1.) Kanom Bung Yuwan

Everybody’s lining up to get a bite of this classic Thai sweet (B20 for 9) at a spot called Kanom Bueng Ma Joi, located just outside of the hospital. They also sell kanom pung yuwan sai kai, a delicious Thai-style crepe with bean sprouts and colorful flakes of coconut called kanom foi thong.

2.) Hoi Tod

This stand right on the corner of St. Louis Soi 1 fries up a mean oyster omelet, with flour and string beans (B30). They say that their best seller is their basic pad Thai (B30) and that they can cook it fast, a key point to consider when you’re picking it up after work. Open 3pm-9pm

3.) Somtam

Every variation on everyone’s favorite dish can be found within a 20-foot walk from the corner of St. Louis Soi 1. From 6:30am-6pm, these two sisters pound up somtam Thai (B30), somtam khai kem (B35), and somtam Lao (B25), among other delights. When you order, they’ll urge you to get a piece of grilled chicken (B20) and Isaan-style mushroom soup (B30) to go with the spicy salad—and you really should.

4.) Meat Skewers

Walk down a little further, and just outside of the St. Louis Hospital gates is a guy that grills just about every type of street meat you can shake a stick at: naem (sour sausage), chicken, saigrok (sausage), pork and beef are all B10 a stick and ready to grab and go.

5.) Yam Pladuk Foo

Across the streets from the gates St. Louis University gates is a little restaurant that offers a roof over your head while they serve their specialty yam pladuk foo (sweet and sour mango and catfish salad, B50). The crunchy fish, dipped in a sweet sauce to balance out the saltiness goes well with a dish of moo yang (B40).

6.) Taap Saep

Deeper into the soi, is a quaint restaurant with a white roof. Inside, they serve a couple of great Isaan meat salads. Their taap saep (spicy Isaan-style pork, B45) has just the right balance between spiciness and sourness—and you can ask them to make it to your taste. Also worth trying is their tom saep kadook gaew, a spicy soup dish that goes well with their pork salad (B40).

7.) Kai Yeo Mah Kra Pao Gop

On the next soi, St. Louis soi 2, you’ll find an outdoor cafeteria-like area. Make sure you head to Lom Poh, a restaurant in the very back corner. Their spicy stir-fry with basil and hundred-year eggs is firm favorite (B45). The eggs are cooked in batter with lime leaves, leaving you stuffed and satisfied.

Essentials

Getting There. Just get off at BTS Surasak and take exit 3.
When to Go. The soi is at its busiest from 8-11am and 5-8pm.