Noontime Noodles

Thai street food is blessed with many different noodle dishes, and in the business madness of Sala Daeng, the saturation of hungry office workers means that famous stalls selling each of them are readily available—complete with long queues for tables. Here we round up our favorite places where the wait is worth the bowl.

Guay Tiew Tom Yam

Khao Moo Daeng Convent

Soi Convent. Open Mon-Sat 6am-2pm
On Soi Convent, on the stretch of sidewalk between the flower shop and the entrance to the Carmelite monastery is a stall that not only packs in the tables, but also packs the sidewalk with patient patrons waiting their turn while ogling the giant bowls of noodles on offer. They do a few dishes, but their highlight, we think, is guay tiew tom yam, and their fixings are high-quality and delicous, including but not limited to moo daeng, fish balls, fried shrimp balls and tofu fish balls.
The price: B30, B35 for special and B40 for extra special.
Approximate wait time: Ten minutes for a table, 15 more for your food. But it’s worth it.
Our tip: Don’t be daunted by the throngs of people waiting for a table. The lady managing tables is a dab hand at keeping track and won’t let anyone cut ahead. Oh, and ask for a boiled egg and extra limes.

Guay Tiew Ped

Guay Tiew Ped Sala Daeng

Soi Sala Daeng, 081-491-5626. Open Mon-Fri 10am-1:30pm
Situated down an alley ten meters into Soi Sala Daeng, this is a rare duck noodles place in the neighborhood. The soup is murky and savory and their fixings are several cuts of duck, from the lean to the fatty to the chunks of congealed blood. If you’re not into veggies, this is the soup for you. Theirs barely has a few bean sprouts.
The price: B30-40
Approximate wait time: About five minutes.
Our tip: You’re also right next to a very cute, cheap dessert stall, where you can sample some delicious sangkhaya khao niaw (B10).

Yen Ta Fo

Coke Chuan Chim

Sala Daeng Soi 2. Open Mon-Fri 6-9:20am, noon-1:30pm
Turn right out of Central Silom’s back entrance and head down the street to this lauded yen ta fo stall. A single-file row of tables lines the sidewalk and is managed by a moody uncle who’s happy to see you but will slap you down if you try to cut the orderly queue for tables. Their broth is a great balance of garlicky, sweet and sour, and their shrimp and tofu-fish meatballs are varied and fatty. You may also like their rubbery, fermenty dried squid bits.
The price: B40, B45 for special
Approximate wait time: Ten minutes for your table, another 15 for food.
Our tip: Wait on the sidewalk across the street instead of crowding around the tables. Also, go for the special; it’s not that huge, but it’s got all the fixings.

Bah Mee Moo Daeng

Chuwan Sawoey

207 Silom Rd., 02-235-1860. Open daily 8am-8pm
This is a Chinese-owned shophouse a few doors away from Central Silom, right next door to yet another shophouse selling bammee moo daeng. You’ll know it from the friendly grandpa sitting outside rolling fresh wontons (and from the sign that warns you against going into the wrong shop). The bowl here is earthy, balanced with a mild, radish-heavy broth.
The price: B35.
Approximate wait time: No more than ten minutes, despite crazy crowds.
Our tip: The yelling can be a bit scary, but everyone’s nice. There’s a lesser-known second floor upstairs with more tables. Get your bah mee moo daeng dry with the broth on the side, so you can take intermittent bites.

Pad Thai

Pad Thai Sala Daeng

47 Sala Daeng Soi 2 (behind Silom Complex), 086-403-0106. Open daily 7am-2.30pm
A street stall in the front yard of an old Thai private residence, this pad Thai stand is run by the longtime housekeeper of the house, whose owner granted her use of the front yard. A smiling but busy woman, she works alone over the wok, expertly dishing out steaming plates of smoky, fresh pad Thai, the secret to which is supposedly the home-made tamarind paste. We love the large table that’s set away from the street, on the actual front porch of the house, but it’s almost always taken.
The price: B30 for pad Thai, B40 for pad Thai with fresh shrimp or squid.
Approximate wait time: Ten minutes for your table, 15 for your food. Don’t forget to order the minute you arrive, even if you’re still standing.
Our tip: Show up early (around 11:30am) or late
(around 1:30pm), or you’ll be waiting forever for a table, and then forever more for the food. Even if you’re squeamish about dried shrimp (what’s wrong with you?), try theirs: they are bigger than usual, very crunchy and not too pungent.

Extras

- For our chat with the pad Thai lady
- For more places with spectacular bah mee moo daeng in the city
- For something else around the neighborhood, check out the street eats of Soi Phiphat