The world of Thai street food can be an exciting, if occasionally bewildering, place. Bangkok can provide intrepid diners with hours of culinary exploration, but that’s provided they know where to go. Here is a guide to the best neighbourhoods for food-on-the-go in the Thai capital.
No exploration of Bangkok’s street food is complete without a trip to Chinatown (referred to among locals as Yaowarat), which is considered the birthplace of street food in Thailand and remains a prime foodie destination. And any discussion of Thai street food must also include a mention of satay – meat that is threaded on a bamboo stick, grilled over an open flame and served with peanut sauce and an ajad of cucumber, shallots and chillies in sugar syrup. Although it sounds simple enough, satay is hard to make memorable. This is where Jay Eng (105 Charoen Krung Road, on the pavement opposite the Chao Por Heng Jia shrine) comes in: tender, coconut milk-kissed meat with a hint of char, alongside a sauce full of nutty flavour.
