Street food in Chinatown is one of the highlights of visiting Bangkok. In the evening, Yaowarat Road turns into a busy food street, packed with small carts, local restaurants, and smoky woks. Some stalls have been around for decades and are still run by the same families, cooking just one or two dishes the same way every night.
We’ve explored many of them over the years—famous places like guay jub (peppery rolled rice noodle soup), grilled squid with seafood sauce, fresh oyster omelettes, pad Thai with prawns, mango sticky rice, and even simple Chinese doughnuts. Some are easy to spot with long queues, but others are hidden in backstreets or tucked behind old shophouses.
This page shares all the places we’ve personally visited and tasted. Nothing here is sponsored or copied from other blogs. We try one restaurant at a time and add new names as we discover more, especially in the small lanes around Yaowarat and the night markets nearby.
Lek Seafood (Lek & Rut) is one of those iconic places in Bangkok’s Chinatown that many travellers remember long after their trip. It’s loud, it’s busy, and it feels slightly chaotic—but that’s what makes it special ... Read More
Tanbo Chicken Rice is a small and humble restaurant right on Yaowarat Road in Bangkok Chinatown, next to the famous Hua Seng Hong. It’s easy to miss, but locals and visitors line up for their chicken rice, especially in the evenings ... Read More
Lim Lao Ngow Fishball Noodle received a rating in the Bangkok Michelin Guide. Lim Lao Ngow is one of our favourite street food stops in Bangkok’s Chinatown, and even though it’s not right on the main Yaowarat Road, it’s just a short 150-metre walk into a small side street. It’s easy to miss if you don’t know it’s there, but the Michelin Bib Gourmand sign hanging out front is a good clue — they’ve held the title for nine years in a row. There’s just one thing on the menu: a bowl of fishball noodles. You choose your noodle type ... Read More
Naam 1608 is one of those rare restaurants you don’t just stumble upon—you have to know it’s there. Hidden deep in Talad Noi, along a narrow riverside lane behind the old Portuguese Church ... Read More
Located in the heart of Yaowarat in Bangkok Chinatown, Restaurant Potong is a fine dining establishment that has transformed an old Thai-Chinese house into a modern and stylish space.
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Willy Thuan is the founder of Phuket 101. After travelling through 40+ countries and working with Club Med and Expedia, he settled in Phuket in 1994. He shares real travel insights and original photography from across Thailand.View Author posts
