Where and What to Eat in Thailand
Whether chowing down on crispy roast pig in Bangkok’s Chinatown or sampling wonderfully spicy khao soi gai (curry noodles with chicken) in the north of the country, dining is one of the true highlights of visiting Thailand. The country’s cuisine is famed throughout the world for its variety and its complexity of flavors and rightly so. You are never far from a great meal in Thailand, but here’s some food for thought to get you started.
68/1 ซอยหลังสวน Thanon Phloen Chit, Khwaeng Lumphini, Khet Pathum Wan, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10330, Thailand
Bangkok has a significant Indian population. Indeed, the city even has its own ‘Little India’ around Phahurat Road. The best Indian dining options, however, can be found around the main Sukhumvit and Silom drags. The daddy of them all, at least according to the judges at the Restaurant Magazine’s inaugural list of Asia’s 50 best restaurants in which it came in at number 10, is Gaggan. Don’t expect traditional curries here however, as chef Gaggan Anand specializes in contemporary Indian with a dash of molecular gastronomy thrown in. For a more old school take on fine dining from the sub-continent try Rang Mahal at the Rembrandt Hotel, regarded as the grande dame of Bangkok’s Indian restaurants.
85 ถนน เยาวพานิช Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100, Thailand
One of the longest-standing restaurants in Chinatown’s Yaowarat Road area, Tang Jai Yoo fits the template of many of the dining venues in this part of town. The decor is faded and the harsh lighting would cast a sickly glow on even the most glamorous diner. Unlike glitzy restaurants elsewhere in the city, people come here solely to eat. Superstar TV chef Anthony Bourdain is among those to have lauded its signature whole roast suckling pig. Other choice items on the Thai-Chinese menu include steamed crab with black olives and ground pork, and deep-fried mantis prawns with chili and salt.
