Thai street food: A budget gourmet adventure with Michelin stars

Scratched walls, plastic tableware, and street sound—the street food ambiance in Thailand is unique. It's part of the country's culinary tradition, which is why it has its unique place in the prestigious Michelin Guide. Curious about what the "Michelin" food stalls serve, I checked out the cheapest options among the most prestigious.

According to the current Michelin Guide, 95 restaurants in Thailand serve street food, 60 of which have received the Bib Gourmand award. This distinction signifies that the establishment, often a tiny stall, offers the best quality-to-price ratio of the dishes served. Inspectors spend as much time finding these places as those honoured with stars. So, I decided to check out what they offer and if the red plaque works like a magnet.

Like the "star" winners, owners who receive the Bib Gourmand award also get the famous red plaques they can proudly display on their premises' walls. Additionally, the guide's distinguished places are adorned with the image of the Michelin Man licking his lips. This is with good reason, as the food is delicious above all. And you can eat to your heart's content, as the prices are unbelievably low.

Street food, by definition, is cheaper and usually revolves around local culture, though not always. It is served quickly, for takeout or on-site in plastic dishes, and the stalls do not have a typical kitchen setup. Thailand is famous for its street food, which is uncomplicated, simple, easily accessible, and inexpensive. The same food is enjoyed by random tourists, foodies visiting with a purpose, and Thais dropping by for lunch.

Walking the paths of Michelin Guide gems in Thailand, I came across three distinct and characteristic places. In Chiang Mai alone, there are 27 recommended places with the Bib Gourmand distinction, 13 serving street food. Among these, I chose the three cheapest, guided by the single dollar symbol in the guide.

I first visited Lung Khajohn Wat Ket, a small venue famous for its traditional snacks, which has been operating for decades. The food is served for takeout, and I was presented with two options: steamed dumplings with a sweet-salty filling (resembling Italian ravioli) and tapioca balls with sweet pork. I asked for both. The portions were small but just enough to satisfy a slight hunger.

Cars and scooters constantly pulled up to the place. I assume the traffic must be heavy because many prepared packages were already waiting on the tables. The interior of Lung Khajohn Wat Ket is like many others: there is the typical clutter of such places, the walls need repainting, and a small fan struggles to provide a bit of coolness to those working there. But there was also something else: beautiful smells and great kindness.

The food tasted so unique that it is hard to compare it to anything. The dumplings were delicate and slightly chewy, while the stuffing — though noticeably meaty — had a sweet taste. It was not bland, though. I poured the sweet-salty coconut cream that came with the set over them and crunched them with a lettuce leaf from the set. The tapioca balls required more effort to chew, but the interior was surprising: it was even sweeter but still meaty. The price? Pocket change — for two packages (see photo below), I paid 40 baht. That's about CAD 1.50.

After a few minutes of walking, I found myself at another Michelin-honored street food place. Guay Jub Chang Moi Tat Mai accepts customers on the spot. The venue is small, and tables and chairs mainly occupy the space. A kitchen counter stands in front with a shelf holding a large piece of crispy pork and a pot of soup, and at the back, there is a "shrine" for spirits (see photo below). Thais believe that the spirits of a place, the souls of previous owners, need their corner. Otherwise, one can expect all sorts of misfortune. And Guay Jub Chang Moi Tat Mai seems to be doing quite well — five red plaques are on the wall, indicating the place has been continuously featured in the guide since 2020. Do they work like a magnet? I shared the tables with 10 guests, which is quite a lot considering it was midday.

This place is known for its intensely peppered broth with crispy pork and rice noodles. Since I planned to have soup later, I opted for a different dish — braised ribs with rice. Along with it, I got a bowl of peppery soup. Some might ask what's unique about braised ribs and boiled rice. And I must admit, although the ribs were as tender as they could be, they were served already peeled and cut.

But it's not the ribs we need to talk about here; it's the sauce that contained all the Thai flavours I know — soy sauce, Thai basil, something nutty, something sweet, and something salty (perhaps fish sauce?). I ate very slowly; it was a shame to finish. The broth was highly peppery, and my forehead was sweating so intensely that a lovely lady brought me a glass of Thai iced tea. The dish cost 80 baht (including the broth and tea), about CAD 3.00. Not much, but such a price can be considered above average in this area.

Finally, I wandered into Rote Yiam Beef Noodle and found the winner (of course, subjectively). This place has served some of the best beef in town for over 30 years. The meat is usually immersed in a beef broth containing Chinese herbs. And if someone doesn't like soup, they can opt for beef in yellow curry with rice. However, I was here for the soup.

I chose a large portion with wide noodles, chopped beef, and beef tongues. The food was served quickly, and I ate it even faster. The taste of the broth was reminiscent of Vietnamese pho but even more robust and meaty, with noticeable refreshing herb notes. The meat, especially the tongues, melted in my mouth, with fresh bean sprouts adding a crunchy texture. I expected "the best beef in town," and I was not disappointed. The soup cost 100 baht, just under CAD 4.00. Similar dishes are served everywhere, often for half the price. But could you get such outstanding tongues anywhere else?

The interior of Rote Yiam Beef Noodle is a hybrid of a Thai street food place and an antique shop. The simplest tables stand on the floor, and under the ceiling, behind the glass of hanging shelves, you can see aged radios resembling wooden boxes. A similar mix greets visitors from the entrance — next to the professional steel counter with a built-in large pot hangs a wooden shelf. Behind the glass, amid dusty photos and souvenirs, the red plaque shines (one of five). Does it magically attract crowds to the place? Besides me, only the employees were there, but judging by the large amount of cooked soup and prepared ingredients, I dare say I was just a warm-up.

Karina Czernik, Wirtualna Polska journalist