Bangkok Street Food

Food stalls on the streets of Bangkok can look a little intimidating to foreigners, but they provide convenient, delicious and cheap meals to the locals. Wherever you go in the city, these food stalls are plentiful and very often you will find a high concentration of them in particularly busy areas. Some street vendors operate in groups, often in local markets, which means you can go to the same place every night and have a different choice of meal. Some even open around the clock. The main attractions usually include a noodles stall, a made-to-order food stall, and 'curry on rice' stall.

Knowing what's what is essential when eating from food stalls. You should be able to figure out what kind of food a particular stall is selling by observing the ingredients in the glass display window and the way they're being prepared. There are many kinds of noodle stalls available; chicken noodles, duck noodles, egg noodles with wonton and 'moo daeng' (red barbequed pork), beef and meat ball noodles, 'yen ta four' (noodles in red soy bean paste with fish ball, squid and morning glory) - the list is endless. The noodles themselves come in different sizes and shapes too.

Noodles: what to choose from

Deciding what kind of noodles you want can be a daunting task as choices are so plentiful.

Sen Yai (rice river noodle): a wide flat noodle made from white rice flour

Sen Mii (rice vermicelli): a small wiry looking rice flour noodle

Sen Lek: a medium flat rice flour noodle (the same kind used in pad thai)

Bah Mii: an egg and wheat flour noodle (yellow in colour)

Woon Sen (glass noodle): a thin, wiry, transparent soya bean flour noodle

Gieow (wonton): boiled minced pork wrapped in yellow dough

Once you have a favourite kind of noodle in mind, the next step is to make a decision whether to have 'naam' (with soup) with it, or 'haeng' (dry). Now it's time to choose what meat you want in your noodles. Just look at the display and see what is on offer. The price varies from 20 to 50 baht and you can have it 'pi sed' (extra) by adding five more baht.

Now you have a bowl of noodles before you, you can start eating right away or add the condiments to spice it up a little. The condiments, aka the 'four flavours', are sugar, dried ground chili, vinegar with chili, fish sauce and/or ground peanuts. Adding sugar to noodles may be something of a novelty to you, but it's your chance to be experimental. Remember to taste the food before 'four-flavouring' it!

It's not just about rice

As you probably know, rice is to Thais what bread is to Westerners. It's usually eaten with different kinds of side dishes. 'kaao laad kaeng' (curry on rice) stalls are probably the cheapest and quickest place to eat. A wide range of different items on display can be chosen. Here, the ordering process is less tricky than with the noodles, because all you need to do is pointing to whatever you want. The price is also logical; the more items you order, the more you have to pay.

Another good place to eat at is 'made-to-order' food stalls.

Basically, whatever you want, they will cook it for you. Most of these places don't provide a menu (and if they do, it will most likely be in Thai), but they all serve the same kind of food. Some of the most popular dsihes are 'kaao pad' (fried rice), 'pad kaprao' (stir-fried meat with holy basil leaves), 'kai jiaow' (Thai-style omelette) and 'moo kratium prik thai' (stir-fried pork in garlic and pepper).

Other food stalls are also worth checking out. Try 'kaao mun kai' (rice and steamed chicken), 'pad thai' (stir-fried rice noodles), 'hoi todd' (oyster omelette), sweet roti, 'moo satay (grilled pork on a stick) and traditional Thai desserts. The rest is up to you to explore!

Siam Paragon Food Hall

Siam Paragon Food Hall

Given the fact that Siam Paragon has proclaimed itself as the 'Pride of Bangkok', its Food Hall accordingly lives up to the hype. Covering a good half of the mall's huge ground floor, the Food Hall is divided into three different zones: Food Hall Food Court, Food Hall Gallery, and Food Hall Take Home.

Food Hall Food Court is arranged in a crescent-like fashion with a sizeable aquarium standing in the middle (a sneak preview perhaps of the much larger tank one level down at Siam Ocean World?). Taking a walk around here is an experience in itself, and determining what to have for lunch is nothing less than a daunting task you're faced with.

A quick browse along the bend reveals an astonishing array of nothing else but food and more food. The first joint serves 'Isaan' (Northeastern Thai) food to the soundtrack of mortar and pestle colliding into one another, yielding a pleasant result: a mouth-watering 'som tum' (spicy papaya salad). Don't miss the fragrant 'moo satay' (grilled pork kebab, marinated in a yellow curry sauce and served with peanut sauce). If you want an easy start, try healthy boiled rice along with a variety of toppings. All kinds of noodles - be it Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, or Italian - are also readily available.

Further away from the Food Court is the Food Hall Gallery, a slightly more up-scale food venue with a chic setting and a cornucopia of culinary delights. The procedure here is just a tad different because, upon entering the venue, you'll be given a card to be used like a credit card. Food Hall Gallery offers only the best of local and international cuisines all in one place.

Cake, anyone?

Nobody would be able to resist the Food Hall Take Home section. You're drawn in by the kaleidoscope of colours, shapes and sizes of cakes on display. Highly recommended is the 'kanom kui chai', steamed paper-thin dough stuffed with Chinese chive, bamboo shoot, and dried shrimps, eaten with tangy black sauce. Fruit smoothies and Italian gelato parlours abound as well as pastry shops, whose irresistible aroma of freshly baked patisseries tantalizes everyone walking by. Favourite Thai desserts like 'look choob' (mung bean paste in miniature fruit shapes) and sticky rice with mango are big favourites. Before you leave, don't forget to visit the promotional area, where food-related events are held regularly. Recently featured were the tastiest 'pad thai' (stir-fried noodle) you'll ever taste, and grilled shellfish straight from Hokkaido, Japan.

Siam Center

In keeping with the young and sprightly theme of the place, Siam Center has positioned its food hall perfectly likeable to the young and trendy shoppers who flock there en masse. 'Food for Fun' (f) is a funky place that even features it own DJ booth...

Food for Fun

If you want to eat in a clean and cheerful atmosphere, eat well and not pay the earth for it, this is a great option. The bright orange and white interior and casual, spacious seating make this a happy place that fills up quickly. There are stalls selling huge helpings of quality fare at excellent prices. Some of the cuisines represented include Japanese, Korean, Thai, Northeastern (Thai), Chinese and Italian. There are also fresh fruit juices, shakes and smoothies to quench your thirst, and ice-cream, gelato and yoghurt to put the seal of approval on an enjoyable meal.

There's a vegetarian stall with five different cooked meals, as well as a standard menu - all of which reasonably priced. Overall, there is a fantastic array of good, cheap and scrumptious food to choose from, and the atmosphere is relaxed. Throw in a DJ booth from where an in-house radio station broadcasts groovy sounds all day long, and you have the perfect spot to fill up that empty gap during a shopping spree.

MBK Food Court

MBK Food Court

Bangkok's legendary Mah Boon Krong (MBK) has two food courts: Fifth Food Avenue on the fifth floor, and the more frenetic MBK Food Centre on the sixth. One of the most popular shopping malls among locals and tourists, MBK's food halls are geared to keep these hungry shoppers energized at any time of the day or night...

Fifth Food Avenue

Fifth Food Avenue has a great variety of kiosks in a spacious setting, with chefs preparing the foods in open kitchens. Options include Arabic, Vietnamese, Hainese, Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Italian. There is also a vegetarian section with a good, all-natural, MSG-free menu, called the Tamarind Cafe. Then there's the 'Signature Dessert' bar, with the most exquisitely presented delicacies. The strawberry pavlova is sensational; two layers of meringue sandwiched with whipped cream, fresh strawberry and kiwi. And so too the trio of vanilla, caramel and dark chocolate crame brulee. This is a good place to have a divinely filling meal in an appetizing environment.

MBK Food Centre

MBK Food Centre on the sixth floor is much cheaper and the food on offer ranges from pre-packaged sushi sets, to deli-style salad and noodle outlets. Here you can either sit down for a quick bite or take home a neatly-wrapped item from the bakery, or something from the fruit or dessert stall. There is a dining area called 'Kou Asian' with an interesting menu, which includes vegetarian fare. It differs from Fifth Food Avenue in that it is right in the hustle and bustle of the main shopping area.

Emporium Food Hall and Food Court

Emporium Food Hall and Food Court

In this area there are dozens of caf-s, patisserie, bakeries and fast food outlets, as well as a canteen-style eating area. Here you can choose from ice-cream, desserts or mid afternoon (or any time) snacks with a cup of your favourite pick-me-up beverage. This is more the spot to stop by for a break between shopping for designer futons or on your way to the cinema, than a place to spend hours carving your way through a meal.

The take-home section features noodles of any denomination, Japanese teppanyaki, freshly-made sushi and bento boxes, fragrant Thai cuisine, an array of international fare and the most delectable patisserie. There is a selection of restaurants with Japanese, Vietnamese, Western and Asian fusion menus in the food hall area. Drinks bars offer freshly-squeezed juices, smoothies and even alcoholic beverages. In this section, vegetarian options are confined to soups and salads.

Park Food Hall at Emporium

If you've worked up a serious appetite and are in the mood for a top-notch meal, pay a visit to Park Food Hall. A tad more formal than the other places, this is an enclosed area where you are presented with a coupon for 2,000 baht which you pay for afterwards (for whatever you spent). Park Food Hall consists of many food bars with a dining area in a dimly lit atmosphere conducive to a wholesome and fulfilling eating experience.

Choices include gourmet Arabic, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, seafood, Japanese bento, Olive Mediterranean featuring mezze, a pizzeria and even original English grub such as pot pies, fish and chips and mashed potatoes with gravy. This is a good place to visit if you miss all your favourite foods back home.

Covering a total area of 1,500 square metres, Park Food Hall has more than 400 seats, and the stylish interior verges on the glamorous. You can enjoy a 180 degrees landscape-view of Bangkok and the lush greenery of Benjasiri Park while sampling gourmet delights. Park Food Hall also serves as a venue for regular events like product launches, culinary workshops, mini-concerts and art exhibitions.

Central World Food Court

Where to Eat in Bangkok

There's no shortage of eating options in Bangkok. Eat in a roadside noodle stall and watch the world go by. Savour seafood at a local restaurant perched over the river; enjoy exquisite food from a swish hotel restaurant overlooking the city; or take a quick snack in a shopping mall food court. Whatever you choose, and wherever you are staying, you won't be disappointed.

Central World Food Court:

Unlike the Central Food Hall to which it is annexed - a supermarket offering foods from every far-flung gastronomic corner - the 200-seat C Flavour draws its inspiration from closer to home, serving a broad selection of pan-Asian foods at respectable prices. On the seventh floor of the newly refurbished CentralWorld, its 19 open kitchens grill, steam, boil, fry and sear fresh ingredients for a steady stream of ravenous shoppers - tasty, authentic fare the obvious ambition.

Modern, sleek interiors with comfy, functional furnishings give the bright, open-plan space an agreeable symmetry. Sleek orange chairs and utilitarian tables sit splayed across a wooden floor. A line of red arm chairs and leather sofas by the wide windows are suited to kicking back with friends in addition to just eating. The latter is best, giving you classic city views, temples and malls rubbing up against each other in the distance.

Thai Flavours

A 10-strong rabble of open-kitchens to the right fits under a 'Thai flavour' banner. Expect everything from steaming bowls of 'Kuay-Teow' (noodle soup) to traditional Thai curries, stewed pork legs to pan-fried noodles. There's also an a-la-carte kitchen that fuses Thai gastronomic traits - namely a sweat inducing kick - with international mainstays. Think spaghetti with tuna and hot basil. In the central food island you'll find spa foods, varied kinds of minced pork, satay snacks and, most enjoyably, a kitchen called Khunyai Thalab.

One of the unsung delights of the food court is being able to go eclectic, to indulge tummy temptations without prejudice or glances of disdain from the management. The motley mix allows you to do just that, with kitchens from Daikoku (Japanese), Winner House (Vietnamese), Old Malaya (Malaysian), Blue Light by Seefah (Chinese) and Taaj (Indian). Aside from tasting great, each dish is as elegantly presented as it is economically priced.

Sweet Temptations

If so inclined, round things off with something sweet. If not Bahn Moh's delightful sticky rice with sweet coconut and durian syrup (35 baht), then try a fruity fire extinguisher from Mrs Smoothie. A few slurps of Yo Yellow (peach, pineapple and yoghurt) or Mr Monkey (banana, strawberry and yoghurt) will ably sooth spice-seared mouths. Surfaces are clean, service ruthlessly efficient and a smart culinary credit card (a 1,000 baht license to gorge) politely removes any mention of money until departure. A classy addition to the city's food courts offerings.