You will most likely stay on or near Khoa San Road, which means you definitely can’t miss Mr. Yim’s Fruit Shakes, $1 Muesli with Homemade Yogurt, or 5baht ice cold water.
The best Pad Thai out there is at this woman’s stand. When we got it, she was located in the middle of Khoa San Road, in a line of three identical Pad Thai stands. Julian got one from here, and I chose the one next to hers, and this Pad Thai was infinitely better. Still, if you can’t find this one, and find yours is not perfect, you can always add tons of hot chili flakes to make it yummy. Many street Pad Thai Stalls allow you to choose your noodle, with up to five options. I have tried them all, and find the traditional one best, with the yellow spaghetti as a close second, but have fun and try them all!
Thai Iced Thai is a classic must, but have you considered having a wonderful Iced Cappucino? This beauty is from My House GuestHouse on Rambuttri Road, where they also play movies at 1pm, 7pm, and 9:30pm each day. So it might be a good idea to come cool down at 1 and have one, or two of these lovely drinks for only $1.
Thai’s favorite food, second only to Pad Thai, it seems is Fried Chicken. When in a non-touristy town, such as Ban Ko Muk, while waiting for the 5am train, nothing is open for breakfast except a few Fried Chicken stalls.
Another popular food stall includes all sorts of meat, most popularly Hot Dogs. I haven’t dared to try those (because they are the grossest kind of meat, in my opinion), but I have opted for the less-processed (or so I believe) option: meat balls. Sometimes they are deep-fried, so it’s best to watch what someone else does in case you don’t want that. Then they are put in a bag with a delicious spicy sauce (the best meatballs I’ve ever had were in Pak Meng, where they were slow-cooked over coals).
Sometimes as much as a three person operation, Fresh Orange Juice (it’s actually made from Nectarines) in Thailand is heavenly. It’s a bit expensive to drink excessively if you’re on the $30 daily budget I am on, costing anywhere form 20-40baht, but worth it. They sell it everywhere, but I always opt for getting it where it’s made (as in the picture) and actually waiting for them to finish a bottle and specifically asking for the fresh one. Thais always pick out exactly what they want-from fruit, to a piece of meat, or noodles-so don’t be shy.
Note: People might tell you not to eat street food, but I have only eaten street food, and in the month I’ve been here, I’ve never gotten sick. So don’t be ridiculous and eat only at your resort-eat some street food!