Where to Stay in Bangkok for Foodies

Mar 16, 2024 | 0 comments

Where to Stay in Bangkok – A Guide for Foodies – Huai Khwang

This is a guide for all the die-hard foodies looking for delicious local Thai eats in Bangkok. It is a recommended read for anyone familiar with traveling around Bangkok. If this is your first visit to Bangkok check you’ll find this blog post more helpful.

Nevertheless, if you already know the ins and outs of Bangkok. And confident enough to travel around and explore on your own, read on!

I wish I could tell you that there’s only one area of Bangkok where you can find great local Thai food. I’m not talking about Thai food made for foreign tourists and priced for foreign tourists.

I will point you to areas in Bangkok with amazing, authentic Thai foods where you’ll be eating shoulder-to-shoulder with the locals. It’ll be an authentic Thai eating experience.

On top of that, you’ll find out where to stay in Bangkok near all the best local eats!

There is a simple answer to the simple question of “Where to find the best local eats?”

You go where the locals go!

Huay Khwang – Popular Local Neighborhood in Bangkok

It can’t get any more local than this. Huay Khwang is a district, located just north of central Bangkok. There are two MRT subway stations in this location:

1. Thailand Cultural Centre MRT
2. Huai Khwang MRT

Thailand Cultural Centre and Huai Khwang station are the next stop from each other. It is a super popular local area with many shopping centers such as the Street Ratchada which is partially open 24 hours with cafes and supermarkets. Around late evenings a night market appears outside the Street Ratchada’s parking lot.

And you can check out the newly renovated Big C shopping center and pick up some Thai snacks. There is also an updated food court and fast food restaurants serving a wide variety of Thai foods and snacks.

To take advantage of the convenience of this location I recommend Prom Ratchada Hotel. It’s right behind the Big C shopping center. A standard room costs about 1300THB a night, which is an excellent value for the location.

And many local Thai hawkers stand where food is delicious and affordable!

One popular Thai restaurant I can highly recommend is Zabb One Restaurant. I’ve been eating there for nearly 15 years. And back then it was just a dark humble shack. They mainly serve Issan food, a region in northeast Thailand.

Today, they’ve expanded their current location so there’s more space for customers to dine comfortably. Matter of fact they’ve become so popular they’ve even opened another location. It is only 600 meters on the opposite side of the Ratchadpisek Road called Zabb One Soi 5, here’s the location.

I like salty foods so for me Somtom with salted egg (ส้มตำไข่เค็ม) is my go to choice for that spicy papaya salad Thailand is famous for. And of course, some grilled pork collar (คอหมูย่าง) and grilled chicken (ไก่ย่าง) with sticky rice round out the meal.

I also highly recommend catfish with green mango salad (ยำปลาดุกฟู) and Tom Saap (ต้มแซบ) another version of Thai hot and spicy soup usually with pork but beef is also an option.

Zabb One Ratchada is popular, especially with the lunch and dinner crowd. I recommend going in before lunchtime and after lunchtime, if you want to eat comfortably. Because it gets busy as it is a very popular local som tam restaurant.

Another Great Huai Khwang Spot for Local Thai Food

A little further up north closer, to Huai Khwang MRT station is another area I recommend for local Thai food in Bangkok.

There’s a street called Pracharat Bamphen Road located east of the Huai Khwang junction, with Huai Khwang MRT station entry/exit #1 leading right to the road. This often congested 600-meter-long narrow road is home to Bangkok’s new Chinatown.

Bangkok’s Second Chinatown

This is an area where a small wave of Chinese immigrants gradually settled. Operating restaurants and other businesses catering to Chinese tourists.

You will see the signage of this road spelled Pracha Rat Bamphen Road. However, the word “Rat” alone might be off-putting.

This is why I rather stick with the spelling Pracharat Bamphen Road because it’s the way Google Maps has it spelled. And I don’t want to cause any confusion.

In this area, I recommend walking down to Soi 9 and there are a few places I think you will like. It is as local as it will ever get. You might see a few curious foreigners here and there.

Trust me, this place is strictly the local’s favorite spot to pick up a quick meal box.

And these shops don’t have names or signage. You will not find them on Google Maps.

That’s because they open early in the morning. And sell out by the afternoon. You won’t even know they were there as everything they brought is gone. Poof like magic.

And you won’t see them again until early next morning.

Look for Pracharat Bamphen Soi 9

Right at the entrance of Pracharat Bamphen Soi 9, in the morning you will find my favorite takeaway food hotspot!

Yes, only takeaway. There are no tables and chairs. But you can eat on the street in Thailand that sort of behavior is not frowned upon.

Or you can take it back to your hotel. I will recommend a few close to this area below.

Many locals living in this area come here for food. Mainly Thai office workers pick up a quick breakfast to eat at the office.

You will see customers standing in line and some even on their motorbikes ordering several boxes for takeaway.

They’ve got two dozen Thai classic food choices for you to pick from. Thai curries, Thai stir-fries, and stuff maybe you’ve never seen before.

I mean there’s stuff I’ve never seen before here either. But that’s the fun thing. You can eat here every single day without getting bored.

Cooked for Locals, Priced for Locals

You gotta give them credit for keeping food prices affordable. It’s not easy to cook up this quantity of food. Thai cooking requires lots of ingredients. They must be working from early morning to prep and cook these foods. While you are still dreaming comfortably in your bed.

• 1 Choice 30 THB
• 2 Choice 30 THB
• 3 Choice 40 THB

Some clarification for the 2 choices it’s still 30 Baht, they’ll just portion out appropriately. And if you want a bigger box with more portions they charge 40 – 50 Baht extra.

At the current exchange rate, 30 Baht is just under $1 US Dollar.

Everything is served on top of rice in a takeaway box. Bear in mind they do not cook everything on the spot. All of the foods are cooked in a separate location and transported to their location. Which means the food won’t be piping hot.

You can always bring it back to your hotel and ask them to reheat it.

I’ve tried at least 6 to 8 of their dishes. My favorite is their Thai-style fried chicken with cashew nuts. And be sure to try their fried boiled egg in tamarind sauce, it’s delish!

I recommend their Chicken Massaman and Green Curry Chicken. Two classic powerhouse Thai dishes and they cook it just right.

Thai Fried Donuts

Who doesn’t like donuts?! A fine donut made on a street corner is a beautiful thing in the morning!

Patongo (ปาท่องโก๋) are Thai-style fried donuts locals line up for and enjoy for breakfast. And there are two styles of these puffy delectable treats.

The version that looks like two sticks stuck together is the most common. You will see small containers of coconut pandan custard (สังขยาใบเตย) or a simple sweetened condensed milk for dipping the fried donuts sold separately. Each container costs 10 Baht.

If you plan on buying coconut pandan custard remember to consume it quickly. Coconut milk spoils easily.

Don’t Forget to Try Salapao

This vendor also fries up fresh Salapao (ซาลาเปา) which is a different version of patongo. The outside has a sweet taste with a soft, airy inside and crunchy inside. Not too overly sweet, though enough that it goes terrific with some black coffee with no sugar. Which is how I like my coffee.

I prefer salapao because it reminds me of the classic Italian zeppole! Just without the powdered sugar.

Each piece is only 3 Baht!

In Southeast Asia, when you see fried donuts like these, usually hot soy milk is sold beside it; this is because both are enjoyed together as breakfast.

Asians love to dip these fried goodies into soy milk.

Where to Stay Around Pracharat Bamphen Soi 9

CMYK Hotel is a newly renovated hotel on Pracharat Bamphen Soi 5. Only a 300-meter walk to Pratcharat Bamphen Soi 9 and a 250-meter walk to Huai Khwang MRT subway station.

CMYK rooms are on the small side, around 20 square meters. The upside is the room rates are affordable at around 1000 – 1300 Baht per night. You can read reviews and find discounts for CMYK Hotel on Agoda.com.

There are many other hawker stands and small Thai and Chinese-owned restaurants to explore here. And I just mentioned a few of my favorites that are not listed on Google Maps.

Here are a few local eats I like to recommend, that you can find on Google Maps

Por Charoenchai – Thai Chicken and Rice

One of my favorite chicken and rice shops open 24 hours, Por Charoenchai is again, super popular with locals in this section of Huay Khwang.

Their tasty boiled chicken is tender and they make a good fried chicken. I like to order both over chicken broth-soaked ginger-infused hot rice. And their house ginger, garlic, and chili sauce is on point.

Danchai Chinese Steam Bun

Fluffy steamed buns stuffed with delectable delights are a staple in Asia. I like to recommend this little shop on a corner right next to patongo hawker stand I mentioned on the corner of Pracharat Bamphen Soi 9.

This is a very old-school Chinese bakery. And the folks that make their fine buns look like they’ve been around forever. That’s why they are very well known in this neighborhood for steamed buns filled with sweetened black bean paste, minced pork with salted egg, red pork with salted egg, and sweetened cream bun.

One steamed bun costs 30 Baht, which sounds pricey. However, I think the price is justified because it’s handmade. And these folks producing these buns are elderly so let them charge what they want.

Get Out There, Explore, and Eat!

There are other places that I recommend on this post. But I covered the places that are hard to find when you don’t know where to look.

Check out these recommended places to eat in Bangkok yourself and have fun.

Eventually, as I find more places to eat in Pracharat Bamphen Road I will update this post. So I hope you can make it out here one day.

Whether it’s good or bad, I’d like to hear about your experience by commenting below 🙏

New York Pizzas Getting Better in Bangkok

Mar 6, 2024 | 0 comments

SEARCHING FOR THE BEST PIZZA IN BANGKOK

See that photo above? That is me, and I am addicted to New York pizza. But I wasn’t in NYC when I took that photo. I wasn’t even in the USA. I was on the other side of the planet.

Bangkok, Thailand to be exact.

And in my hand, a proper NY slice

For the past year, I’ve been reviewing pizzerias in Bangkok. I can tell you with certainty—this city’s got the goods. While most pizza restaurants in Thailand are leaning towards Neapolitan style, NYC-style pizza is slowly gaining traction.

And I’ve made it my mission to eat and review as much pizza as possible in Thailand!

MY PIZZA QUALIFICATIONS

I grew up in New York City. Specifically on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It’s the early 1980s, and back then, there were many local Italian pizzerias in and around my old stomping grounds

I still remember going to pizzerias with my dad, grabbing a couple of slices and a soda together. I don’t remember what we talked about—just two guys enjoying pizza. Those were good times.

When I was old enough to go out on my own, as if a rite of passage, my parents gave me .75 cents to get a slice for lunch. At the same time, avoid the possibility of getting beaten, stabbed, and robbed in that specific order.

I remind you it was the mid-1980s. Peak crack epidemic era. Crackheads everywhere. Also, a time when Chinese triads ran amuck looking to stop any Chinese kid with a funny hairstyle “on their turf” with .75 cents jingling in their pocket, just ripe for collection.

Back in those days, NYC was life and death. It’s a miracle I’m still alive. I remember walking alone to Gino’s Pizza on Catherine Street, Richard’s Pasta and Cafe on Pearl Street, Famous Ray’s Pizza (most of them), and Pizza Palace on Bayard. When I got back home I would relish my reward.

I can relate to Neatherdals going out in the wild hunting mammoths. Or a hyena back from a successful scavenger hunt. NYC was just that bad.

From then on I’ve eaten pizzas all over NYC’s 5 boroughs. Most taste the same. And then there are the pizzeria gems. Whether good or bad, pizza is pizza.

Though looking back and counting my lucky stars, it was a privilege to walk a few minutes from where I lived. And smell the sweet, sweet aroma of a freshly baked cheese pizza bubbling away inside a gas oven.

New York Style pizzas are thin and crispy. The outer crust is not fluffy but has a yeasty bite. A well-made cheese pizza with a generous sprinkling of garlic powder and dried oregano afterward. And a dash of spicy chili flakes is a must!

It’s the best I tell ya! THE BEST!

BUT I’M NOT IN NYC ANYMORE

For over twenty years Bangkok has been my home base. It wasn’t until five or six years ago that NYC-style pizza gained traction in Thailand.

Before that, options for ‘Western’ style pizza in Thailand were limited. You could find Neapolitan-style pizzas in hotel restaurants, and Pizza Hut—Thailand’s first American pizza chain—arrived in the ’70s, but it wasn’t the same.

I recall a few small foreign-owned pizzerias near a red-light district in Bangkok. This made sense since those areas are popular spots where many foreign tourists go to drink and “socialize”.

Then there are the local Thai interpretations of pizza: a round piece of baked dough topped with mayonnaise and ketchup, with non-traditional toppings like imitation crab, squid chunks, and hot dogs.

But I get it—the locals love their version of ‘pizza’ too, and I don’t blame them.

That’s not to say decent or pizza, as close to as I know it was never around Thailand. Like everything else around the world that people are passionate about there is an origin story.

SO MUCH GREAT FOOD IN THAILAND, WHY PIZZA?

Pizza is in my blood. Cut me, and I bleed tomato sauce and cheese—mostly cheese. Just ask my doctor; it’s probably in my medical records. When you’re away from something you love eating for so long, the craving only grows stronger. You just want to be near it, to savor it, to become one with it. I hope I’m not coming off too creepy.

I’m sure there’s a Thai national who’s been living in NYC for two decades, still searching for the perfect Tom Yum Goong or Khao Soi in one of the boroughs—just the way they remember it from growing up in Thailand.

I do love Thai food and even wrote a How to Order Thai food in Bangkok guide.

A SHORT HISTORY OF PIZZA IN THAILAND

The fast food business in Thailand started slowly with a cold reception. As the founder of Pizza Hut in Thailand stated in this article, dairy in cheese form wasn’t popular with Thais. And neither was bread.

Times have changed and the Western diet is quickly taking hold in Thailand and most of Asia. Cheese is widely eaten and then some. Seems like many Asian countries are finding a whole bunch of reasons to add cheese to anything you can put in your mouth.

For example, bubble tea and donuts. No, I’m not making that up.

Currently, there are 180 Pizza Hut Thailand restaurants and delivery outlets. Pizza Hut’s main rival, The Pizza Company, has 560 branches.

Domino’s Pizza Thailand has the least branches. Though they are quickly growing in popularity.

Today, chain pizza restaurants spend heavily on flashy commercials that are advertised on social media, and traditional media. And it’s working. The younger Thai population is crazy about fast food pizza. Plus it’s affordable. Often you’ll find a buy 1 get 1 free promotion all for under 500B for medium-sized pan pizzas.

Fancy Pizzas in Thailand (Napoli Pizza)

Over time, restaurants serving Napoli or Neopolitan-style pizza—or as I like to call them, fancy pizzas—began to appear as well. Many casual Italian dining spots, often opened by foreigners, became popular, especially throughout Bangkok and Pattaya.

Even a famous NYC Neapolitan pizza restaurant Roberta’s tossed their hat into the pizza ring in Bangkok! I haven’t had a chance to review them yet, but it’s on my calendar book after I lose a few pounds.

Fancy pizzas are the predominant variety of pizzas in Bangkok. You can find these pizzas in Italian restaurants, hotels, by the beach, on food trucks, and even at night markets. I’ve got a great recommendation for a pizza Margherita below at a Bangkok night market.

THE ARRIVAL OF NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA IN BANGKOK

If I remember correctly, I found SOHO Pizza through an advert on my Facebook feed. It looked legit with the classic New York style slice appearance. They sold pizza by the slice like they do in parts of America. And they had the name SOHO in it.

Soho (South of Houston Street) is one of those fancy-schmancy neighborhoods in lower Manhattan, with many popular old-school pizzerias dotted throughout the area.

With SOHO pizza ads crammed in my face, I decided to try it out with my wife at their flagship restaurant on Sukhumvit Soi 11.

I gotta say, I was pleasantly surprised with the first bite. It was excellent, as close to NYC-style pizza as you can get halfway across the world.

The cheese, the crust, the zingy tomato sauce. And oh yeah, the grease. You know the grease that runs down your hand, leaving a yellow-orange streak, down to your elbows if you’re not careful. Whether you like that or not, it is a hallmark of a NY slice.

I looked into the background of SOHO Pizza and learned it’s managed by a powerhouse food and beverage agency called SOHO Hospitality.

They did a great job bringing my favorite style of pizza to Thailand. As of this writing, SOHO Pizza has 6 branches, all inside Bangkok.

Though for me, it’s corporatized pizza.

CHEF BING PIZZA

Then we got Chef Bing Pizza in Bangkok. First opened around 2019, serving up NYC pizzas in the Khao San Road neighborhood. He has recently moved to the Lumphini area, very close to central Sukhumvit Road.

I learned about the chef from watching Mark Wien’s videos.

The chef has a New York City pedigree. And he is a real chef. After working in top-notch restaurant kitchens for a while, he eventually returned home to Thailand. Where he taught himself to make New York City style pizzas.

This reminds me of the story of Mark Iacono, a master pizzaiolo and owner of one of the most famous pizza restaurants in Brooklyn called Lucali. And I wish Chef Bing achieves the same level of success here in Thailand

His pizza has a very good char to it. Every bite I took there was a snap and a crunch, the cheese and the sauce, oh man! He had done NYC pizza justice and I am so ecstatic he’s in Bangkok!

PIZZAS IN THAILAND TODAY

Today, if you want to eat Italian or American-style pizzas in Thailand, it’s easy to find them. Whether they’re authentic or meet your taste standards, however, is a whole different matter.

Just take for example if an Italian from Napoli traveled to Bangkok and tried a Napolitana at an Italian-owned restaurant, will that pizza remind them of Napoli?

It depends on how well the Italian chef trained his cook. It depends on the ingredients the Italian chef used, the same ingredients used in the Italian city of Napoli. Napoli pizzas use specific ingredients native to its surrounding region, such as native Italian tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese and double zero flour.

That’s how serious the Italians are and there’s an organization AVPN that oversees the quality and integrity of Napoletana pizza around the world.

It’s the same way I look at it. Especially when I started making pizza reviews in Bangkok. And I can say for certain it is an exciting time!

As of writing, I made a few pizza reviews on Wally’s Travels and Eats, which is my second YouTube channel. Go check it out and discover Bangkok’s pizza scene!

I’ve tried over 24 types of pizzas in Thailand so far!

Who Makes the Best NYC Pizzas in Bangkok?

I can also recommend Capone’s Pizza, also located in the heart of Bangkok near the Asoke/Sukhumvit intersection. Though they are more well known for their deep dish pizza, you can gather from the name Capone it’s got Chicago roots.

The last two sell pizzas by the slice, which I enjoy on the spot.

Then we’ve got Pizza Mania, which is quite popular, making deliveries straight out of their kitchen from the heart of Bangkok. I like the option when ordering on their website for baking your pizza well done. I couldn’t find out too much about the owner of Pizza Mania, but it’s all good, I highly recommend their pizzas in Bangkok.

The Best Fancy Pizzas in Bangkok

According to this online pizza publication https://www.50toppizza.it/ five of the best fifty best pizzas in Southeast Asia are in Thailand. That’s quite impressive. All pizzas are of the Neapolitan variety as those are the predominant variety in Thailand.

The main reason I don’t like Neapolitan Pizza is because the center is soggy. Some restaurants in Bangkok make it soggier than others. It depends on the hands of whoever is making the pizza.

As the dominant variety of pizzas in Bangkok, this post won’t be complete without mentioning my favorite margherita pizzas!

Ronin Pizza takes the top spot in my books. Ugly Dough is terrific, you will love their crust, that is when it’s not overloaded with sauce and cheese. Daniello makes yummy margherita pizzas around the Lad Prao area of Bangkok.

There are Thai cultural aspects to consider in the Thai food industry. Thais do not like to eat burnt food. Eating charred bits as a certain population of Thais believe is carcinogenic. Whether or not that is true, I would say you have to do your research on the validity of such a claim.

Traditional pizzas have what’s called Leopard Spotting, where spots of dark char are visible under the pizza as well as the crust. It is typically more pronounced in wood and coal-fired ovens. If a local Thai sees many scorched marks on the crust, it’s a big no-no in their eyes.

That said, most of the best Neapolitan pizzerias or Italian restaurants are written up on popular food websites. The names Pizza Massilia, Pizzeria Mazzie, and Peppina come up as the de facto best of the best

I have never eaten in any of those restaurants before. But it’s on my to-do list.

Instead, I went to Neapolitan pizza restaurants off the beaten path. And some sorta around the path.

Above is a photo of Ronin’s pizza. As you can see, it’s got some dark char on the crust, which I enjoy. Again, some Thais, depending on how old they are, might not be into it.

Just recently I tried pizza Margherita at 68% Pizzeria at the Ratchada Jodd Fair Night Market. They churn out amazing pizzas in a tiny little space with just 5 chairs. It is the best pizza I’ve ever had so far in 2025! It’s so good they’ve got a strong chance to be on my top 2025 pizza list in Bangkok. I love them so much I made a video on YouTube.

I’m specifically mentioning 68% Pizzeria because they make their pizzas with a fair amount of char. While I was waiting for my pizza, I saw a Thai customer picking off charred bits on the crust.

This is challenging for Thai pizzerias deciding to go the traditional route or make the taste palatable for locals. That’s a hard decision.

That said, there are so many pizzerias all over Bangkok, Pattaya, and Hua Hin that I can’t wait to check them out in the future. I gotta lose some weight first.

Until then, I will eat as many pizzas as I can in Bangkok!

What’s your favorite pizzeria in Thailand or from anywhere else you’re reading this?