Contents
INTRODUCTION
BANGKOK
Chinatown
Banglamphu
Hualamphong
Silom/Sathorn
Sukhumvit
Other Areas
NORTHERN AND CENTRAL THAILAND
Chiang Mai
Chiang Rai
Lampang
Sukhothai
ISAAN (NORTHEASTERN THAILAND)
Khon Kaen
Udon Thani
Ubon Ratchathani
THE SOUTH
Phuket
Cha-Am and Hua Hin
LIST OF STALLS BY FOOD TYPE
Recipes
BANGKOK
Tom Yum Soup from Jae Fai
Pad Thai from Thipsamai Noodle Shop
Squid Salad from Jay Ouan Moo Jum
Kho Moo Yang from Jay Ouan Moo Jum
Bamee Slow Egg Noodles from Bamee Slow
Grilled Scallops from Elvis Suki
NORTHERN AND CENTRAL THAILAND
Khao Soi Gai from Khao Soi Lamduan Faham
Khanom Jeen Nam Ngeaw from Pa Suk
Chicken and Beef Satay from Khao Soi Islam
ISAAN
Kai Kratha from Aim Och
Som Tum from Som Tum Jae Gai
THE SOUTH
Yong’s Green Beef Curry from Pa Mai
Introduction
Is Street Food Dying Out?
A few months ago, a friend said to me that Thai street food would most likely be around for only another “10 to 15 years”. This statement surprised me but I really couldn’t argue with him. International food chains have mushroomed in most of Bangkok’s urban centers offering cheap and affordable foreign specialties such as hamburgers and Japanese curry rice, and Thais aren’t resisting them. In fact, Thais—to use the slogan of one popular fast food franchise—“are loving it”. A study published in the Journal of Health Science in early 2012 indicated that Western fast food is one of the top ten snacks most commonly eaten by Thai children. The reasons for this are many, but they all boil down to the fact that international fast food has become more readily available and costs only slightly more than Thai food on offer at the average food stall down the street.
I am not really bemoaning the globalizaton of Thai diets. It’s true that, for many people, street food and fast food are interlinked—nourishment meant to be grabbed quickly on the way somewhere, when one is too hungry to wait for something better. After all, street food blossomed in just this way. It was initially sold as quick noodle snacks for those on the go by enterprising Thai-Chinese vendors along Bangkok’s many canals, and then became popular for harried parents who needed to buy quick dinners on their way home from work.
Street food in Thailand has grown into a fairly substantial business, possibly grossing as much as 800 billion baht a year, according to very rough estimates from JP Morgan. However, Thai street food—like much of Thai culture in general—has shown an amazing ability to adapt and absorb influences which would threaten to engulf lesser entities. I like to compare it to “High Street” fashion, the lower-priced styles that the average person wears. Many times, the High Street is influenced by haute couture just as Thai street food has been influenced by more expensive restaurants. For example, the coconut milk-based curries of the common khao gub gaeng (rice with curry) stall did, after all, originate in far grander kitchens.
Thai street food has moved well beyond noodles and curries to encompass an extensive range of snacks, salads, soups, sweets and heartier wok-fried noodle- and rice-based dishes. All incorporate a diverse array of ingredients, from regional favorites such as the Northern Thai sour fermented sausage known as naem to newfangled concoction like instant noodles. Some have even taken their cue from foreign cuisines, presenting takoyaki (fried octopus balls), a mutant Thai take on sushi, or standard Western favorites like beef stroganoff, for a third of the price. And, yes, sometimes High Street does inspire haute couture if the recent spate of upscale restaurants featuring Isaan food, once derided as a “low-class” street staple, is anything to go by. It is difficult to ascertain a more precise figure as many of the stalls are unregulated and thus form part of the shadow economy.
So what do I think about my friend’s prediction? In Thailand, there will always be a market for well-made cheap food in an informal setting without bells and whistles, such as air-conditioning, proper chairs or even tables. Thais have long shown that they are willing to withstand any sort of inconvenience in the pursuit of something culinary, provided it is worth it. I believe that fifteen years from now, Thai street food may look different and may comprise different dishes but it will definitely still be delicious and will remain uniquely Thai.
HEALTH CONCERNS
In today’s world, no kind of dining is without its risks. Street food obviously carries with it its own set of issues, so buyer beware. For this reason, I have tried as best as I can to stick to long-standing street food vendors with good reputations. Focus on well-established places with high turnover and try to avoid raw seafood or meat. Vendors are periodically tested by city authorities for cleanliness. The ones that pass muster are marked by a green and blue “Clean Food Good Taste” badge issued by the Bangkok administration.
