Backstreets Food Tour in Bangkok

Our tour began by meeting outside the Shanghai Mansion Hotel in Chinatown.  We were brought to an upstairs room where we were offered tea and water while we waited.  Once our group was assembled we followed our guide out of the hotel and onto the streets of Chinatown!

The tour took us through two parts of Chinatown, the “backstreets” and “modern”.  We began in the backstreets which is the old, authentic part of Chinatown, with many vendors having occupied their “windows” for generations.

Stop 1:

For our first stop we watched a vendor prepare chive dumplings. 

The soft tartlet had the consistency of an eggy tart or quiche.  For the best combination of flavor, dip it into the accompanying spicy soy sauce.

Stop 2:

Next, we were brought to a little alleyway with a large table set up for our group.

We first watched the vendors prepare pork satay skewers on their outside grills. 

We then sampled the satay which was amazing!  And accompanying peanut sauce was divine!

While here, we also tried some pork and sukiyaki, a one-pot dish that is both sweet and savory.

Stop 3:

Next up was Bai Bua Bok, made from the pennywort plant.  A lady sells this juice from her food cart and has done so for years.  It tasted like a green juice with an ever so slight sweet flavor.  But juice has a big benefit.  Our guide said it is also known as “babyface juice” because it is yields those who drink it a youthful glow!  She said the lady vendor is shy but to check out her skin as we pass.  Sure enough this 65-year-old lady had the complexion of someone decades younger!  I need to get my hands on this juice back home!

Stop 4:

Jok One Table has become one of Chinatown’s most popular spots due to being featured on Netflix’s Hidden Gem Food Series. 

The restaurant started off with just one table in the center of the tiny restaurant , which is where our group sat.  To dine here one often needs to make reservations months in advance and it can be hard to get.  Jok’s famous dish here are the shrimp dumplings.  I am not a seafood fan however really enjoyed this delicious shrimp dumpling!

Stop 5:

Jek Pui Curry was a stop I couldn’t wait for as I am a big fan of curry. 

Here, we sat on tiny little lime green stools in the alleyway deep into Chinatown’s.  It felt so authentic and a place I would never have thought to stop at as it is so unassuming. 

We were given bowls of delectable green curry with Chinese sausage on the side.  It was excellent and a favorite among all in our group.

Moving to Modern-Day Chinatown

After Jek Pui Curry we headed to the more modern part of Chinatown, which was crowded and bustling with people crowding around food carts and stalls and spilling out of restaurants onto sidewalks. 

It was a complete contrast to the quiet of the backstreets area! 

Stop 6:

Next up was Chinese Noodle Pork Soup that we ate at crowded tables outside the restaurant with food carts of various vendors all around us. 

The soup had rice noodles and the pork was tasty so it was a win for sure.  While we dined on this yummy dish, taking in the ambiance all around us was exciting! 

Food vendors worked fast as people kept coming to their carts as quickly as going through revolving doors.

Stop 7:

Now it was time for a sweet treat! 

We stoped into an ice cream shop for a little dish of soft serve with an added sauce on top. 

What did it taste like?  Caramel, kind of.  What was it?  Soy!  That’s right, this soft serve was soy flavored and the topping was soy sauce with a little added sugar. 

I have to say it was really delicious and something I would never have tried knowing what it was ahead of time!

Stop 8:

From here we headed to Rut Seafood, a seafood restaurant with several tables inside.  Our group had one table and several seafood dishes were brought out, served with a side of mango. 

Everyone raved about the seafood dishes, from the oysters to the soup. 

Stops 9 & 10:

Our last stop of the day had us trying two desserts from two different vendors:  a Chinese donut with green sauce and mango sticky rice. 

The Chinese donut was soft and tasty with the green sauce having a very mild sweetness to it. 

And for the final food of the night – mango sticky rice!

This dessert dish was rich and flavorful with the sticky coconut flavored rice contrasting beautifully with the sweet mango.  What a sweet way to end the tour!

And there you have it, our Backstreets Food Tour of Chinatown in Bangkok!  It was a wonderful way to explore the area and try some of the best food of Bangkok.