Ban Tad Thong is currently Bangkok’s trendiest dining precinct – a 1.5 mile stretch of restaurants, cafes and bakeries. On each of my first three days in Bangkok, different Bangkokian foodie friends had asked if they can show me Ban Tad Thong, which is supposed to be THE place for dining in the Thai capital at the moment!
We finally got here on Day 3, and the whole place looked packed with young people from all over Bangkok - I was told it’s like this every evening! This newish dining precinct had started taking shape post-COVID lockdown in 2022, and many eateries from nearby Rama IV Road have since moved here.
So, what to eat amongst the dozens upon dozens of choices there. Well, I’ve always loved khao soi, the curried chicken with noodle dish from the north-western city of Chiang Mai, so our dinner spot of choice that evening was 𝗞𝗵𝗮𝗼 𝗦𝗼𝗶 𝗟𝗮𝗺𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗻 𝗙𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗺, a branch of the famous Chiang Mai khao soi eatery which dates back to post-World War II.
Their compact one-page menu listed down everything they offered:
We both opted for the khao soi with chicken drumstick: a whole chicken drumstick, plus minced chicken-meatballs, with the two types of wheat noodles: a blanched soft one, and golden-fried crispy noodles garnished on top.
The soupy, coconut-infused curry was aromatic and very tasty. Don’t forget to add the chopped raw purple onions and pickled mustard stems, which provide sharp bursts of astringency that cuts through the richness of the curry sauce.
We also ordered sai ua (Thai: ไส้อั่ว), the popular grilled pork sausage from Northern Thailand, and a Chiang Mai delicacy. The minced pork filling is full of assertive flavors due to the kaeng khua red curry paste, herbs and other spices used.
Also had another signature Northern Thai/Chiang Mai specialty: naem (Thai: แหนม), the sour-tasting fermented pork sausage meat, served with raw cabbage, long beans and holy basil leaves.
Spicy-delicious to the last drop. This is one place I’d highly recommend if one comes to Ban Tad Thong.
Of course, there are many, many eateries here to explore:
