If you want to experience a real shock to the system, spend about two weeks in Italy and then jet off to Bangkok. Trade heavy pastas for noodles of every variety, thickness, and taste. Instead of sweet, buttery pastries for breakfast, go savory and light with Hainanese chicken and rice (anytime of day, really). Say ‘ciao’ to gelato and ‘sawasdee’ to mango and sticky rice. Trade in intricate Catholic churches for beautiful Buddhist temples. Nix the aperol spritzes for an ice-cold Chang. Go from craving an espresso fix on the daily (ahem, hourly?) to what I would classify as a full-blown fresh juice addiction (pomegranate and mango, preferably).
Bangkok, in any context, is a total sensory overload in all of the best ways. Take walking through a night market for instance: you can eat spice-drenched crab or durian (which I still have never tasted even after spending months in southeast Asia smelling it all the damn time); the area lined with bars of all kinds has colorful rave lights flashing in an attempt to lure in patrons; and the vendors might very well leave you laughing, questioning some things, and/or speechless. A few of my personal favorites: a stand that sold only a variety of foot care accessories like insoles and blister pads; a sports jersey shop with the most hilariously backward and bizarre rip-offs of true classics (like a baby pink Michael Jordan jersey with blue writing and a random number); a tattoo parlor; a fanny pack stall; and your classic, run-of-the-mill taxidermy shop. Because why the hell not?
Shocks to the senses are one thing: the sights, the smells, the smog, the lights, the sounds. But the part of your system where you really experience Bangkok’s shocks? Deeply, bodily? The stomach, of course.
For us, Bangkok was our first stop in Southeast Asia on a long-awaited backpacking trip. Most of what we had heard from friends who’d been to Bangkok were mediocre-at-best reviews; advice to just pass through but not spend time there.
Needless to say, from our first night there when–exhausted from long flights and an enterprising cabbie who totally swindled us on the trip from the airport–we stumbled over to Chinatown to eat a late dinner, I was enchanted and honestly loved it. So much more than expected.
The food was certainly the star in Bangkok for me, even if it did constantly push my extremely sensitive stomach uncomfortably far into new danger zones. And the wonderfully ornate temples were a close second. So I’m attempting to share with you the best of Bangkok from my time there with a guide for where to eat, plus the most magical sights to check out to walk off all of the incredible food.
My Top Eats in Bangkok
Before I dive in to some seriously drool-worthy food recommendations, a couple of notes: First, everything on this list is cheap, street food–the best way to go in Bangkok. You should be eating seated on a tiny, red plastic stool on the street from carts or ‘restaurants’ that line the sidewalk, as often as possible. Second, Chinatown in Bangkok is literally buzzing with incredible food–and energy around and for food. It’s such an awesome environment, full of great food options and amazing smells, hence why it’s the cornerstone of this list. Finally, I’ll warn that this food isn’t very photogenic but trust that it each dish is far better than my photos suggest.
Lek & Rut Seafood: One of two famous Chinatown street seafood spots that sit just across from each other, Lek & Rut was our preferred spot (mostly due to the service being far superior when we went). The food is melt-in-your-mouth delightful and if you grab a spot at a table outside on the corner, you get the added bonus of taking in all of Chinatown’s crazy street and pedestrian traffic at night. The spicy cuttlefish dish was my favorite, followed closely by a veggie staple, stir-fried morning glory. We also tried the Tom Yam soup which is a huge serving and super spicy and flavorful, and they have an abundance of delicious food on the menu to choose from.
Lek & Rut Seafood, Yaowarat Road, Chinatown, Bangkok.
Nai Ek Roll Noodles: This place is just phenomenal. I have dreams of this soup with its perfectly rolled noodles. We went again when we traveled through Bangkok on our way out of Southeast Asia, and just discovered it made it on the 2019 Michelin Guide for street food in Bangkok–so well-deserved! There’s always a line but it moves fast and is so worth it. Just get the classic rolled noodle soup with pork. It’s so light, delicious, and the perfect amount of peppery.
Nai Ek Roll Noodles, Yaowarat Road, Chinatown.
Pa Tong Go Savoey: While you’re eating your way into delirium in Chinatown, do not miss the deep-fried Chinese dough (aka ‘patongo’) at this cart. Get a bag filled with patongo and plenty of the pandan coconut sauce for dipping, and go crazy. You will not regret it. And you can’t miss the cart, as it has Michelin rave reviews plastered on it.
Pa Tong Go Savoey, Yaowarat Road at Song Sawat intersection, Chinatown.
Go-Ang Kaomunkai: This is the place to go in Bangkok for incredible, melt-in-your-mouth Hainanese chicken and rice. You’ll likely encounter a line down the block here, but just get in it and wait for a plate of dreams–it moves really quickly. Bonus: when we went in the evening, there was a woman vendor on the corner outside selling mango sticky rice that was the best we had in Bangkok.
Go-Ang Kaomunkai, Phetchaburi Rd, Pratunam.
Prachak Roasted Duck: I wasn’t sure I was super into duck until I came here and everything changed for me. The roasted duck and egg noodles dish is the must-order. It was so melt-in-your-mouth flavorful that we went for lunch two days in a row.
Prachak Roasted Duck, Charoen Krung Road, Bangrak.
Boat Noodles at Doy Kuai Tiao Neua: You look around this unassuming hidden spot near the Victory Monument, across the street from a wat of course, and people are piling up their finished noodle bowls–some with upwards of 8 to 10 bowls. A bowl of Bangkok’s infamous boat noodles goes for about 15-20 baht (aka 50 cents), and they’re quite small. Since they used to be actually made and served by a single master chef on a boat, dating back to the ’40s, the bowls are made to only be filled about halfway to avoid spillage. Plus, this encourages you to eat several more than just one bowl. All you need to do is choose pork or beef for your meat; we went with pork and there’s an assortment of pork meatballs and strips in the bowl, along with different types of noodles. And the broth is laced with pork blood. The resulting taste is a bit sweet with a great depth of flavor. I must admit, boat noodles were not my favorite thing but I’m glad I tried them. And I’d be remiss to add the critical footnote that they changed Shezaad’s life.
Doy Kuai Tiao Neua, in an alley along the river near Victory Monument.
Ratchada Rot Fai Night Market: this one is worth a visit both for the food and for the sights! There are some amazing and diverse food options here. Just wander through the food stalls and let your eyes, nose, and gut guide you. We had quite good spicy steamed crabs, along with a papaya salad from one of the vendors that did not disappoint, plus a great noodle bowl somewhat similar to a khao soi full of flavor and various toppings.
Ratchada Rot Fai Night Market, Ratchadaphisek Rd.
My Top Sights in Bangkok
Bangkok has some fantastic temples to take in, many of which are close enough to each other that you can make a day out of walking from temple-to-temple (with plenty of breaks to eat). You can also easily get to most of the main temples including the Grand Palace by taking a public ferry (with an orange flag) along the Chao Phraya River. It’s a bit chaotic, but worth the experience to take at least once–even just to cross the river to get to Wat Arun.
Wat Pho: Bangkok’s infamous, massive reclining Buddha is absolutely epic and the temple that houses it is the city’s oldest. This was a favorite temple not only in Bangkok, but among my highlights in all of Southeast Asia (and there were a whole hell of a lot of temples to see, so that really does mean something).
Wat Pho, Sanam Chai Rd, across the street from the Grand Palace.
Wat Arun: The so-called ‘Temple of Dawn’ is beautiful as well, right on the river with lots to explore. It is supposed to be extra spectacular to take in at night when its famous stupa is lit up, but it was just as magical to take in and wander through on a cloudy, rainy day.
Wat Arun Ratchawararam, riverside on the Chao Phraya River.
Wat Phra Kaew & the Grand Palace: This is a must-visit in Bangkok for all of the different, colorful, complex structures (there are nearly 100) on the immaculately-kept grounds dating back to 1782. Wat Phra Kaew houses the Emerald Buddha, which is considered the most sacred buddha statue in all of Bangkok–and it truly is a sight to behold.
The Grand Palace, Na Phra Lan Rd.
Golden Mountain Temple: This gem sits atop a man-made hill, so it has incredible views of the city and requires a nice walk up a winding stone staircase built into the hill. Wandering around this temple and its grounds made me feel like I was in a sanctuary, and I loved taking in the 360-degree city views in such a serene setting. It’s also far less crowded than the other temples as it’s a bit outside of the main tourist area.
Golden Mountain Temple, Khwaen Ban Bat.
Siam Center and Siam Paragon: These aren’t temples at all, but the mall scene in Bangkok is so awesome and bonkers that it’s basically required to go to at least one mall while you’re in the city. These two were perfect stops directly off the BTS SkyTrain: Siam Center has a youthful, trendy vibe with some affordable stores (and amazing restrooms), and the Siam Paragon, just next door, is kind of like a luxurious, millionaires’ playground. Diamonds and Chanel and Saint Laurent–and there are Bentley and Ducati car dealerships casually on the second floor. In other words…strictly for sightseeing!
Siam Paragon, Rama I Rd.
Let me know if you go to Bangkok and check any of these spots out! Happy eating!
Anna Logs It 