Chinatown Bangkok food are three separate words that actually are inseparable.
The abundance of unique small restaurants that serve perhaps the tastiest noodles in Bangkok while one street further, you can find a dozen street food vendors all under these bright neon lights is an experience that you cannot find elsewhere.
Most tourists will explore Chinatown during their visit to Bangkok, but Bangkokians also love to explore this foodie-heaven.
The smell, the organized chaos, the iconic lights, the hundreds of restaurants and street food vendors and even a nightlife area make this bustling area never boring.
In this article, we cover what we believe is the best food in Chinatown Bangkok you can find, although it’s impossible to visit all the tiny shops.
The goal of this article is to excite you about food in Chinatown, as well as inspire you and give you some solid recommendations about the food you should not miss.
After a quick introduction by answering a few commonly asked questions, we recommend restaurants and vendors including their somewhat famous dishes.
With that being said, let’s jump to the results.
! Important: Many of the recommended restaurants and vendors are closed on Monday, which makes it not ideal to visit Chinatown if you solely want to visit the restaurants in this article.
But contrary to what you might have read on other websites, there is still plenty of food to discover as Chinatown Bangkok is a food heaven!
With the recent opening of Wat Mangkon MRT Station, it’s even nowadays easier than before to access Chinatown with public transport and explore the culinary secrets of Chinatown.
By clicking one of the green links, you will be directed straight to that topic.
- Is Chinatown worth visiting?
- What is Bangkok Chinatown famous for?
- What is the best food in Chinatown Bangkok?
- Map of all the Chinatown Bangkok food recommendations
The list of the best food in Chinatown Bangkok will follow after the following atmosphere pictures of Chinatown Bangkok.
Is Chinatown Bangkok worth visiting?
Chinatown Bangkok is one of the city’s highlights and definitely worth visiting.
Walking through Chinatown Bangkok is as if you’re in a completely different country, surrounded by neon lights, street food, organized chaos, temples and the scent of Chinese herbs.
Chinatown Bangkok should be visited during the night as the area transforms completely in a positive way.
What is Bangkok’s Chinatown famous for?
Chinatown Bangkok is famous for its (street) food.
There is an abundance of vendors, and unique restaurants and the whole area breaths food.
Aside from that, Bangkok’s Chinatown is famous for its temples, unique Chinese atmosphere and organized chaos.
It’s a small part of Bangkok that doesn’t even remotely feel like you’re in Thailand.
The 12 best Chinatown Bangkok food are:
1. Shrimp Dumplings (100 THB) – Jok Toe Deaw
This restaurant is located in the middle of the market and is famously known for its impressive shrimp dumpling, a typical Thai-Chinese meal.
The restaurant does serve a variety of Thai dishes as well, however, you can only order some set menus and a reservation is required for this.
This is hugely popular among Thai-Chinese families living nearby.
Luckily, you can just stop by to order the dumplings. The ten dumplings are richly filled, of a decent size, topped with fried garlic and covered in a delicious sweet soy sauce.
It’s a perfect combination of savoury and slight sweetness. For only 100 THB you can enjoy these by-Michelin-Guide-recommended treats, which is in our opinion, a bargain!
These amazing dumplings can be found in the middle of the market, which is quite a maze to get there.
2. Chinese Doughnut with Pandan & Condensed Milk (40 THB) – Pa Tong Go Savoey
When you enter Yaowarat Road from the east side, you will immediately notice a long queue in front of the 7-Eleven.
Those people are not waiting in line to get a 7-Eleven toasty, but instead, they are patiently waiting for the best Chinese doughnuts in Bangkok. In front of the 7-Eleven is a street food vendor named Pa Tong Go Savoey, which is famously known for its Pa Tong Go, Chinese Doughnuts.
Right after the doughnuts are deep-fried, the freshly fluffy doughnuts are shortly roasted above the grill to give them a savoury flavour.
Every little part that is slightly burned is cut off by the vendor. That level of detail is probably why they are so insanely popular and delicious.
You can choose between a handful of toppings, however, by far the most popular option is the Chinese Doughnut with Pandan and Condensed Milk.
And for only 40 THB per portion, you are almost stupid to not try this sweet and savoury treat. You might have to wait a bit, but all this deliciousness that you get in return is worth it.
Ultimate street food that everyone loves, right in the middle of Chinatown Bangkok!
3. Fish Ball Egg Noodle (40 THB) – Lim Lao Ngow Fishball Noodle
This legendary street food vendor is in business for over eighty years and perfected its recipe all these years for its famous fishball egg noodles.
This hugely popular place is located in a small alley near Yaowarat road, and right after opening, the majority of the tables are filled with hungry customers as well as locals waiting for their takeaway orders.
The service is quick and within minutes, you can enjoy a delicious bowl of noodles.
The noodles are also served with soup, but these two bowls are served separately. Fishball egg noodle is a slightly sweet and mostly savoury bowl of noodles with just a little touch of seafood flavour on them. It’s the fish balls and dumplings that contain fresh seafood meat and they taste awesome.
But in the end, the fried garlic toppings are the real flavour makers.
Due to the location, Lim Lao Ngow Fishball Noodle is not overcrowded with tourists, making it a great place to experience local food to the fullest.
Bangkok’s most delicious fish noodles can be found in an alley in Chinatown Bangkok!
4. Stir-Fried Crab with Yellow Curry (500+ THB) – T&K Seafood
One of the most popular restaurants in Chinatown Bangkok is T&K Seafood. There are several seafood restaurants located in this part of Yaowarat, but none of them is as popular as T&K.
The menu is extensive and from the moment this restaurant, which is located in a bright green building, opens its doors, the crowds get in seeking a table at one of the many floors that are provided by airconditioning.
However, you do have the possibility to dine outside, right in front of Yaowarat Road, although this comes with its noises and its fumes.
Nonetheless, it’s a dining experience most tourists are looking for.
The Stir-Fried Crab with Yellow Curry is among the most popular dishes, but with such an extensive menu, there is a great dish to find for every type of eater.
Keep in mind that larger seafood dishes, such as the crab curry, are sold per weight, which can be a bit confusing. You will easily pay five to six hundred baht for these seafood dishes, but in return, you will enjoy a seafood feast right in the middle of Chinatown Bangkok!
Hugely popular Crab Curry, an abundance of seafood and dining on the streets of T&K Seafood. What else could you wish for?
5. Rice Soup with Fish (300 THB) – Siang Kia Khao Tom Pla
It is no secret that Chinese(-influenced) food often comes with weird combinations or the use of uncommon ingredients.
Now, this is not per se the case at this restaurant, although I had to get used to the idea to eat this kind of fish soup. And the oyster soup they serve here, which is by far the most popular version, looks even less appetizing.
But if you’re open to trying out new dishes that are a bit out of your comfort zone, then definitely check out the Siang Kia Khao Tom Pla.
The soup itself is nicely salty with of course a fish flavour, but it’s also garlicky too thanks to the crispy baked garlic that’s added to the soup.
The flavours are not weird, in fact, the broth taste like a proper seafood soup, but it’s the large junks of fish along with the rice in the soup that I had to get used to.
I definitely enjoyed the soup and many others do too as this place is always packed with hungry and loyal customers.
Legendary fish soup that might not look appetizing, but it sure as hell is!
6. Crispy Oyster Omelette (100 THB) – Nai Mong Hoi Thod
Nai Mong Hoi Thod serves arguably the best crispy oyster omelette in Bangkok. A crispy omelette, which is called a Hoy Thod, is a kind of greasy omelette with freshly baked oysters in it and flavour-wise, it has many similarities to Pad Thai.
The first time I tried Hoy Thod, I was kind of sceptical as it was a combination I usually won’t go for.
But the greasiness and saltiness are a pretty good match. There are mussel omelettes available as well, which are far less slimy.
The omelettes are served with a chilli sauce, which gives you just that tingle that you need. This shop only serves omelettes and this becomes the chef’s speciality, which is proven when you see how crowded it is.
Incredibly crispy omelette topped with large, juicy oysters. Mind-blowing delicious!
7. Soft Boiled Blood Cockles (100 THB) – Hoy Kraeng Pa Jeen
This street food vendor is the kind of vendor that doesn’t attract many tourists.
Why? It’s a bit of a hidden gem, as you have to wait for the pick-up truck to arrive with fresh seafood and the fact that it serves blood cockles, a delicacy that not every Westerner is fond of.
The cockles themselves have a bit of an iron taste due to the blood.
However, once you dip them in one of the spicy sauces, you get this unique flavour explosion in your mouth that is hard to describe yet definitely excited the taste buds.
The portions are a bit small, especially when you look at the price, but the quality of both the cockles (and the mussels) is excellent. It is important that these cockles and muscles are extremely fresh, which is definitely the case here.
You can choose between three different sauces, but the spicy seafood sauce is, in our opinion, the most delicious dipping sauce.
Even though these blood cockles might look not appetizing, if you are a seafood lover, you will definitely enjoy these little treats.
Otherwise, stick to a plate of boiled mussels. As you literally dine on the streets, without any tourists, it’s quite a unique experience and as the portions are small, you will have plenty of space in your stomach to discover other great street food vendors.
For some, it’s too adventurous, for many it’s a delicacy. Give it a try!
8. Toasted Buns (20 THB) – Tasty Toast
At first glimpse, you would not expect a toasted bun with a sweet spread would be that spectacular.
It reminded me of the first time I tried Nomsod, which is a simple toast with a sweet bun. But you have to understand that Thai simply love extremely sweet things.
For example, the pastries that you get at cafes are much sweeter than the ones you are used to in Western countries.
For only 20 THB a piece, it’s too cheap not to try one of these toasted buns at this insanely popular street food vendor right in the middle of Yaowarat Road.
You can choose between several fillings, but my personal favourite is the chocolate spread. And the sweet bun with a bit of a charcoal flavour goes perfectly along with that sweet chocolate sauce.
Is it a culinary highlight? Absolutely not. Is it tasty? Yes, it definitely is. But I believe that it’s the experience that counts the most.
Definitely check it out yourself.
Simplicity at its best, yet it’s one of the most popular street food vendors in Chinatown Bangkok!
9. Panang Curry (60 THB) – Khao Gaeng Jake Puey
One of the cooler food experiences in Chinatown Bangkok is Khao Gaeng Jake Puey.
At three o’clock in the afternoon, a few plastic chairs and a table gets placed on the pedestrian sidewalk.
On that table, you’ll find several large pans full of different types of curry and from that moment on, locals are queueing up in line in order to get a plate of this delicious curry and devour it while sitting on one of the plastic red chairs.
Our personal favourite curry here is the Panang Curry, which costs 60 THB per plate with additional pork ribs (Seekong Moo Ob) and sweet Chinese sausage (Gun Chiang).
The curry itself is rich in flavour and accessible to the Western taste palette.
Make sure to arrive on time as the hungry locals always make sure that the pans of curry are empty before the street food vendor officially closes.
Thai curries at Khao Gaeng Jake Puey that you eat right on the street.
10. Roll Noodle In Peppery Soup With Crispy Pork (50 THB) – Nay Lek Uan
Nay Lek Uan is another hugely popular street food vendor in Chinatown that locals simply love.
What makes Nay Lek Uan so special is that they serve a peppery soup, that some can experience as slightly spicy, however, it’s “black pepper spicy”, not “red chilli spicy”.
The soup is served with roll noodles, which are almost like penne pasta. To give the soup extra flavour and texture, the soup is served with super crunchy crispy pork.
Although you most likely have to wait in line before you get a table, the service is really quick and within a minute your soup is served.
11. Khao Moo Daeng Moo Grob (40 THB) – Si Morakot
Si Morakot is another Michelin-recommended local restaurant which is actually located a tiny bit outside Chinatown. Si Morakot is famous for its Khao Moo Daeng.
The most recommended dish is Khao Moo Daeng Moo Grob Goon Chiang Kai Ma Toom, a complete mouth full: Moo Deng (BBQ Pork), Moo Grob (Crispy Pork) and Goon Chiang (Chinese Sausage), all covered in a tasty, thick, sweet gravy.
During lunchtime, the restaurant is completely packed with hungry customers as well as countless Grab and Foodpanda drivers waiting for their delivery meal.
We recommend you avoid the rush hours as the restaurant is open daily from ten o’clock in the morning until five-thirty in the late afternoon.
You can combine this restaurant with the next restaurant, which we shall describe in the next paragraph.
Crispy pork, rice and that godly sweet gravy!
12. Pork Satay with Toast (85 THB) – Chong Kee Pork Satay
Delicious food does not have to be complicated and Chong Kee Pork Satay proves that philosophy by serving only their delicious satay. There are several sizes available, varying between ten and thirty sticks of either pork or pork liver satay and costing you 8 THB per skewer.
A piece of toast costs you 8 THB as well.
You would be surprised how popular this restaurant is, from groups of locals who just want to grab a small bite or those who order Khao Moo Daeng at Si Morakot and combine it with a few skewers of pork satay as Si Morakot (earlier recommended restaurant) is the neighbour of Chong Kee Pork Satay.
The pork satay is served with peanut sauce and a plate of pickles with non-spicy green chillies. Keep in mind that this restaurant is not located directly in Yaowarat, but close to Chinatown itself.
Ready for some phenomenal satay?
Map of the best Chinatown Bangkok Food
There you have it, our Chinatown Bangkok food recommendations.
We hope you enjoyed all these Chinatown food recommendations.
Check out our relevant articles below for more useful travel and food information about Bangkok.
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