We’ve hit a little jackpot where we live; the Krua Baan Suan (which literally translated means Kitchen, House, Garden) sits almost on our doorstep. It’s a small food court in T77 with a fantastic Thai street food style kitchen, a newly opened pizza bar with a Thai twist, a fish & chip shop, and the lovely Lao Garden restaurant next door.
In the middle of it all is a smoothie bar run by the wonderful Mai. Her smoothies are all made with fresh fruits, bought daily from the market, and mixed up right in front of you so you know exactly what is in them; and they’re delicious. You may be aware that Thailand has an obsession with sugar, but Mai counters this with no-added sugar options like her beetroot, apple and ginger smoothie – which I’m totally addicted to!
With her open nature and awareness of great flavour combinations, we were keen for her to be our first We Asked a Local interviewee. Perched at the smoothie bar, with a delicious Mai-made smoothie in hand, I caught up with her to get her ideas on the best places to eat and drink in Bangkok.
Where do you live in Bangkok?
On Nut
Do you eat out often or cook at home?
I like to cook at home for my family but I like to eat out too.
What or where is your favourite place to eat out and what is your must-have dish there?
I eat here a lot at the Krua Baan Suan. We all work together and often make dishes for each other. But I also head to Soi 2 Pridi Banomyong where I like to get a great yellow curry; I’m a big fan of the sweet and sour flavours. It has a nice balance with palm sugar and turmeric – it’s very spicy though! I can’t remember the name of the restaurant – I will take you there…* [I cannot say “yes” quick enough!!]
A foodie Farang has just moved to Bangkok, which neighbourhood would you tell them to move to, to satisfy their food desires?
Actually, I think you’ve chosen well with On Nut – there is a lot of good food around here.
What are your top 3 areas for street food in Bangkok and what should we eat there?
Bang Rak is very good and Yaowarat – Chinatown – has so much on offer!
I don’t know the name of this one either, but there is a little street food court right at the entrance to On Nut BTS – it used to be much bigger but they built a new condo which took some of the land so it is smaller now, but it still has great food there. I definitely recommend the BBQ fish – it’s very fresh, tasty and great quality.
Do you have a favourite bar?
Yes, I like gin a lot! Bangkok is full of great rooftop bars but I like to go to Cé La Vie on Sathorn Square. There is also a place near Thong Lor called Sing Sing which is a lot of fun for dancing.
And finally, what are your top 3 Thai dishes that everyone should try and where should we get them?
Chicken Penang is very good. Tom Yum Goong definitely, and you should get some noodles on Sukhumvit 71, on the corner of soi 2 – they’re Chinese style and really tasty.
*Not satisfied with just describing where to go, Mai told me to hop on the back of her motorbike so she could show me her favourite stops in person! We now know exactly where to go to try her recommendations…as well as a Phad Thai stop and a new Crepe stand (both on Soi 2) that she pointed out along the way. We’ll report back soon!
Have you tried any of the places mentioned above? Let us know in the comments below.