Thomas Bird

So the story goes, before there was Bangkok, there was Chinatown – a colony of Teochew merchants who’d sailed from Southeast China and set up shop on the banks of the Chao Phraya River to trade with Ayutthaya upstream.  This Chinatown was relocated when King Rama I began building the Grand Palace, moving to its current location, Yaowarat, a neighbourhood that has evolved into a Thai-Chinese foodie hotspot on most tourist itineraries.  In centrally-located Huai Khwang District, however, another Chinatown has taken shape in recent years. Although there aren’t any dragon-topped temples (nor platoons of sightseers) in the neighbourhood, the main strip along Pracharat Bamphen Road is attracting an increasing number of Sino-curious gastronomes, drawn by the prospect of sampling contemporary Chinese cooking.  Chinese provinces are akin in size and complexity to Southeast Asian countries, and consequently boast comparably sophisticated eating cultures. As Huai Khwang’s restaurateurs largely hail from the landlocked interior and frosty north of China, the culinary spoils are as distinct as they are delicious.  Just remember to bring along a dictionary, or download a translation app, as neither English, nor even Thai-language signage, is ubiquitous. 

If there were any doubt that Bangkok was the centre of all things in Thailand, you only need to look at the national railway map. The four main lines radiate out from the Thai capital like iron tentacles, stretching over 4,000km.  The Southern Line is Thailand’s longest line at 1,144 kilometres. Northwards, the 13-hour night train to Chiang Mai has become a rite-of-passage for backpackers. But Bangkokians, fear not, you needn’t roll so far in order to experience Thailand by rail, as there are plenty of destinations within easy reach of a wayfaring weekender.

Since its premier at the 52nd Telluride Film Festival in Colorado last month, tantalising images and reviews of Colin Farrell in Ballad of a Small Player have been circulating online. Based on the 2014 novel by Lawrence Osborne and directed by Edward Berger, whose 2022 epic All Quiet on the Western Front landed four Academy Awards, Ballad of a Small Player is set to bring a fresh view of Macau to a global audience.  ‘They really followed the book in terms of locations,’ says the novel’s author Lawrence Osborne, from his apartment in Sukhumvit.  For Osborne, ‘authenticity of place is the secret to authenticity of story,’ and he’d always felt, ‘the kaleidoscope of the exploding city has not been rendered in film before.’ ‘Berger,’ he says, ‘understood that he had to capture the texture of Macau.’ Osborne is yet to see the film adaptation, which Netflix is closely guarding until its official release in October, although he did get to watch some scenes being shot.  The story follows Lord Doyle, a fraudulent British gambler drifting through ‘Asia’s Las Vegas.’ ‘It’s very autobiographical. A lot of that character is about poverty and failure. When I watched Colin Farrell going through the lines on the set, I saw myself 20 years ago.’   Photograph: Netflix   As Osborne tells it, he discovered Macau after being hired as a reporter for The New York Times, a job that followed years of poverty and failure as a down-on-his-luck writer. ‘I was in the wasteland in the ‘90s. Eventually, a

Lanzhou hand-pulled noodles, or lamian, are a type of soft wheat flour noodle known for being stretched and folded by hand. Although this style of cooking originated in the city of Lanzhou in northwest China, hand-pulled noodles have become ubiquitous in Chinese cities, particularly around transport hubs, where they serve inexpensive dishes to customers on the move. Crucially, unlike most Chinese restaurants, they sell dishes designed for individuals rather than groups. There are two restaurants specialising in Lanzhou hand-pulled noodles in Huai Khwang: Le Ha Ha and Xin Xin.  Mr Han runs the latter, an ethnic Hui Muslim from Qinghai Province who has been dishing up northwestern staples in Bangkok for two years.  Seats are green leather, organised around tables like booths in an American diner. There’s an open-kitchen in the back where you can watch noodles being pulled by hand.   All dishes come with a complimentary broth and cold pickles. As portions are massive, it pays to order modestly.  The classic hand-pulled noodles with beef is served in consommé broth with tender beef, coriander, garlic shoots and dash of chilli oil. Also highly recommended are the fried noodles with tomato and eggs. Both should be mopped up with a classic Silk Road import, namely, naan bread.  Xin Xin also vends barbeque skewers.  Time Out Tip: This is a halal restaurant and alcohol is not served. They do stock a range of Western and Chinese soft drinks, however. Chinese Name: 鑫鑫中国兰州拉面 Xinxin Zhong

Dongbei means ‘northeast,’ and applies to the remote region between Russia and Korea historically known as Manchuria. Tasked with staving off temperatures that regularly drop below -20°C, the food is characterised by rich flavours and a heavy use of soy, vinegar and garlic, with an emphasis on wheat-based staples, notably dumplings. Portions tend to be big and are generally shared amongst diners.  There are several Dongbei restaurants dotted around Huai Kwang Chinatown, some of which specialise in iron pot stew (tieguodun) whereby meats like pork or goose are stewed together with potatoes in a large cast-iron pot. Located on the corner of Pracharat Bamphen Road and Ratchadaphisek Road, Old Dongbei Mother’s Dumpling House is one of the first Chinese restaurants you’ll see as you emerge from Huai Khwang MRT station and also one of the best to sample Manchurian fare. Ordering is made easy for the average farang via a digital menu, which has English translations. Some of the Burmese wait staff also understand Thai and English.  Dumplings are steamed outside in a portico; the leek and egg dumplings (15 per portion) are a best-seller. Another classic dish is disanxian, literally  ‘three-treasures of the earth’ – a stir-fried dish comprised of eggplant, potatoes and green bell peppers coated in a savoury garlic-based sauce that embodies the hearty taste of North China.    Time Out Tip: The restaurant stocks Thai and international beers but you can also try Snow, a popular Chinese be

Sometimes rendered Schezwan cooking in English, the flavour that defines the bold and complex eating culture native to Chongqing and sister-province Sichuan is mala – the combination of chili pepper spice and the numbing effect of Sichuan peppercorns. Arguably no other form of Chinese cooking has made such inroads in Thailand over the past few years with native ‘mala’ restaurants appearing across all major towns and cities. Sichuan cuisine is well represented in Huai Kwang. Next to Xin Xin Lanzhou Hand Pulled-Noodles, Chongqing Mianzhuang vends bowls of mouth-numbing soup noodles and on Ratchadaphisek Road, Er Xiao Ye is a two-storey, upscale hot pot specialist.  Located on Pracha Uthit Road, a short walk from the Pracharat Bamphen Road, the bamboo decor and panda logo of Tongwei Noodle Restaurant might be designed to evoke rural Sichuan but the restaurant’s open-plan is more akin to a typical Southeast Asian eatery than anything you might find in China.  Spicy snacks as well as some standard noodle dishes are available from the menu, which has Thai and Burmese translations and pictures, but no English. But primarily, it’s all about malatang – a Sichuanese-style street-food where customers select skewered meats and vegetables from the fridge that are then cooked in a spicy broth in the middle of the table.  Time Out Tip: Tongwei Noodle Restaurant is open 24-hours a day, and is popular with late-night diners. Chinese Name: 北味春成都小吃 Beiweichun Chengdu Xiaochi