Ultimate Old Town Bangkok Food Tour: 13 Must-Try Street Food Spots at the Giant Swing

Ultimate Old Town Bangkok Food Tour: 13 Must-Try Street Food Spots at the Giant Swing

Today, I ‘m going to take you on a street food
adventure. In the oldest neighborhood in Bangkok. In this area, around the Giant Swing. There are both Thai and Chinese foods. There are food carts and hundreds of old-school street
food stalls. But which places will I take you to today? Let ‘s find
out. So, follow me and let ‘s check it out together. Right behind me here is the Giant Swing. Anyone who comes to Bangkok, especially foreigners,
will know this place. It ‘s another popular check-in spot in Bangkok. In the past, there used to be a swing ceremony held
here. They actually had real people swinging at this kind of
height. But later on, this ceremony was discontinued. This street here is only about fifteen minutes away
from Khao San Road. If you walk, you ‘ll reach this whole area. Today, I ‘ll take you on a food adventure starting from
the front of the Giant Swing. All the way down the street to the area around the
Tiger God Shrine. First, please help me by liking, sharing, and
subscribing. Hit the bell to follow me, and let ‘s go on this
adventure together. The places I ‘m going to visit are all located on
Mahannop Road. Right here, at the Bangkok City Hall. As soon as we go
in, this is called Mahannop Road. And just a short walk in, you ‘ll see what kind of shop
it is—come along with me and find out. Let me tell you, Mahannop Road is only about eight hundred meters long. But it has legendary, long-standing restaurants. Some of them have been around for almost a hundred
years. And the place I ‘m taking you to today …
is another legendary spot on Mahannop Road. Or as people around here call it, the Sao Chingcha area. It ‘s this place right here—Niyom Phochana. This is a red pork rice shop that ‘s been open for
almost a hundred years. What makes it special is that everything is grilled
over charcoal. There ‘s this old-fashioned charcoal aroma to
everything. And another highlight is … They have pork curry and beef stew as well. So, what ‘s
this place like? How long has it been open? This shop is now in its third generation. I ‘m the
third generation myself. Third gen 90years Almost 100 years. Nearly a hundred years. So, this red pork rice—what recipe is it based on? It ‘s a Teochew recipe. And do they have this in Teochew, in China? I do n’t think so, because it was created here in
Thailand. My grandparents started making it here in Thailand.
They got the recipe from some friends. Like I said, red pork rice like this does n’t exist
anywhere else in the world—only in Thailand. And look at this, the way they roast the pork to make
it red pork. They roast it over a charcoal stove, so it has this
kind of … It ‘s not burnt, you know—it ‘s coated with caramel.
But when we eat it, we just scrape that part off. I have to say, this is the style of red pork we have here
in Thailand. Sometimes, in some places, they might boil the pork and
add coloring. But here, they roast it—no coloring is added at all. That ‘s why the color comes out just like traditional
roasted pork. Here it is—this is the sauce they pour over it. How is the sauce different from other places It ‘s completely different, because the recipe is n’t
the same. Other places have a red sauce, but mine is n’t like that. Mine has peanuts, sesame seeds, and all sorts of things
in it. And the sesame seeds have to be roasted first, then
ground up to bring out their aroma. Now, let ‘s take a look at how appetizing this crispy
pork is. Back in the day, this is exactly how crispy pork was made. Just like this, you have to roast it first. After roasting, you fry it. It ‘s the original crispy pork, with nothing brushed on
it at all. This is barbecued pork on rice. I have to say, barbecued pork on rice is one of the
classic Thai breakfast dishes. In the morning, people would wake up and enjoy it as a
delicious single-dish meal. And there would also be eggs. But these eggs are n’t
just regular boiled eggs. In Thailand, they use these eggs and boil them with sauce to give them color and flavor
like this. When it ‘s time to eat, you mix and enjoy them together
like this. The red pork is made from pork loin that ‘s marinated
and grilled. This is done to infuse the meat with a fragrant flavor. When you eat it with the broth poured over it, it gives off a slightly sweet and rich aroma. And there will be a condiment, which is dark soy sauce, to balance out the flavors. Or in some places, they might eat spring onions as a
side. Here you go. I have to say, this is a red pork rice shop that ‘s
been open for almost 100 years. If you want to try food with this kind of traditional
flavor, you can come to this place. The shop is called Niyom
Phochana. It ‘s located right in the Sao Chingcha area. It ‘s easy to find—just head to Mahannop Road and you
‘ll see the shop. It ‘s really delicious. Okay, now we ‘re done with the first shop. That was the red pork rice shop. The next shop is right
next door. I have to say, it ‘s almost impossible to find this kind of place in Bangkok anymore. Because they sell snacks, more like street food. Simple snacks like this. And this one is crispy egg snack. It ‘s kind of like a cake—a soft cake, but this one is
made to be crispy. It ‘s a Thai-style snack, meant for casual eating. There are so many different kinds of snacks here. Even look yhee ( tamarind candy). Look yhee, which is
mostly grown in the south of Thailand. Then they make it into seedless look yhee, coated with
sugar. And all of these, I have to say, are candied or pickled
treats. They ‘re all made from various fruits. This one is a
type of dried candied fruit. Dried orange, or this one is dried mango. Here are strawberries, guava, and also tamarind coated
with sugar. This shop sells candied and pickled fruits, both in
syrup and dried varieties. This Thai-style treat is almost impossible to find in
Bangkok—there are very few shops that sell it. This is one of the shops that still has it. For example, this one is prunes, see? These are fresh prunes—look how delicious they are. So, after passing the roast pork shop, we come to this
one. And after this, we ‘ll head to the next shop—three
shops in a row. This next one, if I mention it, everyone will know. People all over the world know it—if you come to
Thailand, you have to try it. It ‘s Pad Thai. Pad Thai—this area has several famous Pad Thai shops. But this shop serves homemade Pad Thai. It ‘s been open for almost a hundred years. And importantly, their Pad Thai is halal as well. Hello,
may I ask your name? My name is Saruda-on. What recipe do you use to make your Pad Thai? Our shop has been open for twenty years now. All Muslims can eat here. And for the Pad Thai recipe, we use tamarind sauce. When you stir-fry it with the noodles, it becomes rich
and flavorful. This is a Pad Thai shop that makes it the traditional
homemade way. They use only tamarind sauce as the main ingredient. There ’ s no sourness from vinegar or anything else
mixed in at all. This is an ancient, traditional Thai recipe. So, let ’ s see what it looks like. Let me go take a
look. Let ’ s go. Okay, now we ’ re in the kitchen. This is just a small, simple homemade kitchen. Here it is, this is the tamarind sauce. It ’ s a homemade, rustic tamarind sauce, just like
this. What kind of noodles are we using? We ’ re using thin rice noodles for Pad Thai. If you
use regular thin noodles, they ’ ll get mushy when stir-fried. These are special thin noodles made specifically for
Pad Thai. This is pickled radish, and this is tofu. And these are tiny dried shrimp. We stir-fry them together with oil. Then we add the noodles just like this. These are noodles specifically made for Pad Thai. So this is the process of making homemade, home-style
Pad Thai. After that, we add the seasonings. Sugar and chili powder. And here it is, their homemade tamarind sauce recipe I
mentioned. This is how you make homemade, home-style Pad Thai. And then add the egg as well. This is a simple, home-style way, but when it comes to
the ingredients— they ‘re all exactly what authentic Pad Thai should
have. And now it ‘s done—this is Pad Thai. It ‘s truly the original, traditional Pad Thai. No need
to add extra seasoning or anything else—this is it. Let me tell you, Pad Thai comes in so many varieties. But what are the essential components of real,
authentic Pad Thai? For example, it must have tofu. And it also needs to have tiny dried shrimp. And it must include preserved radish. These three ingredients are mixed together and then
stir-fried with egg. As for the sauce, everyone has their own recipe. But it must have a tamarind base. You also need to add bean sprouts. And add Chinese
chives. This is a classic and delicious homemade Pad Thai dish. When you eat it, you ‘ll taste the sourness and aroma.
The sweetness from the sugar is all in this one dish. And there ‘s also the spiciness from the chili powder
added in. I have to say, if you want to eat it Thai style, eat it like this. This place is the only halal Pad Thai restaurant in the
area. It ‘s called Baan Pad Thai. Located in the Sao Chingcha area. It ‘s not hard to find, just go into Mahannop Alley. It ‘s not far from the roast pork shop. Just walk past the dessert shop, and then you ‘ll
arrive here at Baan Pad Thai. Alright, let ‘s keep going and see how many more places
I can eat at today. After finishing the meal, let ‘s walk and find some
dessert. This street has a lot of variety. For example, this shop sells modern desserts. They have all sorts of chiffon cakes and, right here,
cupcakes too. And over here, there ‘s something unusual—this is a
fortune teller ‘s shop. This one is a Chinese-style fortune teller. They read your fortune based on your birth date and
things like that. And as we walk by here in the morning, it ‘s got a Thai vibe. It ‘s a coffee shop, and I have to say, right now— it ‘s going viral on social media. It ‘s called ‘Je
Paak Daeng’ ( Red-Lipped Lady). Look, can you see? What is she like? Je, give us a sweet smile with your red lips. Here she
is, Je Paak Daeng. Right next to it is a tua paep dessert shop. It ‘s another traditional Thai dessert shop, very
old-fashioned. But nowadays, they make it in a more modern style. There are so many colors and a huge variety of fillings. The shop is called ‘Yui Fresh Tua Paep’. Because they
make it fresh right here, just like a traditional paak maw dessert. I have to say, tua paep dessert … It ‘s basically a dough with a filling made from split
mung beans or green beans. Then it ‘s coated with shredded coconut. By the way, have you ever counted how many you make in
a day? There are almost 2,000 of them. This shop makes 1,000 to 2,000 tua paep a day—now that
‘s impressive. Now it ‘s ready. Enjoying it fresh, right by the stove. So how do you sell them? It ‘s 45 baht per box. Each box has seven pieces. Seven pieces, right? Only 45 baht per box. And here it is. They sprinkle
sugar on top just like this. The dough is very soft and fragrant. Inside, there ‘s a filling made of split mung beans. Once it ‘s mixed with coconut and topped with sugar and
sesame seeds, it all blends together perfectly—delicious. This is another type of traditional Thai dessert. It ‘s not that easy to find. Besides tua paep, which is a traditional Thai sweet,
this one is called Khanom Chan. The name ‘Khanom Chan’ refers to its layered form. It has layers like this. When I was a kid, I used to peel off and eat each layer by hand. Then the fragrant flour is steamed like this, coming
out in layers, see? It ‘s chewy and fragrant, with the scent of pandan
leaves. And this is another wonder of Thai desserts. This one is made from rice flour. But the black color comes from coconut shells that are
burned to create the black hue. Then it ‘s mixed with the flour and steamed. This gives it its own unique aroma. When eating, we
sprinkle it with coconut like this. This dessert is called Khanom Piak Poon. It has a distinctive fragrance. These are two more Thai desserts that I recommend you
try. If you come to this street, do n’t forget them—they ‘re
traditional Thai desserts. The name of the shop is Yui Tua Paep Sod. The shop is located on Mahannop Road. Now, let ‘s move
on. Where to? Just follow along. This street, I have to say, is another one of the old
roads. There are both old and new shops mixed together here. For example, this is a type of Chinese snack called Iw
Guay. It ‘s made from dough, and the filling is made of
vegetables. It has cabbage, Chinese chives, bamboo shoots, and taro.
This one has a bamboo shoot filling. They sell it for 25 baht each. The dough is soft and chewy. And the bamboo shoot
filling is stir-fried to a mellow, delicious flavor. As you walk along this street, you ‘ll find them frying
and selling it right here. There ‘s no shop name because they sell it inside an auto parts store. But it
‘s easy to spot—right across from here is the Tiger God Shrine. This is the Tiger God Shrine, which the Chinese call
‘Tua Lao Eia’. It ‘s a replica brought over from China. It was enshrined here. And has become a place of reverence for Thai people.
People come here to pray for fortune, status, or prosperity and good luck. They come to pay their respects here. And here, when
making offerings, there ‘s a special tradition—they offer fresh pork.
They take the fresh pork, you see, and place it at the tiger ‘s mouth. Let ‘s take a look. In their ritual here, after offering the fresh pork, they will present the pork to the tiger. This is the ritual for paying respect and making
offerings. at the Tiger God Shrine, right here at Tua Lao E. Anyone passing by after enjoying some delicious food
can stop in, to pay respects, make offerings, and ask for blessings
and good fortune here. The act of making a wish is called ‘Sia See’. It ‘s a form of fortune-telling where you make a wish
and then shake the sticks. One of the sticks will come out with a number on it. Then you take the corresponding slip, and your fortune
will be interpreted based on that number. After leaving the Tiger God Shrine, Walk left for about one hundred meters. I ‘m heading to a shop that ‘s said to be over a
hundred years old. It ‘s a traditional dessert shop. You can hardly find desserts like this anywhere else in
our country. Here it is—Lamiat. What do they sell? They sell Thai
crispy pancakes. And this one is Vietnamese crispy pancake. The crispy
pancake I ‘m talking about is made from flour. If it ‘s the Thai version, there are both sweet and
savory fillings. But this one only has a savory filling, and the shell
is really crispy. And it ‘s made purely from flour. Once it ‘s done, they put the filling inside and then
eat it. That ‘s why it ‘s called ‘khanom buang’. It ‘s hard to picture just from talking—let ‘s go watch
how they make it. Okay, they ‘re making it right now. Could you introduce yourself? Well, we already know
each other—uncle here has been a regular for a long time. My name is Joe. Joe, what generation are you in the family business? I ‘m the seventh generation. So, what are you making here? I ‘m making Khanom Buang Yuan right now. Yuan means Vietnamese, right? So do they have this kind
of snack in Vietnam? Yes, they do have this kind of snack in Vietnam. But the filling might be different. The filling is n’t the same, because in Vietnam they
put pork, Vietnamese sausage, and other things in it. But here, it ‘s Khanom Buang Yuan in a Thai style. And
what gives it the yellow color? It comes from turmeric. So the yellow color is from turmeric. And how do you make it? The method is to mix rice flour with mung bean flour
together. After kneading, we dissolve it into a liquid and pour
it into the pan. This makes it crispy. And why do we have to keep rotating the pan The heat is n’t evenly distributed. If we only let one
side touch the heat, The batter wo n’t cook evenly. Here, we take it a bit
slower, but we make sure the batter gets crispy. The batter will stay crispy until tomorrow. The batter stays crispy overnight. Once the batter is ready, they add their special
ingredients—bean sprouts, stir-fried tofu with pickled radish, and then top it
with shrimp. The shrimp topping is actually a type of Thai dish that
‘s usually eaten with sticky rice. Then it ‘s sprinkled with a bit of garlic and some
peanuts. And what happens next? Then you eat it with ajad dipping sauce. So you eat it with ajad or other side condiments. It ‘ll be added in again, but right now, it looks like
this and is ready to eat. Uncle glanced over and saw the sign on display, which
clearly serves as proof that— It ‘s been open for over a hundred years. And who is this in the photo that
appeared in a foreign newspaper? The person featured in the foreign newspaper is my
father. He ‘s the sixth-generation heir. Of you, the seventh generation. And my father, who was
quite handsome, used to sit right here making khanom buang. He also won the national khanom buang
competition in Thailand. Across the whole country. And who is the person in this photo above? That ‘s my great-grandfather. He was the fourth
generation. When was generation It dates back to the time of the Manhattan Rebellion. The Manhattan Rebellion—I ’ ve only heard the name, I
probably wasn ’ t born yet either. So, let ‘s just say it was a long time ago. When I came to take photos, it was still the fifth
reign, and that was during King Rama IX ’ s era. But now, this is considered a khanom buang ( Thai crispy
pancake) that has lasted through six reigns—six generations. And look at this, it ’ s so old—what era
is this from? It ’ s from my grandmother ’ s generation, which was
quite a long time ago. This is the traditional wooden spreader, which is called ‘kraja’. ‘Kraja’ is what you use to spread the khanom buang.
They call it ‘kraja’—look, it ’ s really old. For fifty or sixty years, it ’ s been sold here every
morning, then it ’ s gone. Uncle, you came late—it ’ s sold out. To eat it, just break it up and crunch it. If
we want to eat together … The ajad ( pickled cucumber relish) is already there. The shell is really crispy. As for the filling, it ’ s
made from preserved radish and shrimp topping. And then there ’ s the tofu, which is salty and
fragrant, eaten with the slightly oily dough. It ’ s fragrant too, and then you eat it with the ajad,
which is tangy and aromatic. When you take a bite, everything goes together really
well. This place is still amazing—truly a century-old legend. Let ’ s see where we ’ re heading next, Uncle. Where
are we off to? Just now, as I was walking over from that area, as I
got closer, the aroma really hit me. The reason I ’ m coming to this place is because it ’ s
an old-style snow taro shop. This shop isn ’ t hard to find at all. We ’ re right in front of the Tiger God Shrine—just
cross the street and it ’ s on the right-hand side. It only takes about half a minute to walk here. The name of the shop is Je Nee. It ’ s been open for over thirty years. And what they sell here is this traditional snow taro. Snow taro is an old-fashioned dessert. It ’ s made from taro, then coated and glazed with sugar. It ‘s dry, and then
mixed with white and black sesame seeds just like this. It ‘s used in auspicious Chinese ceremonies. But on
regular days, they ‘re open every day. Because it ‘s also a delicious snack to enjoy. This is taro. It has the fragrance of taro combined with the sugar
coating. When you bite into it, everything just comes together
perfectly. The richness of the taro, and the taro here is really fragrant at this shop. As for the word ‘snow,’ it refers to this sugar coating
right here. It ‘s the sugar coating mixed with black and white sesame seeds. When you eat it, it all blends
together so well. Now, do you know the Tiger God Shrine? From the front of the Tiger God Shrine, turn right. On your left, you ‘ll see Bangkok Bank. Go into this
alley right here. We ‘re going to eat at another famous restaurant. This place has even received the Michelin Bib Gourmand
award. They ‘ve won it for several consecutive years. This restaurant has expanded all over Bangkok. You can find them in shopping malls or all around
Bangkok. But the place I ‘m taking you to today is their very first, original, and oldest branch. Here we are, Nai Ouan Yen Ta Fo restaurant. Yen Ta Fo is a type of noodle dish in Thailand. It has a red sauce mixed into the soup like that. How many years has this place been open? Over fifty years now. Over fifty years, and it ‘s the very first place to
serve Yen Ta Fo with the Ba Teng recipe. And another highlight here that I really love— In the mornings, I remember driving here every single
day. thirty to forty pieces—the crispy shrimp balls here are insanely delicious. This is Yen Ta Fo noodles with round fish balls, pork
balls, tofu, and also crispy squid. Their secret recipe is the red sauce, which is the shop
‘s signature. If it ‘s noodles followed by Yen Ta Fo, it has to have
this red sauce to be called Yen Ta Fo. It ‘s a noodle dish that ‘s absolutely delicious, to the point that it
has received the Bib Gourmand from Michelin for four consecutive years. As for Ouan Yen Ta Fo at Sao Ching Cha, Here it is, it ‘s ready. This is Yen Ta Fo, and this
one is with egg noodles. You see, it ‘s different from regular noodles. It has this sauce that comes out red like this. So the soup ends up being red in color. The red color at this shop comes from their
tomato-based recipe. Some other places use fermented bean curd instead. And as I mentioned, one of the ingredients is crispy
marinated squid. Here you also have tofu and fish balls. The highlight at this shop is their crispy shrimp balls,
just like these. You can add them to your Yen Ta Fo or order them
separately like this. Dip them and enjoy as a side snack. These crispy shrimp balls are the shop ‘s signature
snack. Now, let ‘s take a look at the Yen Ta Fo. Once all the
ingredients are mixed together, the sauce has a tangy flavor like this. The taste comes out tangy, just the way Thai people
like it. The special thing about this shop is that they add ‘ba
teng’ ( braised pork). Ba teng has a salty and aromatic flavor. When combined with the tanginess of the sauce, I have to say, it ‘s perfectly balanced and incredibly
delicious. This is a unique characteristic of this style of noodles in Thailand. Eating everything together is truly delightful. This shop is located in the Sao Chingcha area, near the
Tiger God Shrine. The shop is called ‘Auan Yen Ta Fo Sao Chingcha.’ In the Sao Chingcha and Tiger God Shrine area, there
are still plenty of other shops around here. for us to explore and try out. Let ‘s go check them out. Walking along this old street, you ‘ll still find
modern coffee shops right here. As soon as I spotted this coffee shop, right across
from us, there ‘s actually a historic gate. It ‘s called the ‘Ghost Gate’. Do you know why it ‘s called the Ghost Gate? In the past, this area was the inner city of the palace. Whenever someone passed away, they would have to be
taken out through this very gate. That ‘s where the name ‘Ghost Gate’ comes from. But now,
it ‘s just a beautiful place. Okay, now I ‘ve arrived at the Pa Thong Ko Sawei shop. Actually, this snack originated from China. It ‘s made from wheat flour. To make the dough, they have to let it ferment
overnight. Then they shape it into pairs like this and fry it.
That ‘s why it ‘s called ‘Pa Thong Ko’. You can eat it plain or with milk. You can also eat it
with pandan custard, which is called ‘Sangkhaya’. Or some people like to eat it with congee. So it has become a type of breakfast for Thai people. But why is this shop more special than others? When they fry it here, it ‘s crispy on the outside and
soft on the inside. They fry it fresh and sell it like this every day. And everyone lines up right here to buy them. Here they are, the ‘pa tong go’—I told you, they always
come in pairs. That ‘s why Thai people call them ‘pa tong go’ in pairs
like this. And then we dip them in the custard. It ‘s a Thai snack—you can eat it on its own, just for
fun. You can have it in the morning, with congee, or with
coffee—anything goes. There is n’t just one type of pa tong go—there are two
kinds. If it ‘s the round kind, it has a sweetness of its own. You do n’t need to dip this one in anything—just eat it
plain and you ‘ll taste the sweetness. This shop is called Pa Thong Ko Saowae, located at Praeng Nara. It ‘s about a hundred meters past the Tiger God Shrine,
on the same side of the street. Let ‘s go—there are still plenty more shops to try today, so we can really
cover a lot. Walk just 5 meters from the pa tong go shop and you ‘ll
find a legendary old restaurant, famous since before social media existed. There were two young girls, who were students back then. People called them the ‘Angel Meatball Girls.’ Even
today, they ‘re still just as angelic as ever. Feel free to stop by—their homemade pork meatballs are
delicious. I ‘ll come back another day. Goodbye! Let me tell you, once you arrive at this shop, there ‘s
no one who does n’t know it. Whether you ‘re Thai or a foreigner, because it ‘s so famous. This is the G.
Panich shop. It ‘s a legendary mango sticky rice shop that ‘s been
open for over a hundred years. They ‘ve received the Michelin Bib Gourmand for seven
consecutive years—see? Let me tell you about this place. They ‘re famous for selling sticky rice. This sticky rice is sold at 120 baht per ½ kilo. Normally, I buy a bag to take home and eat. But today, since I ‘m filming here, I bought it like
this instead. It ‘s a set like this to sit and eat, and there are
seats right next to it, right here. And let me tell you, the seats for eating— No other place is like this one; it ‘s truly one of a
kind in the world. Here we are, sitting and eating right here like
this—see? I ‘m telling you, this is the only place like it in the
world. Where else can you sit and eat at a shop that sells Buddhist offerings like this? Here it is—sticky rice. It ‘s a type of rice popular among Thai people. You can
eat it with both savory and sweet dishes. For savory dishes, have you ever seen sticky rice eaten
with grilled pork or papaya salad? But when it comes to desserts, this is sticky rice with
coconut milk. And when we eat it, we pour rich coconut cream on top. Then we eat it all together like this. We also sprinkle some crispy mung beans on top as a
finishing touch—here you go. Sticky rice with coconut milk goes perfectly with mango. That ‘s why it ‘s so popular among Thai people. You can enjoy it in any season. The important thing about the mango is that you have to
eat it with ripe mango only. You do n’t eat it with green mango, okay? This shop is a legendary mango sticky rice place in
Thailand. The shop ‘s name is Kor Panich. It ‘s located on the road, diagonally across from the
Tiger God Shrine. Just walk a little, about a hundred meters, and you ‘ll
find the shop. Let ‘s head to the next place. Follow me to see what
kind of shop it is. Once we cross the street from Kor Panich, you ‘ll see an area with old houses, you could even
call them century-old homes. Here, they sell traditional, old-style food. This area is called ‘Phrang Phuthon’. And my goal today is to try some traditional homemade
ice cream. It ‘s called coconut ice cream, and it has a sandy
texture. This sandy texture means it ‘s coarse, kind of like a
sorbet. Alright, let ‘s go take a look and see what it looks
like. And check this out—this is the container they use to
store it. These are the toppings that you mix in and eat with the
ice cream. And this freezer is really old-fashioned. How long have
you had this one? Not too long, just about 40 years. Not long but it ‘s been 40 years. In my grandmother ‘s generation it was a wooden cabinet. In my grandmother ‘s time, it was a wooden cabinet, but
now it ‘s all decayed. How many years has this shop been open? About eighty years, I ‘m already in my seventies myself. This is traditional Thai coconut ice cream. The shop has been open for more than eighty years. Look at this, look! They even won an award from Louis
Vuitton, see? This was sent all the way from France. Louis Vuitton gave an award to this ice cream shop—just
imagine that. Other shops might get Michelin, but this one got Louis
Vuitton. And now, the traditional Thai way of eating ice cream
… They do n’t just eat plain ice cream—there are so many
different toppings. Like this one has red beans, this is barley, and corn. Peanuts, soybeans, and toddy palm seeds. And the traditional one is with sticky rice. Then I ‘d like to have sticky rice, corn, and peanuts,
please. And look at this—an old-fashioned ice cream shop. But this is the wall of honor. They ‘ve received
various awards from all over the world. Whether it ‘s from Thailand, China, Japan—everything is
right here. First, let ‘s see what ‘sandy texture’ ice cream is
like. It looks like ice cream with a coarse texture, kind of
like ice flakes. It ‘s ice cream made by churning coconut milk with ice. Once it ‘s churned, it turns into rough flakes—there ‘s
no milk in it at all. That ‘s why it ‘s an old-fashioned ice cream that ‘s
hard to find these days. Because the ice cream we usually see in Thailand is coconut milk ice cream. But this kind of ice cream is n’t easy to find. And with awards to back it up like this, let ‘s check it out. The shop is called Natthaporn
Fresh Coconut Milk Ice Cream. It ‘s located in Phraeng Phuthon, the old town area. Now that we ‘ve finished with dessert, let ‘s see what
Uncle will eat next. Let ‘s go. Uncle ‘s tired from walking here. Let ‘s catch a samlor ( tricycle taxi) for a ride. Let
‘s head to the front of the City Hall, near the Giant Swing. Let ‘s go. Earlier, we were at the Tiger God Shrine, and we took a
tuk-tuk to this spot next to the Bangkok City Hall. We got dropped off right here in front of Mont Nom Sod. But there ‘s a real highlight here: the grilled squid. It ‘s said to be the most delicious and is really
famous on social media. I ‘ve come to eat here many times myself, and I can say
this place is truly special. This is it—Chai Grilled Squid. Let ‘s go check it out. This one, squid roe, is eighty baht. These are big roe, the eggs inside the squid, grilled
for eighty baht. This one is the meat and tentacles, also eighty baht.
And what about the whole squid, how much is that? Two hundred fifty and three hundred. This one is two
hundred fifty baht. Here it is, freshly grilled. The highlight here is their dipping sauce. You could say their sauce is truly unbeatable. All set, I bought 2 skewers and 1 whole squid, totaling
410 baht. The spiciness of their sauce is intensely delicious. It ‘s a seafood dipping sauce with whole slices of
garlic like this, see? These are the eggs. Spicy, fragrant, and well-balanced. This is the most delicious grilled squid I ‘ve ever had. Chai Grilled Squid shop is located right across from
Bangkok City Hall. Right in front of Mont Nom Sod shop, here it is. After
eating the spicy, fragrant squid, now it ‘s time for some dessert. Let me tell you, this dessert shop is another legendary
place. They only sell milk and bread. This is one of the most
popular snacks among Thais. So, let ‘s go take a look inside. Okay, here we go, I ‘ve got it now. This is a favorite menu item among Thais. They spread butter on the bread and then sprinkle sugar
on top like this. And here it is—Thai-style iced fresh milk. How was that? Fresh milk and bread, so refreshing! Let
‘s keep going. The next shop is just two doors down from Mont Nom Sod. This is Hong Kong-style roast duck. This shop has been open for over eighty years. The shop the uncle mentioned is this one—Nan Fa. And you can tell how classic it is just by looking at
the font on the sign. You can already tell what kind of font this is. What style of roast duck does this shop serve, anyway? Hong Kong style. Why did they make it Hong Kong style? Because the person who roasts the duck went to study in
Hong Kong. This place is actually one of the very first shops in
Thailand. To use the Hong Kong-style roast duck recipe. They learned the recipe in Hong Kong and then opened
the shop right here. Look how appetizing it is—this is authentic Hong
Kong-style duck. And what about the traditional methods here? What did
they use for roasting in the past? At first, they used charcoal stoves, but now they ‘ve
switched to gas stoves. Oh, so it ‘s modernized now. The roasting drum is made of stainless steel. Je, may I take a look at the stove? Of course, go ahead. Now that we ‘re inside, this is the second roasting
stove. After the previous one, which was made of brick and
mortar. That ‘s how old it was. And when business picked up, they added another stove, which still looks pretty new.
But as for which one is more seasoned, you can judge for yourself. Here it is, right now. I ordered it with noodles. They also have steamed rice,
but I went with the noodles. This is one of the very first Hong Kong-style roast
duck recipes in Thailand. They serve it with glistening noodles. The meat is tender and the skin is perfectly fragrant.
But the sauce here is a clear-style fermented soybean sauce, which I have to say is delicious. The crispy pork has a hint of that roasted aroma. You can really smell the essence of roasted pork coming
through. And the sauce is actually the same one as before. This
one is the red pork ( char siu). Red pork, crispy pork, and roast duck. It has a distinct vibe that shows this is the Hong Kong
style. And you can really taste that in the flavor. And here, they do n’t just have red pork, crispy pork,
and roast duck. This one is stewed duck with pickled lime. This is a big piece. I really love the stewed duck with pickled lime. When you eat it, it ‘s so refreshing and fragrant. It has a slightly sour and subtly aromatic taste. It really helps cut through the greasiness of Chinese
food. And do n’t forget the Thai food style—it ‘s not just
Chinese food in street food here. They also have tom yum. There are two types of tom yum in Thailand. The clear soup version is transparent—they do n’t add
any cream. No milk or coconut milk is added at all. But this one is the creamy version, where they add
fresh milk to the tom yum. The creamy tom yum goong is popular all over the world. It ‘s said that if you come to Thailand, you must try
tom yum goong. This restaurant also serves tom yum goong with shrimp. This creamy tom yum goong, I have to say, when you eat
it … It ‘s rich, fragrant, sour, sweet, and salty all in one. It ‘s no wonder why people all over the world love Thai
tom yum goong. So, to sum up, this is an old restaurant that ‘s famous
for its roast duck. They ‘ve been using a recipe from Hong Kong for over
eighty years. The name of the restaurant is Nun Fa. It ‘s located right across from the Bangkok City Hall. Now that we ‘ve finished eating Hong Kong-style Chinese
food, there ‘s another highlight right next door—just half a
minute ‘s walk and we ‘re there. This one serves classic, early-generation
cookshop-style Chinese food. It ‘s been open for about as long as the previous
place—almost a hundred years. Let ‘s go. As we walk from the roast duck restaurant, It ‘s just a short distance from here, less than a
hundred meters away. We ‘ll come across an old, classic cookshop-style restaurant. It ‘s been open for so long, it ‘s truly a legendary
spot in this neighborhood. The place I mentioned earlier is right here—Mit Ko Yuan. The food here is in
the cookshop style, or you could say it ‘s Chinese-style cuisine. This place is really a classic
cookshop-style restaurant. So, originally, did you start out right here from the
very beginning? My grandfather actually came from Hainan, China. He opened a restaurant in Ayutthaya. And then he got to know Pridi Banomyong. He opened a restaurant in Ayutthaya, and Pridi had just
returned from France. Then he taught us about Western food—like stews, steaks,
and salads. We mixed those with Hainanese-style Chinese dishes. So it became a cookshop, thanks to Pridi Banomyong. He was the one who introduced and taught us the recipes.
He passed those recipes down to Ah Hia ‘s grandfather right here, and they ‘ve lasted until today. Now, when we look at this menu here— I have to say, this is actually a poster. Back in the day, in movie theaters— movie scenes would be used to create hand-painted
posters. And the most famous artist of that era was Piak Poster. Just now, the owner told me— Piak Poster was actually his father ‘s friend. I ‘ve never seen any other menu— that was designed as a poster by Piak Poster himself. This might be the only historical piece of its kind
still around today. Now, let me show you another amazing thing right here. This is also a menu—look at the year, either B.E. or
A.D. It ‘s over sixty years old. Back then, the price for steak— was just ten baht. See that? The dishes on this menu
are priced as they were sixty years ago. You could say this is a legendary dish from the
cookshop restaurants. It ‘s considered the very first generation in Thailand. Now, this is truly an old-school cookshop dish. Take
this menu item, for example—sirloin salad. They fry it; they do n’t sear it like a steak or
anything like that. This one, they use sirloin and pound it. They prepare it first, and the salad dressing here is a
clear vinaigrette. After pounding it, you could say the meat is almost
falling apart. And the clear vinaigrette here has a tangy, fragrant
flavor. Along with the crispness of the vegetables. It ‘s not
like modern salads that use mayonnaise. Or anything like that—this is different. And this one is ox tongue stew. If you do n’t eat beef, they also have pork tongue stew
available. It has a thick, rich stock—take a look. The flavor is like a French-style stew, not a
Chinese-style stew. This one has a tangy tomato flavor and a fragrant aroma. They add onions and sweet potatoes, then stew
everything together until well blended. This is a recipe from Pridi Banomyong. And this one is crispy noodles from the era of King
Rama V. They use soft rice noodles, stir-frying them until they
‘re crispy like this. Then they mix everything together to get this result. The flavor of these noodles is mellow, but not intense. And of course, something you ‘ll always find at typical
cook shops is the dry stir-fried mixed vegetables. They stir-fry vegetables, glass noodles, pork, shrimp,
and chicken all together like this. That ‘s why it ‘s called ‘dry jap chai,’ and it ‘s really appetizing. The taste is mellow, aromatic, and everything blends
together really well. As for this dish, I have to say … The owner brought it all the way from China—it ‘s
stir-fried Chinese celery. This is an old-school Teochew dish. It ‘s made in a simple way, but the flavor is
outstanding. Some places might add fermented soybeans to it. This place adds fermented soybeans too. This dish has the unique aroma of Chinese celery, which is stir-fried together with fish, and fermented soybeans. The fragrance is so tempting—it really stimulates your
appetite. Here ‘s the total bill, just like this: 660 baht, or $ 20. This place is 1 of the first-generation Hainanese-style
cookshops, open for over 80 years. It ‘s located right across from the Bangkok City Hall,
right here. The restaurant is called Mit Ko Yuan. Today, I ‘ve spent the whole day in the Sao Chao Pho
Suea area on Mahannop Road. I ‘ve eaten everything from roast duck, red pork,
noodles, and all sorts of red pork rice dishes. All of these are
legendary old restaurants in this area. You could say I ate a lot today. And that ‘s not all yet. From the Giant Swing to the Sao Chao Pho Suea Shrine,
there are hundreds of restaurants. There might even be more, but today I just ca n’t go on
anymore. See you in the next video to find out where I ‘ll be
heading next. So for this clip, please help by liking and sharing. And do n’t forget to subscribe and support my channel. If you like any of the restaurants featured in this
video, feel free to pick your favorite. There are so many options today, it ‘s really overwhelming.

If you love exploring authentic Thai street food, the Giant Swing (Sao Ching Cha) area in Bangkok’s Old Town is a paradise you shouldn’t miss.
This historic neighborhood is packed with legendary eateries—ranging from tiny street carts to century-old restaurants.

In this video, I take you on a full-day food marathon from morning to evening, covering 13 famous shops across every alley around the Giant Swing. Get ready for classic flavors, old recipes, and local favorites loved by Bangkokians for generations.

⭐ Where We Ate

1. Niyom Pochana
A Teochew-style roasted pork rice shop using an old-school charcoal grilling method. The gravy is rich with peanuts and toasted sesame. Don’t miss their pork curry and beef stew.
⏰ 6:30–14:30 (Closed Sun)
📞 022241196
📍 https://maps.app.goo.gl/rvNJFLpaf2cnVNKx6

2. Baan Pad Thai (Giant Swing Branch)
Homemade Pad Thai with perfect noodles and a signature tamarind sauce.
⏰ 8:00–18:00 (Closed Tue)
📞 0818404467
📍 https://maps.app.goo.gl/U5VcXsjtM1Rm3Xq79

3. Yui Fresh Tua Paep
Freshly made Thai mung bean dumplings—soft, chewy, mildly sweet with coconut and bean filling.
⏰ 8:00–14:00
📞 0950616144
📍 https://maps.app.goo.gl/9S8QWDABiuTAGskZ8

4. Kanom Bueng Lamiet
A legendary Thai crispy pancake shop with recipes passed down for 6 reigns! Choose from sweet, salty, and old-style toppings. Their Vietnamese-style pancake is extra crispy.
⏰ 9:00–15:00
📞 0818224584
📍 https://goo.gl/maps/WFCVAZ15qsggdq6f6

5. Je Nee Snow Taro
Crispy fried taro coated in crystallized sugar—sweet, fragrant, and iconic.
⏰ 9:00–17:00
📞 0868356269
📍 https://maps.app.goo.gl/HzDY9KD7pRNr1ng68

6. Nai Auan Yen Ta Fo
Thailand’s original Yen Ta Fo noodle with bold sour-spicy sauce, made fresh bowl by bowl. Their crispy shrimp balls are a must-try.
⏰ 9:00–20:00
📞 0897787770
📍 https://maps.app.goo.gl/wcv38wDybTDwUDq28

7. Pa Thong Ko Savoey
Famous Thai-style fried dough—crispy outside, soft inside. Eat plain or dip with pandan custard.
⏰ 12:30–21:00
📞 0947256653
📍 https://maps.app.goo.gl/3WGuFSPsaWiAMcrG8

8. Kor Panich (100-Year Mango Sticky Rice Shop)
One of Bangkok’s oldest mango sticky rice shops. Their sticky rice is fragrant, sweet, salty, and rich.
⏰ 7:00–17:00 (Closed Sun)
📞 022213554
📍 https://maps.app.goo.gl/o33jPmwo4dJiaX4x5

9. Natthaphon Coconut Ice Cream
Traditional Thai coconut ice cream—smooth, fragrant, and refreshing.
⏰ 9:00–17:00 (Closed Sun)
📞 0898265752
📍 https://maps.app.goo.gl/qd2oxgf8ixs9bv1E9

10. Chai Grilled Squid
Fresh grilled squid from Mahachai with an unbeatable spicy seafood dipping sauce.
⏰ 11:00–22:00 (Closed Mon)
📞 0924453355
📍 https://maps.app.goo.gl/VYV7VwRzjcQ8GwvU7

11. Mont Nomsod
A beloved Thai milk shop serving fresh milk drinks and buttery toast with many toppings.
⏰ 13:00–22:00
📞 022241147
📍 https://maps.app.goo.gl/9GrRDv8xNL9E84KF6

12. Nunfa Roast Duck
One of Thailand’s first Hong Kong–style roast duck shops—juicy meat, thin skin, and a savory fermented bean sauce.
⏰ 8:00–18:00
📞 022241180
📍 https://maps.app.goo.gl/nEnJrCnu4FAhqJiq7

13. Mit Ko Yuan
A legendary Hainanese “cook shop” once recommended by former Thai PM Pridi Banomyong. Try the vintage dishes: beef salad, ox tongue stew, crispy noodles, stir-fried fish with celery.
⏰ 11:00–13:30 & 16:00–21:30
📞 0924349996
📍 https://maps.app.goo.gl/tbGr8Zo6Lma5hAhbA

And that’s just scratching the surface—there are hundreds more amazing local spots in this neighborhood!
If you have recommendations, drop them in the comments. I’ll go try them next time!

📌 Chapters

(Keep same timestamps as original)

0:00 intro
0:23 Opening
1:40 Niyom Pochana
6:10 Baan Pad Thai
10:28 Yui Tua Paep
15:11 Kanom Bueng Lamiet
19:29 Je Nee Snow Taro
21:27 Nai Auan Yen Ta Fo
24:56 Pa Thong Ko Savoey
26:57 Kor Panich
29:11 Natthaphon Ice Cream
31:53 Chai Grilled Squid
33:27 Mont Nomsod
34:14 Nunfa Roast Duck
38:18 Mit Ko Yuan
42:57 Summary