Thailand: Foodie Paradise

“Street food, I believe, is the salvation of the human race"

~ Anthony Bourdain

As most travelers know, Thailand is king when it comes to street food. Foodies fly to Bangkok just for the unique adventure for their taste buds. Even the world famous chef Anthony Bourdain has praised the city and featured the different munchies of the country on his show multiple times, as did plenty of other chefs worldwide.

Thailand really is a paradise for foodies as you can find everything in the street stalls. Bangkok takes the cake in this department, serving everything from fried insects to soups to a huge variety of curries, noodles, meats and seafood. Everything served is as fresh as can be due to heavy foot traffic resulting in a high turnover. My palate was shocked by the spices at first, (Confession: I lived my life as a spice wimp until discovering real Asian cuisines) but pleasantly surprised after the first few tears escaped my eyes as my mouth was on fire from the spice of the chilies. Everything I tasted such as fresh strawberry juice, crispy pork belly, fried chicken, papaya salad and of course the Pad Thai were out of this world for a fraction of the price compared to NY. It does not even compare to the sad options we have for Thai food back in South Brooklyn.

On the other side of the spectrum, if street food is not your thing Bangkok has an amazing variety of high-end restaurants, some even housing Michelin star chefs. Bangkok fine dining scene has flourished in the last 5-7 years and the Michelin star guide for the capital will be released by the end of 2017 to prove it. Restaurants such as Le Normandie in the Mandarin Oriental and L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon are rumored to get a nod from the list for their unique menus and overall quality. The Mezzaluna is another delicious gem, housed in the Lebua hotel on the 65th floor with an incredible view of the Chao Phraya River. It is possibly the most expensive restaurant in the entire city and the tasting menu is to die for. Here they use only the best seasonal products procured from the most reputable international as well as local growers, including the best artisanal producers working in concert with the chef. Chef Ryuki Kawasaki is of Japanese origin with over 20 years experience in the world-renowned French restaurants. He mastered the art of bringing together the delicacies of East and West in the most scrumptious way with an ever-changing seasonal prix-fixe menu. It was truly the best culinary experience of my life while celebrating my birthday in style with a 7 course tasting menu and a wine pairing which cost a bit over $350 (thanks mommy for the best gift ever). In New York this would be at least double for the quality, ambiance and presentation at 11 Madison Park for example. Check out the gallery for more yummy pics.

Unfortunately, this year the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) attempted yet another ban on the street hawkers of Bangkok in April 2017, stating that they are blocking traffic and must remove their stationary carts, plastic chairs and folding tables from the sidewalk, result was eviction of 15,000 food vendors. There was huge backlash from the global communities of chefs, foodies, locals and tourists alike. This is one of the charms in the country’s capital, in addition to being the main go to meal spots for travelers, taxi drivers and office workers in areas such as Sukhumvit 38, China town, and Khao San Rd. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, a Bangkok- local food blogger Chawadee Nualkhair, stated that this is not the first attempt of a ban of these proportions for the city. Post the outrage the TAT governor Uthasak Supasorn back peddled and was quoted “The plan is not to totally take away street food from Bangkok streets, but there are some reasons and some places what will be reorganized” implying that regulations will be tightened regarding location and hygiene of the grub served but the fare scene will be kept alive in the city of angels.

Dates of Travel: 12/4/16 – 12/8/16

Street food to try: Tom yum, som tam – green papaya salad, street hawker crispy pork belly, roast duck, noodles (too many kinds to list, try them all), dumplings, freshly sliced fruit, fresh fruit juices and shakes, crispy wontons, roast chicken and pork, fried chicken, chicken gizzards, fried chicken skins, shrimp tom yum noodles, steamed sea bass with lime sauce, pad ga pao moo kai dao (rice with pork and basil, fried egg on the top), pad thai