The Sights and Tastes of Bangkok, Part 2

Nate, Matt, and I averaged 20,000 steps per day during our stay in Bangkok, taking advantage of the chance to wander through the city’s many diverse neighborhoods. A few areas we explored over the three days included:

Khao San Road. Khao San Road in Central Bangkok is touted as a backpacker haven with countless loud bars, cheap food options, and “mattress-in-a-box” hostels geared towards budget travelers. We checked out the area around dinnertime as we headed to Shoshana Restaurant, a favorably-reviewed Israeli joint nearby. Khao San Road was incredibly hectic with so much activity to take in: lively bars with DJs pumping music, comedy club promoters handing out fliers, neon-lit souvenir shops, street vendors selling Pad Thai and scorpions on sticks, and hundreds of young people milling about. A bit too crazy for our liking, Khao San Road was intriguing to walk through for about ten minutes, but not a place we could see ourselves hanging out.

Walking through the bustling Khao San Road one evening in Bangkok.

SkyWalk. One of the coolest features of Bangkok’s major shopping district is the elevated pedestrian walkway known as the SkyWalk. Constructed under the SkyTrain metro, this open-air footpath makes it incredibly convenient and safe for pedestrians to access the shopping centers and see the downtown sights without having to battle through traffic or crosswalks on the main road. Escalators ascend to the Skywalk every couple of blocks, and the footpath has its own second-floor entrances to most of the buildings lining the busy street below. It was clean, heavily used by locals and tourists alike, and a fantastic way to explore the area without the normal headaches brought on by downtown strolls. See here for more photos of the SkyWalk, a concept that more cities in the US should consider incorporating into their urban plans! We loved and appreciated it!

Chinatown. One of the largest Chinatowns in the world, Bangkok’s version was founded in 1782. The neighborhood is impressively sprawling and maintains a healthy mix of tourist orientation and authenticity. We spent a few hours wandering through a labyrinth of markets that sold all products under the sun including sunglasses, pornography, fruits and vegetables, and home appliances. We snacked at a few of the most popular food stalls, played cards while sipping coffee at a small teahouse, and checked out a small Buddhist temple with traditional Chinese architecture.

Bangkok's busy Chinatown neighborhood.

A Chinese-Buddhist temple we stumbled upon during our walk.

Patpong. Hoping to catch a glimpse of one of Bangkok’s notorious red light districts, Matt, Nate, and I strolled through the Patpong night market after dinner one evening. The handful of night clubs in this area were established in the 1960’s, many of them to cater to US troops taking “rest and recuperation” breaks in Bangkok during the Vietnam War. Since then the area has expanded its shopping scene, but is still well known for its history as a hub of sex tourism. Less interested in the street vendors and more interested in understanding what shapes Bangkok’s somewhat seedy reputation, we were underwhelmed by Patpong’s energy. To be fair, we walked through the area at 7:30pm and not at midnight when things get lively. Still, sex club promoters called out to us and followed us down the street with “menus” for their respective venue’s offerings, all which included some crazy sex shows. You can Google around if you want to dig deeper into what I am talking about, but I will just say the menu options were pretty scandalous and geared almost exclusively to foreign tourists. We also saw dozens of scantly-dressed, young Thai women sitting in rows on plastic chairs waiting to be picked up by interested men.

Checking out the nightclub scene in flashy Patpong.

Ferrying down the river. Technically not a “walking” experience, but worth nothing here. We added an additional mode of transport to our Bangkok list: the public ferry system! To access a fancy shopping mall and cinema located in southern Bangkok, we purchased 50-cent tickets to ride on a packed boat down the Chao Phraya River. We stood in line at the pier, filed onto a small barge, and then boarded the open-air ferry  to ride about 20 minutes. A seemingly-common mode of transport, the ferry trip offered us unique views of all the buildings lining the river. It was very cool and an oft-recommended “to-do” when visiting the capital city.

Right after our ferry ride we crossed a bridge over the river. You can see boats similar to the one we took in the background.

One of Bangkok’s many claims to fame is its tasty food scene! Nate is a big foodie and of course Matt and I also love to eat, so we prioritized seeking out some of the city’s most renowned street food stalls and restaurants during our visit. We consulted many Google reviews, public blogs, the Michelin food guide, and our Lonely Planet guidebook to find the best-of-the-best (affordable) options to taste-test. A few highlights included:

Fried oysters at Nai Mong Hoi Thod. Perfect mix of crunchiness and saltiness, Matt, Nate, and I split one of these famous omelets three ways. A chef at a food cart whipped up the meal, serving us at our little plastic table on the side of the street. The only strange thing about the unfamiliar dish was a booger-like goo that was poured over the omelet. The taste was on-point but the texture was a bit unsettling. Still a cool experience!

About to eat an oyster omelet in Chinatown.

Nai Mong Hoi Thod appears to be a simple food stall. You wouldn't expect it to be so delicious!

Pad Thai at Thipsamai. Located very close to our AirBnB, this dinner-only joint ran like a machine. Chefs worked in an assembly-line fashion at a large station near the street but the dining area itself was inside and much bigger than we expected! The queue for Thipsamai is notoriously long, but we only had to wait about 20 minutes before we were seated. We all ordered the original bestseller at the restaurant: Padthai with prawn, covered with a layer of fried egg. Pad Thai is my favorite Thai dish (I’ve eaten it about once a day since we arrived here) and I must say Thipsamai’s version was delicious. It had more of a seafoody taste than others we have eaten and Matt wasn’t as big a fan of it, but I was very pleased. Worth the wait in line for sure!

Watching the cooks whip up Pad Thai as we wait in line at ThipSamai.

About to feast!

Peppery soup with rolled noodles and crispy pork at Nai Ek. Another Michelin Guide recommendation, this street food shop was a favorite for Matt and Nate. The joint didn’t have any famous veggie options, so I sat this one out. Matt was impressed with the restaurant’s history: The founder, Nai Ek, emigrated from China in 1960 and sold his noodles from a small cart, later expanding the business when his reputation spread throughout the region for his rare and delicious boat noodles. Nate was taken by the meal’s texture. He said, “To the very end of the soup, the pork remains crispy which you wouldn’t normally expect…the rolled noodles were a unique preparation.” Nate also stated that this dish should replace Pho and Ramen in the US as the most popular Asian soup. “Pho and Ramen?!,” he scoffed, “More like blah and bombing!”

Crispy pork and boat noodle soup. Matt says this was been his favorite meal in Thailand so far!

Polo fried chicken at Soi Polo. Nate’s colleague had advised us to seek out Soi Polo, a casual yet widely-reputed fried chicken spot located near Lumphini Park. I enjoyed a spicy seafood noodle dish since I don’t eat chicken, but the guys feasted on plates of the fried meat which looked very crispy and greasy on the outside and soft on the inside. The dish was served with a generous amount of fried garlic sprinkled on top of the chicken (which seemed to contribute to some tummy issues the next morning). Regardless, the men were over the moon during the meal, sucking every last bit of chicken off the remaining bones. Matt characterized the meal as just a “huge plate of delicious fried chicken.” Nate is quoted to have said, “Simple, but effective.” Michelin agrees with them!

Fried chicken covered in crispy garlic served with a cup of warm, sticky rice.