Besides larger than life shopping malls, elaborate ancient temples and vibrant local festivals there’s one more thing the Thai capital is famed for, and it’s piping hot, unimaginably cheap and always freshly made. Known as the street food capital of the world, the bustling streets of Bangkok are a food lover’s dream come true in the Orient. Laden with food stalls serving everything from soups, rice, noodles and crispy snacks to delectable local delicacies, street food vendors outnumber other storefronts in this touristic hotspot.  Affordable and prepared in front of diners’ eyes these on the go treats are fast becoming one of the best reasons to holiday in sunny Bangkok.

Rice dishes are of course a staple among Bangkok’s street food vendors and travellers will find a plethora of rice based treats along the narrow alleyways and avenues of the city.  Curry on rice stalls are a common feature in Bangkok where diners can pick which meat or vegetable dishes with which to complement their personalized rice plate. These customized food services are also common among ‘made-to-order’ food vendors who prepare meals of your choice with fried rice dishes, omelettes, stir fried pork and meat dishes almost always on the menu. Pad Thai is of course a Thai staple that is available through most street food stalls while other local favourites such as oyster omelettes, Thai desserts, sugary rotis and grilled pork are also widely available in stalls and pushcart food suppliers.

Noodle lovers on the other hand can select from a wide range of noodle based dishes such as Sen Mii or rice vermicelli noodles, rice river noodles, Sen Lek rice flour noodles and Bah Mii noodles which are made from eggs and wheat flour. Glass noodle or Woon Sen soya bean noodles are always popular among tourists who have the choice of consuming the mouth-watering food in either dry form (haeng) or dipped in a soupy broth (naam).

Other popular street food varieties in Bangkok include Chinese specialties such as bird’s nest soup and roast duck that are sold down Yaowarat which is the city’s own Chinatown while great Indian delicacies can be found on the street corner of Pahurat, also known as Bangkok’s Little India.

Steamed dumplings, rice and fish soup dishes galore are available down Charoen Krung although Talat Phlu is the hot pick venue for top-of the line street style sticky rice and steamed sea bass in lime sauce. Freshly cut Durian is another must-try Bangkok street food specialty that is ideal for dessert in addition to green papaya salad and salty fruit salad.

Visitors on the lookout for 5 star hotels in Bangkok should look no further than the Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort & Spa. Ideally located on the shores of the Chao Phraya River this resplendent rest set amidst an 11 acre tropical garden is a luxury Bangkok resort like no other.