Market is probably the best display of Thai culture in a stop. “Chatuchak” is the most well-known and is the desirable destination for tourist and even for the local. What if I tell you that there is Chatuchak “2”? #wut The weekend market located approximately 29 kilometer to the east of the original. In the area of Minburi situated in the outskirt of Bangkok. It’s a home of one of the largest wholesale market of Bangkok and the large station for bus, van, and skytrain.
No official hours but 9.30 till 15.30 is the liveliest time.
Best time to hit the market is around 10.30 the early lunch. Ready to serve in maximum capacity and not as crowded.
In this post, I shall take you a tour of 5 of sitting lunch stalls.
Granny Kuai Chab
This is the one guys. The dish is not my favorite but its extraordinary taste can be ignored. Easily spotted because it near the end of aisle with cluster of people who might wait for a seat…not even a table, wait for take-away, and wait to walk through.
“Kuai Chab” is Chinese-influence menu (the name is Chinese) soft thin noodle roll in cylinder served with sweet soy-sauce soup. Smell rich meaty from 10-hours-more boiled pig’s: small intestine; blood; heart; stomach, and liver. I would say the cookers are not the friendliest, who can blame them for good business. I includes this in this “lunch” post but you will go empty hand if you come at noon. The pots are empty when the clock hits 11!
Southern Songkhla Recipe
After squish through long line of the shop above, you will find two room-sized shop on the left. All Southern “…with-rice” menus are exhibited at full-front for you to either take home or sitting. Staff are friendly and smiley, yet served fast! Available about 10 seats, the turn-over rate in “Thai Lunch” is pretty high, not more 5 minutes to wait.
Although food come so damn fast, they have a vegetable and dip to nib-nab first or you can eat along with your chosen menus.
Southern taste is full of heat. Herb and spice maximize the heat inside-out. What Thai do is order 2-3 with-rice’s that mixed sweet-leading one and spicy one(s). Also they give MASSIve amount of rice to cover up the heat.
Northern Curry Noodle and Northern Signature Khanom Jeen
Turn your head to the opposite, the North of Thailand is just here!
According to my father, the 2 Must-Eat dishes from Northern of Thailand here, in Bangkok, are better than most of the restaurant there!
Firstly, “Kao Soi” is not directly translated to “rice in the lane”. It’s a curry-coconut milk noodle, mostly eat with chicken drumstick. Top the bowl with fried noodle for texture. See the small plate with veggies? Squish the lime, then drag the pickle cabbage and shallots into your bowl. It’s create contrast between flavors: sweet from soup and shallots, salty from the cabbage , and sour from lime.
Another one is “Kanom Jeen Nam Nyeow” Unique taste of Chinese flower blend the along with chili paste that swim in pork-rib stock. Tomato leads sourness to cover the blood block unpleasant smell, or to be sure just finish touch with lime squeeze. This light dish is help you left a room for dessert.
Muslim Meaty Dishes (and other meat dishes)
“Muslim are talented on meat!” is a stereotype in Thailand. Well it’s majority true! This eatery is one of them.
In hurry? Grab some sausages or meatballs that poured with sweet chili sauce.
Family business where each sibling got their own corner. First, the gigantic stock soup pot for noodles along with stew and slow-cooked meat that can collaborate with rice as well. My father never keep his "just one dish"promise.
Southern Trang Recipe
Unlike the first Southern Recipe, Trang come off mild and sweeter. This parlor got that “chill” ambient. You can choose to sit on the ground-floor or upstairs. Me? I favor the ground-floor where I could see people walk and the shopkeepers busy themselves on the counter.
Especially at the table behind counter. This counter is self-service veggies buffet! Fermented or fresh one, your choices.
Southern loves forest on their dishes. Precisely, they eat it with “Kanom Jeen” or white noodle. This noodle is soft and absorb flavor fast than most noodle. It’s served at room-temperature along with warm sauce made specially for the noodle.
Mini Cafe
Originally a coffee shop but the owner’s mother to show off her life-time cooking skills here. Taste guaranteed by her mother that owned a 30-years-old outlet in the city-center, PhromPhong. After rental contract end, the family moved here in Minburi.
Her daughter is an office-worker, who find fun in weekend business, shares her mom’s recipe for us to enjoy. Behind organic fresh veggies, pots contain colorful stew. Most of the menu are stew or long-cooked type. Higher price if compare to surrounded outlets but you will not regret. Taste? “Home” and “Motherly”
Portioning by old school ice-cream cup, the rice stand up in half sphere. Choose your with rice and she will delicately served it in no time. if you are lucky, mother the head chef will sit at the last table. Smile from cheek-to-cheek when she found your happiness with her masterpieces.
