Chinese Café in Chinatown, Bangkok
Lhong Tou Cafe sits inside a converted shophouse on Yaowarat Road in Chinatown, Bangkok, and the interior is the first thing that gets you. The walls are painted deep teal, and the seating is built from dark wood planks bolted together with industrial scaffolding pipes, stacked up in levels so some tables sit up high with a small ladder to climb.
Peacock paintings, cherry blossom murals on the pillars, hanging ferns, and a red espresso machine behind the bar. Two golden foo dog lions guard the entrance. It is a lot to take in, but it works.
The food menu leans into Chinese café snacks and dim sum, with drinks that mix classic Thai iced tea styles with a Chinatown twist. It is the kind of place you come to sit, order a few small things, and take your time.
What We Ordered
Chinese New Year Dim Sum Set
The set arrives on a large bamboo steamer tray loaded with several small dishes at once. There are prawn dim sum, salted egg steamed bun, fried wonton, fried tofu, a centrepiece orange-shaped steamed bun, and a few dipping sauces tucked in between. It is the kind of spread that looks almost too good to eat, and it covers sweet, savoury, chewy, and crispy all in one go. Good value if you come with someone to share.
Spicy Dumplings
Three plump dumplings served flat on an orange-patterned plate, sitting in a spiced sauce with chilli, shredded ginger, and fresh coriander on top. The skin is soft, and the filling inside is juicy. The sauce has a good kick without going too far. One of the better dishes on the table.
Mala Fried Chicken
A bowl of golden fried chicken bites tossed with shredded lemongrass, coriander, and chilli. Crispy all the way through with that slightly spiced, aromatic coating. The kind of thing that disappears fast.
Iced Lime Tea
Served in a handled glass mug on a red Chinese saucer with a slice of lime perched on top. Dark, cold, slightly tangy, and exactly what you want when you are sitting in a warm shophouse café in the middle of Chinatown.
More Photos of Lhong Tou Cafe
Lhong Tou Cafe Info
Location: Chinatown – Yaowarat Road
Address: 538 Yaowarat Rd, Khwaeng Samphanthawong, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100
Hours: 9 am – 8 pm
Phone: 064 935 6499
Price: Moderate
Website: click here
Lhong Tou Cafe Map
Get the directions on your phone: Click Here
More About Bangkok Chinatown
