BANGKOK!! 😛 Okay sorry very lambat with our travel posts but I think it’s quite safe to say that the first half of 2018 was… more busy than we’d ever expected LOL But that’s a good thing right! And despite a bit of a longer delay than expected, we’re finally getting our travel videos and posts out!
The first trip we took in 2018 was to a place not too far away from home but still a hot favourite for a quick trip. Bangkok is definitely one of the top choices for a shopping getaway but like a lot of cities around the world nowadays, it’s getting increasingly easier to find Halal food!
We were actually there for a work conference but still wanted to get some information on the makan we found while we were there. It’s not much (and very slacko lah to be honest) of a video but we hope the information helps at least a little bit!
FUN FACT: Did you know that the FULL name of Bangkok is actually – Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit – I think we just stick to Bangkok lah okay 😛
1. TOMYAM PAA NGA
Tomyam Paa Nga has gained quite a bit of a reputation recently for churning out freshly-cooked Tom Yam dishes that are sure to get your mouth watering 😀 Grab a seat at one of the tables at this street stall and rub shoulders with the locals are you tuck in to your choice of Tom Yam.
Seafood, Fish, Shrimp, Chicken and Squid are on the menu but let the dude know what you want and so far he seems pretty accommodating. You can also choose if you’d like to enjoy with white rice on the side or, like us, add some instant noodles in there for a slurping good meal! If you’re lucky, you get to see him do a little dance as he cooks LOL
Just beside his stall, you can see another stall selling kinda like a salad/noodle dish. This is actually run by the Tomyam Paa Nga owner’s wife. Seafood noodles are tasty!
BONUS!!
At the same location as Tomyam Paa Nga (just next to the dining area actually) is a small stall selling Thai desserts. Noticeable favourites like Mango Sticky Rice are always a good choice. The rest are small cakes mostly involving glutinous rice. We arrived as they were closing up (and grabbed the last 2 Mango Sticky Rice!) so they probably have more stuff earlier in the day.
Tomyam Paa Nga
Address: 101/12 Ratchaprarop Rd, Khwaeng Thanon Phaya Thai, Khet Ratchathewi, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10400, Thailand
Landmark to look for: Citin Pratunam Hotel Bangkok
Tel: +66 89 094 4980
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Tomyam-Paanga-174856099340543
2. PRATUNAM MARKET
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd9KEvmA-qX/?taken-by=thehalalfoodblog
Just across the street from where we were staying was the Pratunam Market. Yes, it’s an actual market and it’s REALLY big. Besides being an actual market on one side, it’s also kinda like a shopping street where you can find small shops lining the sois. But we were there for the makan 😛
To be exact, we were hunting for breakfast and we were pleasantly surprised to find a whole corner of the makan section with about 2-3 Muslim-owned stalls. The one we ate at even displayed certificates from the Muslim regulatory body of Thailand! Stall-owners were friendly and helpful plus the menu also had English translations which made it really easy. Super affordable at about ฿50 per bowl!
Anyways, as we sat there and enjoyed our noodles, it was a great morning to relax and eat while we watched the people hustle and bustle by us in the market. (There’s also a stall selling kinda like Nasi Campur by the way but it was just so-so lah).
A bit of a walk around Pratunam Market and we chanced upon something that I’ve ALWAYS wanted to eat in Bangkok. You might be thinking… what’s so special about this? Okay lah so it’s just simple fried food from a push-cart along the street but I’ve seen wayyyyy too many photos and videos of people enjoying deep-fried food in Thailand and I’ve never found a Halal one! Til now that is 😀
It’s mostly chicken here (sausages etc) in crispy coatings and what nots. This particular stall also has some pretty good shaker fries and Keropok Lekor too! I think the shiok part is they fry everything on-site which means you get to enjoy it while it’s hot and crispy. Don’t forget the chili sauce!
Pratunam Market
Address: 869/15 Ratchaprarop Rd, Khwaeng Thanon Phaya Thai, Khet Ratchathewi, กรุงเทพมหานคร 10400, Thailand
Landmark to look for: Pratunam Market itself (across the street from Fashion Platinum Mall)
3. CHATUCHAK WEEKEND MARKET
Chatuchak Weekend Market is a MUST VISIT when you travel to Bangkok. These sprawling grounds have pretty much EVERYTHING you can think of. But in between all that shopping, you’re definitely going to need to find some makan am I right?
PRO TIP: It’s also called JJ Market (as in Jatujak Market) so don’t be confused if someone calls it that okay!
I remember when I first visited Chatuchak Weekend Market in 2009, it was pretty much impossible to find Halal food there. So glad to report that is no longer the case these days. Based on what we’ve heard, there are at least 3 places to find Halal makan within Chatuchak itself and we managed to find 2 of them.
The one we saw ‘indoors’ was called ‘Mak Jah’ and was operated by Malaysians from Kelantan. They had plenty of rice and dishes to choose from in case you’re looking for a nice full meal before you embark on your full day of shopping 😀
We only decided to look for food midway through our shopping and so we ended up in the middle of Chatuchak. There’s an open-air area right in the middle and that’s where we found a humble stall that simply had a sign ‘Halal Food’. A quick check later and we found it was run by Thai Muslims. They’ve got all your classics here including Pad Thai and Pad Krapow Gai too. Prices were still reasonable actually. The only drawback is that it’s pretty small and it can be pretty hard to find a place to sit if you’re in a big group. If no space, get it packed and find some other area to relax and makan okay!
PS although it’s called a ‘weekend market’, it’s only closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Other weekdays, may not be as busy as popular stalls may be closed. So it’s still best to visit on the weekend!
Chatuchak Weekend Market
Address: Kamphaeng Phet 2 Rd, Khwaeng Chatuchak, Khet Chatuchak, กรุงเทพมหานคร 10900, Thailand
Landmark to look for: Chatuchak Weekend Market itself
Operating Hours on weekends: 9am til 6pm
4. PHAYATHAI KITCHEN
This makan place was actually recommended by quite a few of our readers! Phayathai Kitchen was actually quite far from where we were staying but we hopped on a tuk-tuk and made the trip there for dinner and found out quite a bit! But more on that later okay! First up is our makan at Phayathai Kitchen!
Wow they really have an extensive menu to say the least. Besides the usual Thai favourites, they also have some Western food in case you don’t fancy Thai cuisine for whatever reason. Prices are understandably a little bit higher. In fact, this was probably the only actual restaurant we visited during our few days there.
The dishes were pretty okay I guess. The standout was the Fish Steamed with Lime which was a little pricey but probably really worth it in the end because everyone enjoyed it 😀
BONUS!!
Phayathai Kitchen is located in a district known as Ratchathewi. There’s a mosque there – Masjid Darul Aman (no ont the one at Eunos) – and all around that area, you’ll find PLENTY of Halal food! Most of it is street food like Murtabak and pancakes etc but it’s all sooooo good. We had this chicken fillet thingy (as seen in pic above) and it was SO SEDAP I went back and bought whatever they had left on the grill LOL
There are also several cafes and small restaurants along that stretch including one called Zam Zam (no, not the Murtabak place) so you’ve got plenty of choices. Even at night, that place is pretty busy so explore if you can! Sorry we don’t have much more info at this point because we didn’t have much time this time around!
Phayathai Kitchen
Address: 63, 68 Phetchaburi 7 Alley, Thung Phaya Thai, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
Landmark to look for: Masjid Darul Aman
Tel: +66 2 612 1446
Facebook: www.facebook.com/phayathaikitchen
PRO TIPS!
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd_fs-4AbZR/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Let’s be honest – when you travel, quite a few of you will want to try more authentic local food and even as much street food as possible am I right? But in reality, that may not be suitable for everyone because the tummy tolerance levels are different for everyone 😀
As always, just be cautious especially when eating street food (see-see lah the cleanliness level is at least not so jialat) okay! Be safe not sorry!
As for us, when we’re in Thailand, we always drink some Betagen! Or at least I do lah 😛 It’s like the Thai equivalent of Yakult and might just help ease any tummy issues you may encounter in Thailand especially after all that eating!!
Japan may have their Tokyo Banana but Thailand has their… Siam Banana! LOL I actually just call it Bangkok Banana because it sounds better 😛 Good idea for souvenirs to bring home for family and friends. This one is officially certified Halal (got logo one!)
They’ve got a few flavours including Banana, Coffee, Chocolate and even Durian!
There’s plenty more Halal food to be enjoyed in Bangkok and we wish we could have covered more. Alas, it was not to be this trip but Insya Allah we will try and cover more the next time we visit Thailand!! ขอบคุณมาก!
