile of egg noodles. You will be surprised at how absolutely delicious this place is!

Odean Crab

Noodle

Odean Crab Wonton Noodle

Best Street Food in Bangkok
Address: 724 Charoen Krung Rd, Talat Noi, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100

Hours: Mon-Sun 08:30 – 20:00
Nearest Station: MRT Hua Lumphong

This tiny little shop-house is famous for its crab wonton noodle soup. Run by its family for many generations on Charoen Krung Road, in Bangkok’s Chinatown is worth a mention in our street food list because of its simplicity made perfect by quality ingredients.

To start, the egg noodles and prawn wonton are hand made everyday day and the rich soup broth has no stock powder, just crab shells and pork bones which are then simmered all day. Then it comes down to choosing the crab, by claw size!

The fresh claws start at 150 THB for a small claw up to 550 THB but for a giant one. But if the claw isn’t for you then the standard bowl starts at 65 THB with a little bits of flakey crab meat and wontons.

Odean noodles can also be served with the smokey roast barbecue pork and we really recommend the sweet delicious deep-fried prawn wontons!

Thonglor Kaw Ni Aw

Moo Ping

Best Street Food in Bangkok
Address: 335 Thong Lo 17 Alley, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110
Hours: Mon-Fri 10:00 – 17:00
Nearest Station: BTS Thonglor
Check the full Kaw Ni Aw Moo Ping profile on our Explorer page here.

Just down the stairs of the Thonglor BTS is the tiniest little grill with a Thai couple making the best Grilled pork and sticky rice in the city. There is something about the sauce which makes this a standout and worthy mention on our list. Sticky garlic and coriander are dripped over large chunks of fatty pork which is perfectly paired with the glutinous sticky rice.

And for the price of 25 THB for both it’s really hard to find any fault at all!

Khao Gaeng Jake

Puey

Khao Gaeng Jake Puey

Best Street Food in Bangkok
Address: 427 Yaowarat Rd, Pom Prap, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok 10100

Hours: Tues-Sun 16:00 – 21:00

Nearest Station: MRT Wat Mangkon

Another popular corner shop to feature on the popular Netflix Street Food series is Khao Gaeng Jake Puey. This backstreet curry stall in China Town is a firm favourite of the neighbourhood for their central Thai curries made here. Khao Gaeng, meaning ‘rice curry’ can be found all over Bangkok but there is a reason the locals keep coming back here.

This place gets super busy and its often that many customers will have to wait as they don’t have enough tiny plastic chairs at peak times! We recommend the Kare Moo and the Thai green curry with chicken.

Jok Prince

Best Street Food in Bangkok
Address: 1391 Charoen Krung Rd, Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500
Hours: Mon-Wed 08:00 – 18:00 Thurs-Sun 08:00 – 22:00

Nearest Station: BTS Thonglor

Jok Prince is a no frills, classic hole in the wall shop-house serving up delicious bowls of rice porridge. Congee is a staple breakfast option for Asia but Jok Prince takes the top spot as the best in the city. Found on Charoen Krung Road, just around the corner from the Lebua State Tower this is the breakfast spot you need to start you day well.

The Congee come with homemade fatty pork balls and a poached egg. You can also opt for pork organs but that’s not really our thing! Bowls start at 45 THB and if you are still hungry after choose a couple of their sweet mini Chinese doughnuts for 3 THB a piece.

Ann Guay Teow

Best Street Food in Bangkok
Address: 419 Luang Rd, Wat Thepsirin, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok 10100
Hours: Mon-Thu 16:00 – 00:00
Nearest Station: MRT Hua Lamphong
Check the full Ann Guay Teow profile on our Explorer page here.

Ann Guay Teow take fried noodles to another level. The food is cooked over a high heat charcoal stove and then served on their small air-con shop-house. You have many options to choose from such as chicken, seafood, ham or a mix of everything. On top of this you can choose to have your eggs scrambled or cracked over the top so the steam cooks it slowly.

The chicken used is of the thigh to which is usually kept tender compared to breast, and the pieces are marinated in soy and peeper sauce before being charred over the wok. There is always a large slice of lettuce holding the noodles with spring onions around however as most know. Guay Teow is made to the individual taste so each table is adorned with Chilli vinegar, dried chilli flakes, white pepper, sugar soy sauce and Thai Sriracha chilli sauce. Enjoy!

Pratunam Chicken

Rice

Pratunam Chicken Rice

Best Street Food in Bangkok
Address: 960-962 Soi Phetchaburi 30, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
Hours: Mon-Sun 05:30 – 15:00 / 17:00 – 03:00
Nearest Station: BTS Chit Lom

For over 50 years this humble chicken rice stall has been feeding the masses with their Khao Man Gai. A Thai version of Hainan Chicken Rice. It really all comes down to the sauce, which is much spicier but still delicious. The rice is still cooked with the chicken oil for fragrance but Thai style tends to leave the rice less oily in taste.

This corner shop-house always has a line so we recommend coming just before lunch time and grab yourself a serving before a day of shopping at the mega malls nearby.

Boon Tong Kia

Chicken Rice

Best Street Food in Bangkok
Address: 75/1 Sathon Soi 10, Khwaeng Silom, Khet Bang Rak, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10500
Hours: Mon-Fri 07:00 – 19:00
Nearest Station: BTS Chong Nonsi

Having lived on Thonglor for a long time, we frequent this Singaporean chicken rice shop often. Singapore chicken rice is different from the Thai version but this once again comes down to the spicy sauce served. there is so much fragrance in the cooking here, from the chili and vinegar of the sauces to the garlic and ginger cooked in the stock.

The inside area has air-con with each table having the three different sauce jars, chili, vinegar and ginger. Boon Tong Kiat is a simple place right in the centre of the trendy Thonglor area, but it’s chicken rice is without doubt one of the best around. And you will be wanting a second portion for sure.

Lungpratunam Boat

Noodle

Best Street Food in Bangkok
Address: 958/3 Phetchaburi Rd
Hours: Mon-Fri 08:00 – 17:00
Nearest Station: BTS Chong Nonsi

This is a bit of a hidden gem and we aren’t lying about the hidden part. Head for Sio 30 passing the street food vendors until you reach a corner hairdressers. Turn left for 20 metres and you should be there, but remember it is down in the alley and not on the street level.

The family run boat noodle shop has been going for around 35 years. Mr. Lung has now retired leaving the legacy to his daughter Ya, who serves the dark rich soup to the many workers in the area. Boat noodle is a strange dish which is loved by many and hated by a few. This may come down to the Nam Tok (cow or pigs blood) often used. You see, boat noodle is a concentrated strong stock of pickled bean curd, dark soy sauce and pork and beef.

It is one of those dishes which is flavoured to your personal taste by the condiments on the table and most people use chili flakes. fish sauce and sugar.

The small bowls of broth come with your choice of noodles, minced meat, meatballs and pig’s liver. For around 30 THB it’s very reasonably priced and its often while you will see some customers with 12 bowls stacked up next to them!

Once again, this isn’t for everyone. But if you want to get the full experience of a well made boat noodle, this is the place to go.

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What did you think of our list?

We love feedback and we especially love findng out about places that we don’t know about but deserve some recognition. Give us a comment if there is a restaurant we missed and stay tuned for our next round up of the best Cocktail Bars in Bangkok.

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