Bangkok’s Hidden Gem
Want to eat like a local in Bangkok, Thailand? Finding good, local (non-touristy) food is one of the more difficult parts of any holiday and finding it in Bangkok, Thailand is no exception. This city is one of my favourite cities in the world and I have become quite familiar with an area in Bangkok known as On Nut. This quaint little area south of Bangkok proper will be the next big thing in Bangkok’s food scene in my opinion. If you’re looking for Thai food to die for, you should definitely check out this underrated location of Bangkok.
The entire area is much less touristy and English is spoken much less here. Don’t get me wrong, there are still plenty of farang(foreigners) here, but much less so than the popular jaunts of Bangkok proper. And On Nut is just a short BTS ride away from places like Ekkamai and Asok. I fell in love with this area when I couldn’t find anywhere else to stay on a trip here back in 2022. Now I have returned and won’t stay anywhere else on my visits to Bangkok. In this Blog post I am going to give a few of my favourite spots to eat in On Nut.
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Thai Food To Die For: Two Siblings
I’m going to be completely honest here, I am not certain that Two Siblings is the name of the establishment. It is in Thai and they speak zero English so the Thai name is translated from a photo of the signage there. The name above is a clickable google maps link, so if you’re a Thai speaker, let me know what it actually translates to and I will update this blog post.
Those of you wondering what Moo Pad Kra Pau is, buckle up. It is the most basic dish you will ever find in your life…. I said what I said. Don’t worry, it makes up for being a basic bitch with pure heavenly flavours. In short, Moo Pad Kra Pau is minced pork, Thai holy basil, chili’s, garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce and sugar. All of these are stir fried together and make up the most delicious Thai food to die for. Served with rice and a freshly fried egg, that you crack the runny egg yolk over and mix it all together.
Word of advice for Thailand. Be careful with Thai food in general but especially this one if you don’t like spicy food. Because this can get burn your tonsils out spicy. You will probably be told to ask for things Mai Phed, but that just means less spicy. It does not mean that it is not spicy. Learn the phrase Mai Prik instead. That means no chili. If you’re a fan of spicy like me, ask for Phed Mak, which means very spicy. I found that by asking for Thai spicy they would see me as a foreigner and still take it easy on me with the chili’s. As soon as I learned the phrase Phed Mak it was on. This heavenly plate of deliciousness can be had for about $1.25
I have featured their Pad Kra Pau in two separate videos. This is the Latest one
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Best Beef
Best Beef is loved by both locals and tourists. This open air establishment is a very busy place most evenings as they serve plate after plate of delicious meats to hungry patrons. It’s also a good spot to come and have a few cold beers to wash down your food.
The concept is simple. They bring a steel can to your table and light a fire inside of it and provide you with a griddle. Then you order whatever it is you want. meat, seafood, veggies etc. and throw it on the sizzling griddle. They also have a hot pot version and have options for noodles and even more veggies in their savoury broth. You cook everything yourself at the table, kind of like Korean Samgyup
The Best(pun intended) part of Best Beef is the Price. For less than $15 you can eat as much as you can for two hours. And that includes soft drinks and beer. You keep a little ordering card at your table and as you want more, just tick the items off you want and they will keep bringing them to you. The bonus is, it’s a ton of to do. I am an awful cook but I always love going to these types of places.
RK Food Garden
RK Food Garden is located on Soi Sukhumvit 81 and you will never run out of options for finding something to eat here. Food gardens are dotted all over Bangkok and the best I can describe it is, think side of the road food court. Multiple vendors selling their food and a bar right in the centre. And this may actually be one of the better looking ones I have been to in Bangkok.
Because there are so many options, I am going to give you a few of my favourites. Let’s start with the Seafood stall on your right as soon as you walk in. They do an awesome sweet and sour sea bass there that is out of this world good. Perfectly cooked, crispy on the outside and flaky on the inside. I’m not a huge fan of sweet and sour but I have returned a few times for theirs.
Related Articles: Where to Eat in Bangkok – 30 Locations
Another vendor along the back wall also serves awesome food and her bok choy and shiitake mushrooms are amazing. Salty and savoury little bundles of joy in every bite.
She also does a spectacular crispy fried pork with chili’s and salt. Once again, if you’re not a fan of spicy steer clear of this one because it has a tone of heat to it. Another stall in a far corner also dabbles in seafood and they make a great Butter and garlic shrimp. Be sure to get rice with all of these dishes.
Everything is relatively inexpensive at RK, so it is an affordable night out as long as you are drinking responsibly. I never do so I spend a lot every time I go in there. 2/3 of my spending there goes towards beer. But to give you a general idea, the sweet and sour sea bass is less than $5
Thai Food to Die For: Heng Heng Khao Soi
Heng Heng Khao Soi is more in Phra Khanong proper than On Nut, but it is still very close. Maybe a 15 minute walk from the On Nut BTS station. And while they serve a few different dishes, one of their most popular is their version of Khao Soi. This is a very unassuming restaurant and if you blink you will walk right past it. It’s a small establishment with only a few tables and they prepare everything on the sidewalk.
Curious what Khao Soi is? No? Too bad, I am briefly going to tell you anyway. Khao Soi is a rich and flavourful curry noodle soup originating from northern Thailand. There are 4 main components to Khao Soi. The broth, the protein, and the noodles of which there are two types. Soft yellow wheat noodles, and crispy egg noodles.
Heng Heng Khao Soi Verdict
The broth is made up of coconut milk, numerous aromatics, curry paste(homemade is best), and fish sauce and or soy sauce for a touch of umami. Protein is usually chicken, but you can find all sorts of proteins used i n this dish. My favourite is still the chicken.
If you have travelled throughout Thailand you probably know of Khao Soi versions much better than Heng Heng Khao Soi. I do too, but I am specifically writing about On Nut here. Heng Heng still has a very good Khao Soi which is hard to find in Bangkok. What sets theirs apart from most you find in Bangkok is the curry paste. Unlike most places here, they actually use a homemade curry paste as opposed to a mass produced version. This makes all the difference in their Khao Soi.
Slow cooked tender chicken, flavourful broth and beautifully bouncy yellow noodles. One knock I have, is the crispy egg noodles could be of better quality but that doesn’t make or break the dish for me
Thai Food to Die For: Lao Garden
Before you say it, zip it. Yes, this is technically not Thai food. However, I would argue that Laotian and Thai food go hand in hand. Yes, Thai food is spicier. Yes, Laotian food is going to lean more heavily towards sour flavour profiles. However many of the same ingredients are used to prepare dishes and overall the flavour profiles are similar.
One dish I highly recommend trying here is their Moo Nam Tok. And guess what, it’s actually a Thai dish. Marinated grilled pork tossed with a mix of herbs like mint and cilantro. The dressing is made with fish sauce, lime juice, chilies, and a touch of palm sugar giving it a sweet, sour, salty, and spicy flavour. This is common in most meals in Thailand. Crunchy roasted rice powder adds a nutty flavour and vegetables like shallots add a fresh crunch
Some others you should definitely try are their grilled rare beef strips with Nam Jim Jaew sauce. This sauce is one of my favourite things in the world. Made with fish sauce, lime juice, sugar chili flakes and toasted rice powder. All of those flavours come into play again and it is a beautiful medley.
And another is their spicy minced duck salad. Very similar to the Moo Nam Tok, but so flavourful. The freshness of Thai food never ceases to amaze me. And for the record, these dishes should all be eaten with either steamed or sticky rice. Each dish here will set you back about $4.50.
Things to do in Bangkok:
These are just a few of the many fantastic food spots in On Nut. If you want even more Thai food to die for, drop a comment or send me a message on one of my social profiles. I would be more than happy to help. And if you have spent any time in On Nut and have some of your own favourites, let me know. It will help me and other travellers visiting the area.
