Bangkok’s Five Essential Street Eats

Forget fancy restaurants – everything you need to know about Thai food can be found on the busy streets of Bangkok. Across the city, stalls open at the crack of dawn and serve up hundreds of portions of cheap, chilli-spiked food until late at night. With only a few hundred baht in your pocket, you can sample the fragrant heat of some of the country’s best-loved culinary staples.

Expedia’s Kiwi travellers tend to stop by Bangkok for 2-3 days, travelling after the monsoon season dries up in November. December is the most popular time to visit but you’ll find great deals during the rainy season. Check out Expedia’s Bangkok Holidays for ideas.

Kuaytiaw (noodle soup) in Chinatown

Thin rice noodles, fragrant broth, slices of roast pork, garnished with coriander, bean sprouts and white pepper – kuaytiaw was introduced by Chinese workers in the early 1900s. Over the years Thai twists such as coconut milk have been added. The best place to try it is in Yaowarat. Uncover more China-inspired dishes on a food discovery walk, sampling fresh seafood and dumplings, in between visits to Wat Traimit Temple and the buzzing Saphan Put Night Market. Close to the night markets is Silom-Sathorn, a suburb popular with Expedia’s Kiwi Travellers. Try Furama Silom, a family friendly hotel with a pool when you need to chill out after a food coma.

Phat thai in the shadow of the Golden Mountain

Ok, so it’s not technically a street-food stall, but most of the cooking takes place out on the pavement. We’re talking about Thip Samai (313 Thanon Mahachai) in the old, waterside district of Phra Nakorn. Phat thai, in its simplest form consists of noodles, crushed peanuts, shallots and fried egg, and is served all over the city, especially around the backpacker haven Khao San Road. So what makes it so special? Well, it’s been running for nearly 50 years and serves different takes on the traditional dish – adding tofu, jumbo shrimps, and even wrapping noodle dishes in paper-thin omelette. Even if you’re not hungry, the sheer scale of this slick operation is worth witnessing.