With Bangkok being the food paradise that it is, I had fully intended to eat my way through its streets. From humble food stalls to Michelin-starred dining, the choices are both endless and delightfully overwhelming — presenting a delicious dilemma: Where to begin? Past experience, however, guided me back to the experts at A Chef’s Tour, a company that has consistently satisfied my appetite for authenticity and genuine cultural immersion in the local dining scene.
Their Bangkok Backstreets journey is a deep dive into the origins of local cuisine, where bold, vibrant flavors burst from every plate. This procession of street-food classics goes far beyond the expected pad Thai and curries, revealing dishes and stories that define the soul of the city after dark. Meeting up with our guide, Pang, in the heart of Bangkok’s Chinatown, she sketches out a loose itinerary of the city’s lesser-known food spots, places favored by locals rather than tourists.
BRING ON THE HEAT
Our first stop sets the tone: watching a humble sidewalk stall worker fry chive pancakes in a single wok, to later be paired with a simmering plate of stewed pork leg, glossy with sauce and served on a vinyl-covered table. Around us, the steady chatter of Bangkok locals provides the soundtrack that eases us into the night’s adventure.
Shifting toward more familiar flavors, we duck into a bustling side street where pork satay sizzles over hot coals. Each skewer is dipped into a rich, irresistible peanut sauce, perfectly complemented by a comforting bowl of Thai-style sukiyaki soup.
Slipping down a shadowed alleyway, Pang guides us to a hidden gem: a tiny, tucked-away café where shrimp dumplings reign supreme. The modest walls are adorned with photos of Thai royalty and celebrities who quietly frequent this culinary secret.
You might expect the ubiquitous pad Thai to make an appearance on a food tour, but why settle for the familiar on a journey of discovery? With a clever twist, we do make a stop at a family-run hole-in-the-wall where we savor green curry chicken served over fermented rice noodles, a flavor far removed from the ordinary.
The bustling streets are crowded with mobile kiosks offering all manner of mysterious dishes, but thanks to Pang, we avoid leaving our taste buds to luck. She leads us to a streetside table where we dive into a steaming bowl of crispy fried pork belly, tender and golden, nestled in a rich, flavorful broth.
Every culinary parade deserves a brief intermission, so we pause at an ice cream shop to refresh. Forget pistachio, vanilla, or chocolate; we’re here to discover the unexpected. A scoop of black soy-sauce ice cream surprisingly evokes the rich, sweet notes of salted caramel, a daring twist.
Far from over, it’s about time for main course action. Winding up a narrow staircase, we’re seated and immediately served a plate of gigantic prawns. Peeling into these marine crustaceans is only the beginning. Turning up the heat is a steaming hotpot of tom yum seafood soup packing the punch of chilies and lemon grass along with a side of morning-glory greens.
Just when your stomach signals “no vacancy,” another dessert is only a few steps away. Freshly fried Thai-style donuts are drizzled with a plant-based sweet paste and served alongside mango sticky rice. It’s the perfect moment to wave the gastronomic surrender flag. As if it were a national pastime, the streets are packed with locals and tourists, all indulging in everything imaginable.
PALATE CLEANSER
This marks our third experience with A Chef’s Tour, and it’s absolutely everything we’ve come to expect from the organization.
A Chef’s Tour offers food experiences in other major Asian cities — Chiang Mai, Hanoi, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Delhi, Mumbai, Yangon, Phuket, Penang, and Bali — plus Cairo and Marrakech in Africa and Bogota in Latin America, with plans to further expand globally.
