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Yaowarat:
Bangkok's
Chinatown houses some of the best and most expensive Chinese
restaurants in the city, along with many of the best and
cheapest food stalls, especially at night. Large restaurants
line the bustling Yaowarat Road, but venturing into sois, or
lanes, will lead you to less impressive yet equally enjoyable
establishments. The restaurants mostly specialize in southern
Chinese cooking, with noodles, seafood and, at lunchtime, dim
sum dumplings dominating the menus.
Phahurat:
Taking a short walk from Yaowarat's Chinatown to Phahurat's
little India is like taking a transcendental journey between two
different worlds. Inhabited by Thai people of Indian origin, the
confined alleyways around the Phahurat area accommodate a number
of authentic Indian restaurants, particularly those offering
North Indian cuisine. Alternatively, other sub continental foods
such as Punjabi and Pakistani are also plentifully available.
Siam Square:
This shopping area is crammed with medium to high-priced
eateries as well as American fast-food outlets. Whether you
crave Thai, European, Chinese or Japanese foods, there is a
place for you somewhere in this fashionable area. Traditional
Thai restaurants are flanked by gaudy fast-food franchises and
Japanese suki parlors. Soi 1 has conventional Chinese
restaurants.
Sukhumvit Road:
There is no shortage of eating places on Sukhumvit. Some
people say that from any spot along the road you are within 100
meters of at least one restaurant. And the food could not be
more cosmopolitan.
At its western end, around
Soi Nana, an enclave of Pakistani and Middle Eastern restaurants
fills the sois with the aroma of spices, earning this area the
name "Little Arabia". Further up the road Indian cuisine takes
over, with restaurants offering both northern and southern
Indian specialties.
European and American cooking balance the equation, with
Italian, French, British, German, and Mexican restaurants lining
the road and presenting a variety of options in terms of menus,
atmosphere, and prices. Sukhumvit 55, also known as Soi
Thonglor, and its labyrinthine branches are also full of
restaurants of every kind.
Then there is Thai food. Both authentic nouvelle dishes can be
found at small, sparingly decorated restaurants or lavishly
ornate ones, along the pavements, and in the markets.
Soi Lang
Suan: Like Sukhumvit Road, Soi Lang Suan offers a
diverse mix of Thai, Asian, and European influences. Fashionable
restaurants present interesting eating possibilities at medium
to high prices. Also home to some of the most popular jazz pubs
in the city, the street's flashy atmosphere attracts the money
crowd in droves after sundown.
Silom
Road: Several food
streets are linked to this road in Bangkok's busiest area.
Seafood stalls sprout along the section near Saladaeng
Intersection after sunset until late at night. The nearby
Convent Road offers everything from Indonesian to an Irish
tavern. Opposite, a crush of Japanese restaurants makes Soi
Thaniya into a lively walkway for Japanese visitors and sushi
lovers of all nationalities.
Thai food is available in palace style and street style, side by
side. The best selection of the former can be found in Soi
Phipat. Find the Thai version of fast food at most shopping
complexes and Soi Lalai Sap's Lunch Market. A good one-stop
eating place is Silom Village in Soi 24, where food in a variety
of Thai styles is served in a relaxing atmosphere.
Bang
Lamphu: Shoestring
travelers flock to Bang Lamphu, especially the area around
Khaosan Road. Most eating places in this area cater for
budget-conscious diners. Many guesthouses on Khaosan Road have
open-air cafes serving standard Thai and Chinese dishes. Other
decent possibilities include Indian, Jewish, and Muslim
restaurants.
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