Dining on Street Food in Downtown Bangkok

October 02, 2019

Into the Night

We left our hotel with the moon high in the sky and the air just a little cooler.  The city streets were still bustling and the traffic still thick as we met our guide and driver for this evening’s unique dining adventure.

We climbed inside our brightly, almost garishly, colored three-wheeled Tuk Tuk.  Inside was more spacious and comfortable than we had expected and we sat back and relaxed as we broke into the hectic night time Bangkok traffic.

The Benefits of a Tuk-Tuk

The noise and heat were less than during the day, but this city is buzzing like live electricity!  As we slipped easily between the cars and buses, the benefits of Tuk Tuk transport became clear.  We were moving steadily through the traffic while others seemed to be only inching forward.

Being open to the warm night air, we also appreciated the many smells, sounds and general bustle of the city close up.  The whole ride this evening would leave us tingling and feeling more like locals than visitors.  This was the real way to travel in Bangkok.

Tuk Tuk In Bangkok

Laneway Dining

First stop was down one of the many small laneways that form the spider web of roads laid out.  We pulled up next to a whole row of outdoor BBQ street vendors. Set up along the side of the lane, half in the road and a half on the pavement.  With their hot coals adding more warmth to the evening, these street-side chefs were busy with a mass of orders from hungry locals.  The cooking foods filled the air with a rich and heady aroma.

We were suddenly very hungry and joined with our guide to sample some of this authentic street food.  He explained some of the more exotic offerings. All cooked skewered onto short bamboo sticks.  As we mixed in the jostling happy crowd, we chose a number of these that looked really out of the ordinary and tasty.

The flavors were not something we had experienced at Thai restaurants at home and were unexpected.   They were more subtle and delicate than we had thought they would be, and were absolutely delicious!

Making New Friends

Sitting at the little tables on the path of this pop-up outdoor ‘restaurant’, we joined in with the other diners.  Food is a great conversation starter, and we were soon chatting away to the others who we shared the table with.  We learnt about their favorite foods, and that some even had favorite food sellers that they would return to night after night.

After this tantalizing sample of street snacks, we jumped back into our tuk-tuk and joined back into the night fray.  Our appetites were well and truly switched to high after that! 

A quick and zippy ride through the streets bought us to a small restaurant that was also teeming with local Thais.  We weaved in between the tables and took a seat.  Again, community dining which is a brilliant way to really get a better feeling for the place and its people.  This time we were going to have the house specialty, Pad Thai.

The Local Restaurant

The Best Pad Thai

When it came out, it looked like many we have had before.  But this experience was so very, very much better!  We squeezed the fresh lime wedges so the juice would mix in and talking ceased for a few moments as we just devoured the food.  Washed down with an ice-cold beer, sitting in a busy little restaurant, hearing the musical Thai language in the warmth of the evening.  Glorious.

We continued on like this for more local food experiences.  Each special and unique in their own right.  But all connected in that we felt like we were enjoying a really authentic local dining experience.  The people we met and talked to, the food we tried and savored, that and the fun of getting around in our Tuk Tuk, all joined to make for a great night out in downtown Bangkok.

Pad Thai Food