Thais are passionate about food and love discovering out-of-the-way shops that prepare unexpectedly tasty dishes. Nowhere is this more true—or feasible—than in Bangkok. The city's residents always seem to be eating, so the tastes and smells of Thailand's cuisine surround you day and night. That said, Bangkok's restaurant scene is also a minefield, largely because the relationship between price and quality at times seems almost inverse. For every hole-in-the-wall gem serving the best larb, sticky rice, and som tam (the hot-and-sour green-papaya salad that is the ultimate Thai staple) you've ever had, there's an overpriced hotel restaurant serving touristy, toned-down fare. In general, the best Thai food in the city is generally at the most bare-bones, even run-down restaurants, not at famous, upscale places. More »
