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If there’s a must try activity in Bangkok, taking a food tour has got to be on the top of the list (even if you’re not a self proclaimed foodie)! There’s no better way to explore the city’s, sightsee, and fill your stomach with delicious eats all at the same time. My favorite restaurants, shopping, and city guide is all featured in this Bangkok recap!
A Chef’s Tour Bangkok
We were fortunate to go on a food tour via A Chef’s Tour on our second night in Bangkok. It was perfect as we were looking to explore one of the city’s most vibrant and historic areas, Yaowarat (Chinatown). During the food tour, we tried one flavor bomb after another highlighting Thai cuisine and traditions with a hint of Chinese fusion.
Check out my Instagram Reel featuring this food tour!
Bangkok Food Tour Local Guide
One aspect that made our food tour worthwhile was having local insights from an expert guide. We were lucky to be paired with Wit who had a deep knowledge of Thai cuisine, and he was also incredibly charismatic and joyful – we were always entertained and deep in laughter and conversation with him. He was so valuable explaining the best ways to enjoy each dish, and providing all the insights into the history, significance, and ingredients behind everything we discovered. And of course, not once did we have to stress about directions or securing reservations 😉
Best Bangkok Food Tour
The other thing we really liked about this tour is having the perfect size (8 guests) per tour. It gave us an opportunity to meet a few other couples and a handful of solo travelers. But still remaining small enough to feel intimate and personalized. Being in a group offered a unique way to experience the city, especially as many of the streets, smells, and flavours were novel to us all.
Food Samples in A Chef’s Tour Bangkok Food Tour
I shouldn’t even call these samples as we ate full on meals! The best thing about the food tour with A Chef’s tour is the variety and quantity of food you eat. During our 4 hour tour, we ate 19 different dishes! We were introduced to a well-rounded and diverse sampling of dishes, from creamy curries and umami-filled noodle soups to savoury ice cream and a bounty of exotic tropical fruits. We tried bites that were more well-known, and others that you won’t have any luck finding online reviews. Salty, sweet, sour, and spicy – you name it, we had it.
I won’t show you all 19 but here are a few of our most delectable highlights:
Jek Pui Curry
Featured on Netflix Street Eats, this hole in the wall restaurant served up my favorite curry in Thailand! Did you know that Thais traditional eat curry on top of noodles and not rice?!
Po Tak Soup
You’re probably familiar with Tom Yum soup but have you heard of Po Tak soup? This clear broth surprisingly had the same zingy flavor as Tom Yum but with less spice and more seafood. I loved this discovery as I would have never ordered it but I’m obsessed with this flavor!
Exotic Fruits
We got to try jackfruit, durian and mangosteen during the tour! A lot of hotels do not allow you to bring back durian or mangosteen so we haven’t had a chance to have it all throughout Thailand. This was my first time peeling a mangosteen. It looks pretty daunting but it was easy to peel and the fruit looks like a lychee inside!
River Prawns
All the high end restaurants in Bangkok serve the famous river prawns. These prawns are HUGE and I was so shocked we got to eat this on a street food tour. It was absolutely delicious and such a treat!
Chive Pancake
I’ve had plenty of Chinese chive pancakes but none like this! It’s got a chewy texture and a slightly sweet taste. It’s a cross between a snack and dessert!
Overall Thoughts
If you’re on the fence about doing a food tour or checking out the street food on your own, definitely sign up for a food tour! We are pretty adventurous and had street food throughout our two week Thailand trip. But having a local guide gave us so much more insight and added history to the food we’re eating. We also surprisingly haven’t tried the majority of food on the tour so it totally expanded our horizons. Considering you’ll have 15+ dishes and be filled to the brim, it’s safe to say that the tour is worth it!
You can book the tours directly on their website or via Tripadvisor.
Other Thailand Food Tours
If you’re in other cities in Thailand, A Chef’s Tour also has food tours in Chiang Mai and Phuket! They are also in other South East Asian countries and I can’t wait to join their tours again.
Thank you to A Chef’s Tour for hosting us!