SOI FOOD — Sukhumvit Soi 103, better known as Soi Udomsuk, offers food fit for a king for just a few baht. Baked vermicelli with prawn and crispy roasted duck will leave you stuffed without emptying your pockets.
Soi Udomsuk is packed with street food from the junction of Sukhumvit Road all the way to its end at Srinakarin Road.
The special charm of Udomsuk is that it offers a completely different range of vendors during the day and at night. To narrow down the focus of this fascinating eating district, we’ll focus on Udomsuk Soi 1-10 in the evening, since we assume most of you would be stepping off the BTS to try out dinner on this street.
Here are five street food spots offering big eats for little prices.
All the places mentioned are in walking distance of BTS Udomsuk station.
Tom Yum Noodles (in front of SCB)
Noodles are easy to make and some of the most common street food in Bangkok. But when you get vendors that have been making and serving the humble, stringy street food for 37 years, you know they’ve probably picked up skills that make their noodles a million times better than a packet of Mama.
The crowded tables at Tom Yam Noodles (Original) let you know that the people of Udomsuk love this place. Their signature dish is Tom Yum Pork Noodles in condensed soup for THB50. One of the highlights in the menu is that you can choose from two different kinds of tom yum soup — condensed or clear. You can also choose the level of spiciness from totally mild to red hot. Even if you choose a low level of spiciness, this real-deal tom yum still has a bit of a bite. It’s a good thing they offer free refills on their iced tea.
Hours: 6pm – 5am, everyday except Monday
Loong Yuen
Loong Yuen (Uncle Yuen) offers Udomsuk’s best sweet toast. Choose from toppings such as butter, condensed milk and custard or orange and coconut jam. Locals love to take-away a slice of toast with butter for THB6 or a set of steamed bread with coconut jam for THB30.
But the real pros know that this stuff is best enjoyed fresh. So, have a seat at the one small table next to the vendor and order a fresh milk drink for THB13 to wash down your toast.
Hours: 6pm – midnight, everyday except Monday
Rod Thanya 2, Udomsuk Soi 4
For many decades, it was the steamed rice, crispy roasted duck skin and soft duck meat with special sauce for THB40 that made Rod Thanya 2 famous. Without a doubt, it’s still the street cart’s most famous dish. These days, however, the owners have fleshed out their menu. You can now get their delectable duck over noodles or skip the duck altogether and have chicken or pork.
Hours: 7am – 8pm, everyday
Je Ying
Pa Tong Go with Nam Taohoo, or Cheese dough sticks with soy milk, is one of Thai people’s favorite sweet breakfasts. But it’s perfect for enjoying anytime of day. Try it at Udomsuk’s Je Ying.
At this Soi 103 hot spot, the Chinese dough stick for THB2 is crispy on the outside and soft inside. Dip it in soy milk for THB6 to taste the classic style or make it even sweeter by dipping the sticks in coconut jam with pandan for THB10.
Hours: 4pm – 10pm, everyday
Baked vermicelli with prawns (Unnamed Stall)
Baked vermicelli with prawns as a street food, can you imagine? It’s possible on Soi Udomsuk.
This baked vermicelli is served with three prawns (one of them is playing hide-and-seek with us in this photo) and a spicy seafood sauce that might be a bit too hot for the chili-averse. This stand continues to spoil us by featuring three dining tables. Okay, they have to share the tables with the pork blood cube soup vendor next door (see below) but with tastes like this at a paltry THB40, we aren’t going to complain.
Hours: 4:30pm – 11pm, everyday
Pork blood cube soup (Unnamed Stall)
A big bowl of hot soup with pork blood cube and pork organs (THB40) is best served with a cup of steamed rice (THB5) to balance the black pepper spice and the broth’s salt. Just thinking about all the deep, rich flavors mingling together in this filling dish makes our mouths’ water.
Hours: 4:30pm – 11pm, everyday
All of this food writing has made us develop quite an appetite. We’ll see you at Soi Udomsuk.
Related:
Soi Food Series: Ditch the cliche Yaowarat and get yourself to Soi Yotse
