The heavenly braised goose meat at this hole-in-the-wall eatery is slowly cooked with Chinese herbs for more than one hour. The outcome is tender-but-springy meat that goes perfectly with hot steamed ice. They also offer bitter gourd soup, pork ribs soup and algae soup. Warning: goose sells out within 3-4 hours. Prices start from B120. If you’re more of a night owl, the duck noodles at the same spot are another neighborhood favorite that sells out equally quickly. Prices start from B50.

 

The residents we spoke to called this their favorite place to seek out moo krob (crispy roasted pork belly) and moo daeng (roasted pork). Their crispy pork contains thin layers of fat while the skin turns into a thick crust which tastes beautiful with the signature curry powder-spiked gravy. Prices are also surprisingly cheap—they still serve their dishes at B30. Hot soups here are also wonderful. Try the braised sheep stew and sukiyaki broth. We also recommend the fried sukiyaki thanks to their delicious pickled bean curd sauce, pickled garlic and chili. 

 

Though a new face in the area (it used to be over at Lang Suan), Tai Seng restaurant has already won local Chinese families' hearts for its killer dim sum dishes, from shrimp dumplings (B50) and guay tiew lord moo dang (noodle with roasted pork, B60) to Peking duck (B900). Other Chinese staples on offer include steamed fish in soy sauce (market price), noodles in seafood gravy (B200) and stir-fried scallops with XO sauce (B350). 

 

In business for 55 years, Chinatown resident Jek Sia’s pushcart is always surrounded by locals and outsiders who know where to find the best pork dumplings. He took the recipe from his Taochew ancestors, using ingredients such as pork, shiitake mushrooms and sesame oil. Starts at B3 per piece, 15 for five pieces.

 

The best place in town for kui chai (fried pancake with chives). They fry their delicious pancake batter at the perfect temperature until it's slightly crispy outside and tender within, then serve it with a tangy and spicy black soy sauce. Three pieces cost B27.

 

Go here if you want to sample an old-school version of hoy tod (oyster omelet). Hoi Tod Texas fries its flour-and-water mix till the texture becomes crispy outside and jelly-like in the center before adding the egg. They also give you the choice between mussels and oysters, with prices starting from B60.

 

Famous for their tangy pickle salad, this shop also has a reputation for its full-flavoured hoi jor (fried crab/shrimp meat rolls, B75/B120) packed with chunks of meat. The shrimp balls (B300/B500 per kilogram) are also worth ordering to take home—and don’t forget to grab some of the pickled vegetables, too. (B160 per kilogram).

 

There are so many chestnut shops around Yaowarat that it’s hard to stand out. Chiang Pu Chestnut wins the local vote as it’s believed to be the very first of its kind in the neighborhood. They still use chestnuts sourced from China, which they roast in a mixture of sand and sugar to help moisturize and wax the crust. Prices start from B35 per 100 grams.

Relocated from its old spot near Siri Rama cinema (now being reconstructed as a mall) on Charoenkrung Road, Kha Moo Siri Rama is known among Yaowarat people for its not sweet braised pork knuckle under a thin layer of jelly (a result of the two-hour cooking time). Other highlights include the flavorful one-hour-stewed entrails and fried tofu soaked in the kha moo broth. Prices start from B40.

 

Yaowarat people turn their back on the massive queues at legendary bread stall Kanom Pang Jao Aroi Ded Yaowarat, preferring to sit and chat at this little bread and milk station. Open for 30 years, this precursor to the food truck offers grilled bread with sangkaya (pandan custard), butter and condensed milk along with other milky drinks such as cha yen (iced tea with milk) and hot fresh milk. 

 

Don’t be surprised to see this small push cart in front of Yaowarat's old market (talad gao), surrounded by a crowd all after its signature guay jub (rice noodles in five-spice broth). Its fans love it for the perfect crispy pork, clean-tasting entrails, and peppery soup. Chairs here are only for those with enough patience. 

 

This small stall with its signature yellow sign is reputed for its fish maw, whether as a soup or stir-fried. The fried rice and stir-fried Hong Kong noodles with crab meat are equally essential eats, the latter featuring crab meat transported directly from Surat Thani. What’s more, prices start at just B70. 

 

Rumoured to have been around since before World War II (hence its nickname Khao Tom 100 Years), this rice soup place is run by the third and fourth generations of a Chinese family. Their ancestors’ recipes include kiam buay moo sup (chopped pork in clear soup with Chinese plum, B50), moo daeng tod (fried roasted pork, B60) and ped palo tod see ew (stir-fried braised duck with soy sauce, B120). But what Yaowarat people most recommended here is smoked duck (B150 per piece).

 

This old-school rad na (noodles in gravy) place only stays open for three hours a day and always draws customers who buy their food to take away. The patriarch of the family still cooks the rad na over a strong flame that delivers exactly the right charred aroma into the noodles. The pork is also deliciously tender thanks to the six hours it spends marinating. Prices run from B40-60.

 

This street-food stall drew international attention when Hell’s Kitchen star Gordon Ramsay visited. Its top dishes are rad na phu khao fai (gravy noodles cooked on a volcanic hotplate), sukiyaki, taro kua (stir-fried fish snacks) and taro kua kee mao (crispy stir-fried fish snacks). Dishes cost from B60-150. 

 

Open for only a year, this small kiosk has already won locals’ hearts for its richly flavoured bua loy (dumplings in coconut milk) made from taro and pumpkin and served with syrupy monkey apple, gingko and lotus roots as well as salted egg and oozy duck egg yolk. The owners also just added a new hot-pot portion (B259) big enough to share among four to five. Prices from B40.

 

Though it doesn’t even have a proper name (referred to only by its signature dish of rice boiled with pork bones), this place has been serving the people of Yaowarat for 40 years. By the time it opens (7:15pm sharp), you’ll already find people sitting at the tables and waiting to place their orders. Its success lies in the fact that the rice is cooked in a stove oven for the greater fragrance caused by longer time on the heat. Try their boiled rice with soft bones and egg. Prices start from B40.

 

This beloved push cart serves a simply delicious joke (congee) in a pork-bone broth. The pork balls burst with sesame oil fragrance, while the entrails get washed in salt prior to boiling to get rid of any unpleasant odor. We suggest you order your bowl with an oozy thousand-year egg (B40) sourced from one of the best shops in Yaowarat’s old market. 

 

This pork blood soup stall is reputed for the freshness of its ingredients. The soup is so clear it looks like a consomme yet still manages to deliver a powerfully balanced flavor of pork bone. The perfectly prepared entrails also have one of the best textures in town. Prices start from B60-B70.  

 

This noodle shop’s reputation rests with its dumplings (from B40)—packed with whole chunks of shrimp and diced pork. Be warned: they can disappear from their usual spot quite spontaneously, so go with crossed fingers. 

 

It’s easy to overlook the ordinary-looking sign of this shop specializing in yen ta fo (pink soybean noodle soup). Their simple but refreshing clear noodle soup brims with all sorts of different fish balls, including luk chin krae (Hakka-style fish ball). 

 

Easy to spot thanks to its red sign, this guay tiew lord (dried noodle with black soy sauce) shop comes highly recommended. The ingredients used here range from braised pork and squid to tofu, shiitake mushroom and dried shrimp.