Oppressive crowds notwithstanding, Yaowarat is the place to be this weekend.
February 10 marks the beginning of the new year on the Chinese lunar calendar (it’s the Year of the Water Snake, fyi), and Bangkok’s Chinatown will be throwing out all the stops, thanks in no small part to a massive influx of Chinese tourists looking to celebrate the holiday abroad.
If you’re headed to Bangkok’s Chinatown this weekend, you can expect parades, lanterns, firecrackers and an abundance of the color red.
Though Yaowarat offers the interested visitor plenty in the way of sights, smells and sounds, the landmarks and restaurants mentioned should offer good starting points for your exploration of one of Bangkok’s biggest festivals.
Restaurants
New Guang Meng
Address: 4-8 Padsai Road, Yaowarat
Tel: +66 (0)2 224 2201
Hours/Times: Open daily, 11am – 10pm
Killer dish: Sashimi
New Guang Meng has been offering traditional Teochew dishes to Yaowarat diners for half a century. The restaurant makes its infamous “Hu-Sae,” or Chinese-style Sashimi, from imported Chinese freshwater fish. The fish comes in thin slices, sprinkled with sesame and accompanied by homemade sweet-and-sour dressing.
T&K Seafood
Address: 49-51 Soi Phadung Dao, Yaowarat
Tel: +66(0)2 223 4519
Hours/Times: Open daily, 6pm onwards.
Killer dish: Grilled seafood
T&K Seafood’s magic is in its spicy seafood sauce, which has been known to make farangs sweat themselves into a state that at least feels akin to dehydration. The street-side restaurant is easily visible thanks to its neon lighting and green-clad wait staff.
Hua Seng Hong
Address: 371-373 Yaowarat Road, China Town
Tel: +66 (0)2 222 0653
Hours/Times: Open daily, 10am – 10pm
Killer dish: Roasted Duck and Pork
Hua Seng Hong, known for its Hong Kong-style Chinese dishes, is located in the very heart of Yaowarat. Its must-try dish is its roasted duck and pork, which goes very well with either bamee, or egg noodle, fried noodles or steamed rice. Dim sum is also on the menu at Hua Seng Hong, as is the ever-controversial shark-fin soup.
Food Carts
Though more or less un-trackable, the food carts in Yaowarat provide some of the best cuisine the neighborhood has to offer. Either sample the delectable crudités on offer along Yaowarat’s main streets, or head down one of the neighborhood’s lesser-known alleys to make some culinary discoveries of your own.
Temples
Leng Noei Yi is the most popular Mahayana temple in Thailand, and the location where many Chinese Thais go every year for blessings and merit making.
Thian Fah Foundation or Guanyin Shrine
Another popular location for Chinese New Year blessings, the Guanyin Shrine has undergone a facelift in the past decade, which has returned to it much of its original splendor.
Though not technically a Chinese temple, Wat Traimit is still one of Yaowarat’s more impressive landmarks, and deserves a visit anytime you’re in the neighborhood
