Best restaurants in Yaowarat

If you love something, let it grow. That’s not how the old adage goes, but it’s the thought that comes to mind after conversing with the owners behind Charmgang Curry Shop—chefs Aruss “Jai” Lerlerstkull, Atcharaporn “Aew” Kiatthanawat and Geravich “Mew” Mesaengnilverakul, who all worked with renowned chef David Thompson at Nahm, as well as visual designer Saran Yen Panya. At Charmgang, their collective goal is to serve authentic Thai flavors and recipes that are becoming harder and harder to find, at the same time find ways to present them in more modern ways. According to the owners, you have to allow something to evolve in order to conserve it.

The neon-lit eatery is small, but bursting with style. Red printed reed mats line the walls, serving as the main design element. A long steel dining table takes up most of the room, surrounded by metal chairs with woven cushions, each one with a unique floral design. At the back of the room, the three chefs work over gleaming brass pots filled with simmering curries, and a wooden tabletop laden with vegetables.

The menu, which changes monthly, pays homage to comforting Thai fare and allows each chef’s forte to shine. Chef Mew has a knack and passion for grilled dishes, while Chef Aew’s strength lies in yum and chili dips. Chef Jai is in charge of the curries.

To start, try the refreshing yum salad with rose apple, cilantro and Thai herbs dressed with fried shallots and palm sugar. Follow it up with the relish of tangerine with grilled tiger prawns and deep-fried pomfret (B 580).

The light appetizers then give way for the stars of the show—the curries. From the latest menu, must-try fish dishes include the curry of smoked kingfish with pennywort (B 560), which is creamy and perfectly balanced, and the grilled freshwater fish with pickled mustard greens. Those who prefer meat can opt for the curry of grilled pork jowl with Siamese cassia leaves (B 580). End with light desserts made with Thai fruits, such as sapodilla in fresh coconut milk, that help clean the palate. There are delicious curries. Then there are delicious curries made with a passion verging on obsession. There’s no guessing which category the dishes served at Charmgang fall into.

Hua Lamphong is one of Bangkok’s most historic neighborhoods, home to the oldest—and at one point, the grandest—train station in the city. (Hua Lamphong Station will cease operations later this year to give way to the newly built Bang Sue Grand Station.) Back in the day, people would come to Hua Lamphong to relax in one of the many tea houses that dotted the district. But as time passed, people became interested in other entertainment activities rather than sipping hot brews at tea rooms. Some buildings in the neighborhood were unfortunately abandoned as businesses closed down. But the charm of Hua Lamphong has not completely disappeared, partly because of entrepreneurs that have been trying their best to revive the old neighborhood. 

Nopadon “Ou” Baholyodhin is one of those who have tasked themselves to bring life back to Hua Lamphong. The building owner and restaurateur has transformed a forsaken dhamma retreat in the area into a charming Italian restaurant that wouldn’t look out of place in one of Europe’s alleyways. Wooden furniture—long benches, curved chairs and small round tables—take up most of the space, and are complemented by antique decor and vintage flatware that’s used to serve each dish. 

The recipes are Italian but slightly tweaked to satisfy the Thai palate. Ou believes that Bangkok already has its fair share of traditional Italian restaurants so he wanted Contento to be different by adding a bit of spice to classic dishes. 

The menu includes breakfast items, snacks, salads, pastas and generously portioned mains meant to be shared. We’d be the first to recommend the Tagliolini Carabineros (B560), a seafood pasta flavored with shellfish stock sauce and topped with a huge piece of shrimp. 

But our favorite would have to be the Orecchiette Al Pesto (B320), mildly spiced and served with calamari and crunchy cowpeas. We suggest you order this pasta with the Naked Tomatoes (B320), a refreshing dish that comes with fresh juicy tomatoes and imported farm cheese.

If you go through the list of mains, you’ll find pork chop, steak and fries, sausage and Chicken Milanese (B520), where chicken breast is cooked in brown butter sauce.

One of Chinatown’s non-tourist traps is this roadside guay chub specialist. Located near Chinatown Rama Cinema, Nai Auan churns out this hearty treat (B50) that sees rolled noodles swimming in a clear yet fragrantly peppery broth. Each bowl is also packed with goodies like crunchy pork belly and gummy pork offal. 

A skip and a hop away from Wat Mangkon Kamalawat temple (a Chinese temple that’s always packed with worshippers praying for good luck) lies an alley that’s home to a small cafe hoping to inject a bit of coolness to the old Chinatown quarter.

Tucked inside a refurbished shop house, Jing Jing outshines its neighbors with the look of a modern Hong Kong eatery—it’s trendy black facade is the perfect background for red, neon-lit Chinese characters that spell out the café’s name (pronounced “jing jing” in Teochew, and “zhen zhen” in Mandarin).

The first floor features a coffee-slash-ice cream bar and a compact seating area, while the more spacious second floor boasts cool photogenic elements that should lure in Instagram-loving millennials.

The focus here is on the ice cream made by owner Chutinat Thasananuphan. Popular flavors include lime soda sorbet, strawberry sorbet and blueberry yoghurt (B50 per scoop), but it’s the booze-infused frozen treats (B80 per scoop) that make headlines. Offerings like Gin & Tonic, Kahlua Peanut Butter and Rum Raisin give the adults an excuse to imbibe a bit of alcohol during the day. 

Outside of the frozen treats, there’s espresso-based coffee, as well as special caffeinated treats like espresso served with tonic (B80) and espresso injected with pistachio liqueur (B120). Those looking to fill up their bellies with serious eats can indulge in hearty breakfast dishes like waffles and pancakes (starts from B60).

Lim Lao Sar Fish Ball Noodle is another famous noodle shop. The specialty: tasty fish balls in a clear, aromatic soup.

A Chinese immigrant who came to Thailand in the hopes of a better life is the man behind one of the two most popular guay chub (rolled rice noodles) stalls in Chinatown. Each serving of guay chub comes with a hearty portion of minced pork balls, crispy pork and pork offal (fret not, they are prepared quite well and don’t smell weird) swimning in indulgently peppery broth. Also worth a try are the fall-off-thebone, slow-cooked pork spareribs in umami and rich gravy.

Nai Yong Noodle is a street vendor situated in a (very) tiny alley and is one of the best places for noodles in the Chinatown hemisphere. Come for chewy, irresistible egg noodles and fish balls, sometimes served with juicy pork liver and pork heart.

The old-school pushcart in front of Kikuya clothing boutique in Sam Peng has been churning out fried noodle treat since your parent’s childhood. Forget the original recipe that incorporates tamarind paste and roasted peanut. Here, the pad thai is cooked on a charcoal stove for aroma and served alongside Thai chive (gui chay) and banana flower for intense crunchiness.

Prolific chef Pichaya “Pam” Utharntham draws inspiration from her Thai-Chinese heritage to create a dining experience that’s completely different from what she offers at The Table, her intimate dining room where she churns out creations influenced by French fare and western cooking techniques. At Potong, the former judge of Top Chef Thailand extracts inspiration from her cultural background. “I grew up in a Thai-Chinese family, and it strikes me how no one has tried to capture this culture in fine dining,” she says. 

The restaurant is named after the drugstore her Hokkien great-great-grandfather, who settled down in Thailand 130 years ago, founded. Potong is credited for popularizing a herb potion for women that is still being sold to this day.

The age-old traditions of Chinese immigrants come to the fore at Potong the restaurant. “The charm of Thai-Chinese cuisine lies in how it encapsulates the cultures of Hokkien and Teochew settlers, who had to integrate with their surroundings in Thailand in the form of cuisine,” Chef Pam explains.

These influences are represented in “5 Elements, 5 Senses”, a tasting menu that also displays the chef’s progressive cooking. Each of the 20 courses in the menu is closely intertwined with stories from Chef Pam’s childhood and background. One of them is a steamed black chicken that’s served with riceberry rice cooked in pork stomach and infused with over 20 herbs, and a vinegar drink. Black chicken, which was a food she grew up eating, may not be familiar to today’s diners, which is why she is bringing it back to the table.

Many of the dishes, though, are known to us, such as dim sum and roasted barbecue that are presented in a more modern way.

The majority of ingredients used for the multi-course meal are made in-house by the Potong crew, from the soy sauce, to the miso, to the fermented tea. And a dedication to detail is seen in many courses like a 14-day dry-aged duck, barbecued Angus beef, and stir-fried Chinese kale, served all together with six dipping sauces.

It may take two to three hours to complete all 20 courses, but it’s time well spent, especially with black soy sauce ice cream to look forward to at meal’s end. It took Chef Pam over six months to ferment the sauce for this unique dessert, which is a perfect balance of sweet, salty and even spicy—the dish is served with chili-shaped candy.

Accompanying each dish is a postcard with messages that Pam has written to her great-great-grandfather. It’s a personal touch that gives a more personal and meaningful slant to the entire Potong experience.

Potong’s “5 Elements, 5 Senses” menu is priced at B4,500++ per person. Find out more information about the course and how to make reservations here.

If you stop by Bangkok's Chinatown for a street food adventure, the Sweettime vendor must strike your eyes with the giant neon sign and a long queue of passersby who want to get the taste of simple desserts like colorful glutenous rice balls, grass jelly, and sago cantaloupe with coconut and milk.