Have Food Will Travel: Bangkok, Thailand

We were very fortunate to have traveled to Southeast Asia last December. We like "slow travel," so we spent five weeks in Bangkok alone, living like locals, exploring and soaking up the atmosphere and local culture (especially in the food department!) We ate only Asian foods. No burgers, steak, Kentucky Fried Chicken or pizza (not that we didn't crave for them).

The array of food Bangkok offers is amazing! No matter where you stay,  you are sure to be greeted with the intoxicating aroma of food as soon as you step outside. Street food vendors are everywhere! Across the street from our Airbnb and hotel, next to the subway station, along the way to Chatuchak weekend market. Real estate on the sidewalks is precious as everyone is hawking some kind of goods and/or goodies. 

The first thing we did after checking into our Airbnb was shop for groceries. Tops Market was recommended as it was located in a shopping mall closest to us. So we headed there. While exploring the mall, we stumbled upon a restaurant specializing in Northern Thai cuisine. Good thing we ate there before food shopping, otherwise we would've bought more than we could carry! Everything we ordered was fabulous! Thus began our love affair with Bangkok's food.

Som Tam, the popular papaya salad

Mango with sticky rice and coconut milk

Rice noodle soup with fishballs

Pad See Ew (wide rice noodle with chicken)

People from all over the world come to Bangkok to shop. We came for the food. We ate street food, at the food courts in countless malls, at restaurants, and mom and pop shops in our Airbnb/hotel neighborhoods. Chinatown was interesting too, if you can handle the congestion.

Vendor selling shellfish at Yaowarat (Chinatown)

Vendor selling chive cakes at the Lumphini subway station

Tom Yum shrimp

excellent Tom Yum Fried Rice at Mixt Mall, near Chatuchak Market

Mango Sticky Rice Kakigori (Japanese shaved ice) at After You Dessert Cafe

Our final week in Bangkok fell in late January and early February 2020—right at the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic. While the city hadn’t yet entered full lockdown, the atmosphere had already shifted. We avoided crowded places, even though the usual post-holiday bustle had noticeably quieted.

During that week, we hung out at the upscale Central Embassy Mall, just a few blocks from our hotel. The elegant Eathai food court in the basement became our go-to dining spot. We ate there nearly every day—partly out of caution, but mostly because the food was exceptional. The Pad Thai noodles in particular were some of the best we’ve had (read more in Postcard from Bangkok).

To our delight, the mall also housed one of our favorites: Din Tai Fung, the beloved Taiwanese dumpling restaurant, tucked away on the 5th floor. It’s a consistent favorite no matter the location, and thanks to the early pandemic slowdown, we walked in with no lines and no wait—a rare treat. Below are some of their most popular offerings we enjoyed during that memorable week. 

Xiao Long Bao, steamed dumplings, the star of Ding Tai Fung

Shrimp Fried Rice, another signature dish

Five Spiced Beef Noodle soup

At ICON Siam Mall, we were greeted with durians, the king of tropical fruits

We also like the bento boxes at Fuji, the ubiquitous Japanese chain

Our last meal was at the Bangkok International Airport. How can we pass up on the durian with sticky rice dessert? Yum!

Durian with sticky rice

As I write this post, fall is upon us, and there's renewed talk of a Covid-19 resurgence. Many of us may find ourselves staying home again—perhaps even through the holidays. It’s a sobering thought. But while we may not be able to travel physically, we can still explore the world vicariously—like through Mark Wiens, a Bangkok resident and passionate food adventurer. He recently published what could be considered the ultimate Bangkok travel guide for food lovers, and his YouTube channel is a treasure trove of street food gems—not just in Bangkok, but from around the globe.

In the meantime, we wait patiently for a vaccine that will allow us all to travel safely again. Until then, eat well, be well and stay positive!

This post is shared on My Corner of the World.

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