Thonglor’s nightlife baron of Zudrangman Records and Studio Lam has a daytime gig selling braised beef noodles with a 50-year-old family recipe from Mahachai, Samut Sakhon. Laden with hand-painted signs and luk thung and molam motifs, this shophouse churns out beef noodles with braised beef and gravy over rice and Wednesdays are juicy braised beef kaprao. 

 

 

Though the old Woeng Nakorn Kasem Chinatown seems to have vanished, the legendary beef soup of Chew Nuea Wua Raitamitra is being kept alive thanks to the grandson of the restaurant’s original owner. Inside the revamped shophouse, you can see Chanyanpat Tiveschayun season and braise his beef for 4-5 hours using his grandfather’s recipe. Order a bowl of beef soup with brisket, short plate, and shank (B100), or go for a bowl of each separately (B120-180).  

 

 

 

The famous beef noodle joint behind Thai Airways found a home in Ploenchit. Using the same recipes as the Viphawadee folks' favorite, the place still serves up the same juicy nuea grob (beek shank slices), along with more fancy premium cuts (Thai-French beef sirloin for B169).

 

 

This might not be the oldest beef joint, but if we’re talking about the oldest broth in Bangkok, this Ekkamai noodles specialist is by far the winner, using the same soup as when it moved to its current premises almost 50 years ago. The B100 bowls are made from an old family recipe and attract all walks of Bangkok life, from Sukhumvit socialites to taxi drivers and tourists.

 

 

Currently run by its third generation, this braised beef noodle shop is almost impossible to get a seat at for lunch hour. Accompanying the five-hour braised beef is a savory broth packed with aroma. Order a side of rice (B6) for your braised beef soup (B60) and soak up those flavor.

 

 

A crumbling two-storey shophouse tucked away on a quiet Songwat street has found a second life as an indie braised beef spot, Rongklannuea, winning hipsters' hearts through its hearty bowls of fatty meat. The prices aren’t cheap, but the quality speaks for itself. Try the Emperor braised beef noodle (B250), the most lavish option on offer featuring a medley of braised beef, beef balls, sliced tenderloins, tendons, and beef tongues—all topped with sweet chili oil and crisp garlic–and add patongo dough to wipe up the soup. 

 

 

 

Phra Athit’s legendary beef noodle joint may not boast the same mesmerizingly vivid use of color as his son’s spin-off shop Yih Saph Luk, but in terms of the taste and price, Nai Soie takes the (beefy) cake. His basic noodle (B100) features braised beef, sliced tenderloin, and beef balls. There’s also a lavish option where you can swap the usual beef with braised Kobe (B150) to the herby soup. 

 

 

This Klong Toey institution has been serving Bangkok’s finest beef broth for decades. The mixed beef hot pot—loaded with chunks of melt-in-your-mouth beef, meatballs, and organs, along with that heartwarming broth and fresh morning glory—make this neighborhood hole-in-the-wall a hit with locals of all ages.

 

 

 

This Dusit’s beef noodle specialist has a legacy of serving hearty bowls of beef for more than 70 years, and legend has it that one of the most frequent visitors was 19th PM Sujinda Kraprayoon, hence the name. The beef is braised for six hours into the boiling herby broth before serving. The regular noodles start at B100, or you can also opt for separate bowls of beef tongue for B150. 

 

 

Arguably the oldest beef joint in Bangkok, Sia Beef Stew has an enduring legacy of 80 years in its arsenal, serving a very affordable bowl of noodles (B70) and kao lao (B90). Those who want something more upscale can order Kobe beef (B110) or go for the large hotpot for B350. 

 

 

 

Originally a tiny near-riverside stall, this Rama 3 beef spot has slowly expanded its empire, opening its permanent spot in a two-storey shophouse along with the other two branches in Nanglinchee and Charoen Nakhon. The original venue is always packed throughout the day, but if you manage to get in, order their PHD hotpot (B280) loaded with the beef of your choice (up to 15 varieties). They also have the smaller version of pre-school noodle (B80) and elementary noodles (B100) for single servings. 

 

 

Ari-Saphan Kwai folks have their own legacy of braised beef thanks to Li Nguan Noodle, extending a legacy of over 60 years. The second-generation owner Jae Noi can be seen shaking noodles and serving each bowl brimming with melting braised beef. Khao lao starts at B50 and her famous stewed beef over rice (B50) is not to be missed. 

 

 

 

Despite not being a Thai beef noodle joint, Huang Kwang’s Chongqing noodle specialist has some of the best braised beef in town. Fresh and springy noodles in the braised beef (B160) arrives with a month-numbing heady broth that’s almost restorative. The gelatinous chunks of beef need only the smallest effort to chew. Be sure to also order their duck intestine (B150).

 

They say you can judge how pretentious a restaurant is by the decor. In that case, this Hong Kong spot approaches zero. The venu offers a wide array of authentic Chinese dishes, along with Hong Kong classics. Order the rice clay plot (B250) crowded with velvety strips of beef coating each savory grain. The best part is the crispy layer of rice underneath—so addictive it should probably be illegal. 

 

68 Soi Ratchadaphisek 17, Open daily 5pm-midnight.

 

Walking down to the corner of Talat Jay Varee, a hidden market around Soi Tonson, you find cheap cuts of high-quality beef at the shophouse noodle restaurant Pa Taek Chad Hai. Here, kha tom haeng (dry rice porridge) is overseen by Chef Randy Noprapa from Fillets who lends some of his high-wire Japanese omakase skills to the menu. The Japanese wagyu beef khao tom haeng (B195), a rice bowl topped with all-meat delicacies (from pink wagyu slices and tenderly braised beef cuts to generous piles of meatballs) finished with a soft boiled egg and fresh bird’s eye chili peppers