Cutting through some of the oldest neighborhoods in Bangkok, Charoenkrung Road is home to dozens of tiny coffee shops and decades-old restaurants. This area is also where you’ll find many Thai dishes that people consider the most authentic and “the best”. While my boyfriend was visiting me in Bangkok he was insistent on visiting and eating in this area of town, so I obliged him and created a Charoenkrung street food crawl. It went so well that I knew I had to share it with others. You can either stop by all five of these restaurants in one go like we did (my boyfriend was a champ and ate everything I couldn’t) or you could just swing by the spots that interest you, either way, you’re guaranteed not to leave disappointed after trying these iconic street foods in Charoenkrung.
If you plan on visiting all five places I suggest taking exit #3 at BTS Saphan Thaksin and walking to each place from there. It isn’t the shortest walk in the world (I believe the whole thing is about 2 miles), but I do recommend it as the area is totally different than any other part of Bangkok. Just make sure to stay hydrated as Thailand is really hot!
Prachak Pet Yang
Opening hours: 8AM-8:30PM Everyday
Directions: 1415 Charoenkrung Road
One of the more famous restaurants in this list, Prachak Pet Yang has been around since 1909. That’s right, it’s over 100 years old. Named after it’s signature dish, pet yang (roasted duck), you’ll see hundreds of articles in dozens of languages hailing this place as the best place to get this dish in Bangkok. Don’t miss out on their bamee (egg noodle) dishes either!
Muslim Restaurant
Opening hours: 6:30AM-6:30PM Monday-Saturday
Directions: 1354 Charoenkrung Road
If you don’t live in Thailand than odds are you had no idea about the popularity of Thai-Muslim food. This restaurant in particular has been around for over 70 years and is known for their Thai-style goat biryani (khao mok pae) which is only served on Mondays. Since we did this street food crawl on a Tuesday we wound up getting the chicken biryani (khao mok gai) instead, but it was good too! Their menu is in both Thai and English so don’t worry too much about ordering.
Lim Yuu Hong
Opening hours: 9AM-2PM Monday-Saturday
Directions: On the left side of Soi Charoenkrung 43
Tucked away in a tiny shophouse, this place has been in business for over 50 years. Come for their noodle soup which you can order with either chicken (kuay tiaw gai) or duck (kuay tiaw pet). Their five-spiced broth is made from scratch and their noodles are cooked to perfection.
Khao Gaeng Jake Puey
Opening hours: 4PM-9PM Tuesday-Sunday
Directions: At the corner of Charoenkrung Road and Mangkon Road
Excuse the horrible photo, but taking a good picture of curry is hard enough without having to sit outside on a tiny plastic chair with no tables and a dinner crowd. This restaurant specializes in khao gaeng (rice and curry) which is my version of soul food. They serve two curry flavors, gaeng garee (yellow curry) and gaeng keaw wan (green curry), both of which are warm and comforting with a manageable hint of spice.
Guay Jub Ouan
Opening hours: 6PM-3AM Tuesday-Sunday
Directions: 408 Yaowarat Road, in front of the Chinatown Rama Cinema
This place was actually mentioned by the Michelin Guide, so you already know it’s good. Their specialty is the Chinese-inspired guay jub (rolled noodles) which comes in an super peppery broth with a variety of different meats, it’s the perfect way to end this street food crawl. You also shouldn’t miss out on their moo grob (crispy fried pork), it’s a Thai classic. I suggest getting there before 6PM, we managed to get one of the last tables before they opened and by the time we finished eating there was a line of 60 people. PS: this was my boyfriend’s favorite street food in Charoenkrung.
There are dozens of other restaurants you should try in Charoenkrung but these are all the ones I was able to visit (and stomach) in one day. I had a great time eating and walking through this area and will definitely be swinging by again, perhaps to try some other iconic street foods in Charoenkrung?