A steaming hot bowl of noodle soup, or a comforting plate of fried rice. Oh, how we love authentic Thai food. There are many different dishes to try and flavours to taste in Bangkok. Some of them you really can not miss. This list will give you a good overview of the best “Bangkok things to eat”.
Most of the restaurants in Bangkok have an extensive menu with interesting sounding foods. It can be quite overwhelming to choose from, especially when you don’t know what it all means.
We stayed 2 months in Bangkok and travelled further around Thailand. We were far from tired from the local food and hope you will love it as much we did. In this post we are sharing the best foods you must try when you visit the Thai capital.
Let’s indulge!
For your information: Astrid eats mainly vegetarian food so we’ll include if the dish is vegetarian friendly or not. Stef has tried all the “original versions” of the following foods.
This post is all about Bangkok things to eat. It icncludes foods like mango sticky rice, papaya salad, pad thai and tom yum.
Bangkok things to eat:
1. Pad Ka Pao
Pad Ka Pao is a real classic Thai dish. It is sold by local restaurants and many street vendors. The dish is also known as a “basil stir fry”. Most of the time it is made out of ground beef, chicken or pork. But there are other variants like shrimp, crispy pork or tofu. The “meat” is fried with garlic, lots of chillies and Thai basil leaves. is
Pad Ka Pao is served with rice and a fried egg on top. Absolutely delicious.
Vegetarian friendly? It can be, we were able to ask it with tofu multiple times.
2. Tom Yum or Tom Yam Soup
A perfect heartwarming bowl of spicy and sour soup. It contains a clear, red broth and it is often made with shrimp and vegetables. The soup thanks its incredible flavors to the key ingredients of lemon grass, galangal (similar to ginger) and kaffir lime. The dish is served with red chillies and coriander/cilantro.
Tom Yum can sometimes be ordered as a noodle soup. If you want a strong flavoured thai dish, have a go at this one!
Not to be confused with the “Tom Kha” Soup. Tom Kha is also delicious and has the same base (lemon grass, galangal, kaffir lime and chillies). However, it is made with coconut milk, softer in taste and often served with chicken.
Vegetarian friendly? Some places serve it with vegetables only.
3. Tom Som Tam, Papaya Salad
If you are in the mood for a fresh, tangy meal in the Thai heat, Papaya salad is the dish for you.
The salad is made with unripe papaya’s, tomatoes and often carrots and green beans. The ingredients are all thinly sliced or shredded. The flavors are in the combination of chilli, palm sugar, lime and fish sauce. You will get it on a plate with peanuts and dried shrimps. Another must try amongst Bangkok things to eat!
Vegetarian friendly? Since it is often made with fish sauce, it is not fully vegetarian.
4. Pad Thai
Do we really have to explain this? You probably have tried this famous noodle dish elsewhere. But, obviously you must try Pad Thai in the capital of Thailand. The thin rice noodles are prepared with beansprouts, typically some carrots, spring onion, egg, and depending on your preference tofu, meat or shrimp.
All the flavors are in the sauce that they fry the noodles in. It is made out of tamarind paste, fish sauce and sugar. Pad Thai is not complete without the crushed peanuts, a piece of lime and chilly flakes.
Vegetarian friendly? Absolutely! Most places can serve it with only egg and vegetables or with tofu. Be aware they might prepare it with fish sauce, even though you asked for vegetarian.
5. Pad Kee Mao, Drunken Noodles
Another stir fried noodle dish, created with oyster sauce, Thai basil and fresh chillies. It is made with flat rice noodles, vegetables and your choice of meat or alternative.
What is the difference between Pad Thai and Pad Kee Mao? Pad Kee Mao is a more spicy and savoury option than the sweet Pad Thai. They sometimes differ in type of noodles (wider noodles for the Pad Kee Mao).
The name drunken noodles supposedly comes from the fact that the dish is so spicy, you will have to drink a lot with it to handle the heat. Another theory is that it is an excellent late night dish for when you are drunk.
Vegetarian friendly? Absolutely! Most places can serve it with only egg and vegetables or with tofu.
6. Khao Pad, Thai Fried Rice
Fried rice is one of the most classic dishes on this “Bangkok things to eat” list. The absolute best way you can cook leftover rice. Fried up with egg, some vegetables, garlic and often soy sauce or fish sauce. A salty, comforting dish, served with lime for the perfect flavour combination. An easygoing dish, you get exactly what you can expect.
You will find fried rice allover Asia, but the Thai version is absolutely delicious and worth ordering at least once (if you’re not tempted to do it more afterwards).
Vegetarian friendly? Absolutely! Most places can serve it with only egg and vegetables or with tofu.
7. Hoy Tod, Oyster and Mussel Omelette
This crispy seafood omelette is often found as streetfood. You will spot the huge pan from afar, where they continuously fry up plenty of beaten eggs, bean sprouts and oysters and/or mussels. Hoy Tod originates from Taiwan but is well known and made as a local Thai dish.
It is sometimes referred to as Oyster pancake, or Thai crispy omelette.
Vegetarian friendly? No, there is seafood in it.
8. Panang Curry
A creamy, deep and flavourful curry. One of our personal favorites. Even though it is orange/red in colour, it is very different from a red curry. Made with coconut milk and peanuts it is sweeter and more rich in flavour. Often served with strips of kaffir lime leaves. Almost all restaurants have it with vegetables, chicken, beef or even shrimp. Served with white rice.
Vegetarian friendly? Absolutely! Most places can serve it with only vegetables or with tofu.
9. Massaman Curry
Think potatoes, onions and coconut milk. From all the curries, this must be the most comforting one out there. It is a mild, sweet and warm with notes like cardamon, clove and nutmeg. It is a red style Thai curry, with influences and spices from the Indian cuisine. Another key ingredient are peanuts, which makes it crunchy and extra delicious.
Warning: you might fall in love with this dish.
Vegetarian friendly? Absolutely! Most places can serve it with only vegetables or with tofu.
10. Kaeng Kaew Waeng/Pet, Red/Green Curry
You really can not go wrong by ordering a classic like these. The red curry is rich made with red chillies and varies from mild to really spicy. Green curry is often seen as more sweet and mild because of the coconut milk but don’t let it fool you. Green curry is also made with chillies together with green herbs. When ordering, we have had some really spicy ones! In our experience the green curries at local Thai restaurants were always more spicy than a red curry. But it really depends on who is cooking it and what you order.
Both are very different and an excellent dish to try.
Vegetarian friendly? Absolutely! Most places can serve it with only vegetables or with tofu.
11. Wonton Mee, Wonton Noodles
A hot noodle dish that originates from the Cantonese cuisine. The wontons are a type of Chinese dumplings and go perfectly with noodles. It can be eaten dry, but it is mostly served in a soupy broth. You will definitely find this in and around Chinatown. You will see locals having this for breakfast too.
It is more on the lighter side, so an ideal choice if you are not craving a big meal or if your stomach is a bit sensitive that day.
Vegetarian friendly? Not really but you can always ask for plain noodles and broth (like on the pictures). Even though, the broth in Thailand is mostly based on chicken stock.
12. Pla Pao, whole fish
If you want to try a Thai fish food, order the Pla Pao, which stands for grilled fish. It is covered in salt and grilled on a fire/barbecue. You will get it on a plate together with a seafood sauce (combination of chilly, garlic, lime, fish sauce and sugar) and cilantro. The fish is often stuffed with lemongrass and lime leaves for extra flavour. The most popular type of fish for this dish, are red tilapia and snakehead fish.
Vegetarian friendly? No, this dish is only known with fish.
13. Mango Sticky Rice
Fruit and rice as dessert? Yes please. An absolute must when you are in Bangkok is mango sticky rice! The sweet, ripe mango, gooey rice with rich and creamy coconut milk – it is the ultimate flavour combination that will remind you of Thailand and tropics. You will find this at street vendors for cheap prices, but also in a fancy Thai local restaurant. It really is for everyone.
Oh and since we are talking about coconut, coconut Ice Cream is an amazing dessert too! The Thai really know what to do with their coconuts 🙂
Vegetarian friendly? Absolutely!
14. Pa Tong Ko, Youtiao, Chinese Donuts
Pa Tong Ko is crispy and deep fried dough. That of course has to mean something delicious. The doughnuts have a shape of a stick and come in pairs. It is often served with dipping custard, plain or with pandan, which makes it extra tasty.
It originated from china, known as Youtiao, but you will find an adapted Thai version in Bangkok. It is often consumed as breakfast with some sweet Thai tea, but a perfect snack too. You will mainly find this as street food.
Apparently there are two meanings behind the shape of these dough sticks. Or they represent two evil people who deserve to suffer in hot oil or a couple who are deeply attached and inseparable.
Vegetarian friendly? Absolutely!
15. Thai Roti, Fried Pancake
A tourist favourite: crispy fried pancakes drenched in sweet condensed milk. Ask for anything on it: banana, jam, nutella, honey, coconut. Or, if you do not have a sweet tooth, you will often find salty versions too: with egg, chives or cheese.
When ordering one, behold how the street vendor throws, slaps and flips it right in front of you. After stretching it out it will be fried on a hot surface, together with the fillings. It is closed and cut into squares afterwards, enjoy this dessert (or as a breakfast/snack)!
It originated from but is quite different from an Indian Roti. In Indian cuisine, roti is a flatbread served with a hot meal and other sauces.
Vegetarian friendly? Absolutely!
Reading about all the things to eat in Bangkok is the first step to a succesful visit to the bustling city. After actually trying a few or hopefully all of these best foods, you will have a taste of Thai culture and its excellent cuisine!
