Hanging out at cafes in Bangkok

Vibrant food streets are a draw for tourists to Bangkok.

Street Food: The Soul of Bangkok

When mentioning Bangkok street food , images such as tangerine juice, pomegranate juice, coconut ice cream, son tam (hand-pounded papaya and mango salad), mango sticky rice, longan tea... immediately appear clearly.

Yaowarat – Chinatown is one of the culinary paradises that attracts a large number of tourists. This area is bustling day and night, but especially when the street lights up, this place becomes an endless source of inspiration for content creators. For example, Lisa (Blackpink) spent 3 days in Yaowarat to film the MV Rockstar. Coming here, you cannot miss Guy Kao, a takeaway restaurant specializing in fresh squid grilled with a unique spicy sauce. About 100m from Guy Kao is a restaurant specializing in roasted meat called Nai Ek with its famous noodle soup: crispy roasted meat with spicy and sour soup, served with intestines, gizzards and stomach. Also on this street, T&K Seafood is also very familiar to Vietnamese tourists with the name "Chinatown seafood" with the green and red shops.

Other famous food areas in Bangkok include Khao San Road, Talad Rod Fai Night Market with its giant spicy ribs, Asiatique Night Market or Chatuchak Weekend Market. If you want to eat street food at night but have a cool air-conditioned room that serves until 3am, you can visit Jae Koy near BTS Ratchathewi Station.

Each bar in Bangkok has its own style with unique creative ideas.

Queue for coffee

Not only Japan, Korea or Vietnam, the capital of Thailand, Bangkok, is also famous for its unique cafes. A typical example is Factory Café, located right at the foot of BTS Phaya Thai station. After achieving the Top 2 Espresso in the world and being checked in by many TikTokers, Factory has become more and more popular and opened a second location 10km from the center. However, the first branch always has a long line of people waiting from opening to closing. Many people are willing to wait for hours to drink a cup of coffee. In addition to Factory, Bangkok also has many famous cafes such as Nana Coffee Roaster in the Ari area and The Blue Mustang building, a place that attracts many content creators.

Asia's Top Bar

In the list of Top 100 Best Bars in Asia 2024, Bangkok has an impressive presence with 10 representatives, including BKK Social Club (ranked 7th), Vesper (13th), Mahaniyom Cocktail Bar (18th), Bar Us (21st), Tropic City (62nd), Opium (73rd), Firefly (83rd), Asia Today (90th), The Bamboo Bar (91st) and Dry Wave Cocktail Studio (98th). Each bar has its own style but the common point is strong drinks, bartenders have many ideas based on local culture.

Besides, if you wander through the small alleys in Bangkok, you can easily find interesting "hidden" shops. Those who have seen the famous movie In the Mood for Love by Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai will surely be impressed by the moment when Chau Mo Van and To Le Tran walk on the night street, stopping at a window with an old wall. In fact, this scene was not filmed in Hong Kong but in Bangkok. To be exact, it is Charoenkrung Road near the French Embassy. This area has many old houses with walls showing clear traces of time.

In that quiet street, there is a hidden bar called Siwilai Sound Club. It is a little bit Japanese, a little bit Thai, a little bit old New York style and a little bit Hong Kong before 1997. There is a piano in the middle of the bar and every weekend there is live music, mainly Jazz.

Bangkok street food is diverse with many quality restaurants.

Sometimes when traveling in a familiar place, try a new place. Siwilai Sound Club brings a nostalgic vibe and a familiar feeling, even though it may be the first time you come, it feels like you have known it for a long time in your memory, like in the movies that evoke many memories of time.

Bangkok, with its blend of ancient and modern, is an ideal destination for those who love to hang out and experience the unique local culture of Southeast Asia. From delicious street food, beautiful and delicious cafes to unique bars, Bangkok always brings interesting surprises. Try wandering around the city at night to understand why Bangkok is always on the list of the most favorite cities of young people everywhere, a place that many people will imagine a liberal "taste of youth".

“…Those were the days of rushing to the bustling city,

Are the long nights without knowing tomorrow,

It was quick shots of Tequila and then Gin,

Or the sound of laughter echoing in the empty tavern, seemingly without worry,

Are trips without purpose, just to see the vast sky,

The taste of youth, bitter yet sweet,

Send in a little wildness, a little madness in the dead of night…”

Source: https://heritagevietnamairlines.com/lan-la-quan-xa-o-bangkok/