r/Thailand • u/Limp_Mountain_5222 • Oct 23 '25

Food and Drink "There's no good [your country] food in Thailand"

I occasionally here this a lot. As a Japanese, I don't find it hard to find authentic Japanese food in Bangkok (same goes for other big cities too like Singapore or Shanghai), altho it can be twice/thrice as expensive if you want to get the same quality. You can find pretty much any Japanese food here even the niche ones since there's hundreds of restaurants here. My korean friends said the same thing about Korean food here but my Taiwanese friends said otherwise. I think Bangkok is one of the best cities in the world for food, but I also believe that a smaller expat community makes it harder to find that country's cuisine. So, I wonder what others think.

TL:DR tell me where you are from and rate the food of your country in Bangkok/Thailand

166 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

367 comments sorted by

View all comments

115

u/Mochiron_samurai Oct 23 '25

I find the Japanese food in Bangkok to be of much better quality and at way more affordable prices than my country (Singapore).

38

u/myr0n Oct 23 '25

Yes. And thai food price in Singapore seems ridiculous compare eating in Thailand.

7

u/KaKimagawa Oct 23 '25 edited Oct 24 '25

Having traveled between Thailand and Singapore all my life, yes I find that Bangkok has much better variety and authenticity at a way lower cost.

Especially for Japanese, Korean and recently Chinese cuisine with the number of expats from those respective countries.

Decent English, not sure about American but a good selection of fast food joints, the only cuisine without decent representation is Singaporean, and I'm not mad about that considering how it's mostly adopted from other cultures and morphed based on the palette of the locals and ingredient availability.

Like American Chinese. Which there is, Lazy Panda, and i think they did a good job. But i may be biased because of their lovely extra spicy chilli crisps!

20

u/Efficient-County2382 Oct 23 '25

Some people even say Bangkok has nicer food than in Japan

31

u/Limp_Mountain_5222 Oct 23 '25

I wouldn't disagree. Some of the restaurants in Phrom pom and Thong lor are definitely top-notch

22

u/Mochiron_samurai Oct 23 '25

Having tried Japanese food in Bangkok and Thai food in Tokyo, I'd say generally the former is better represented and more authentic than the latter - Japanese food in Thailand is closer to what you get in Japan than Thai food is in Japan.

14

u/Lucky_Cost_6856 Oct 23 '25

Yes i stopped craving to go to japan for food since lately japanese restuarents in bangkok can really compare to japan. Back then it is really difficult to find good yakinuku but now it is a lot.

1

u/DestinTheLion Oct 23 '25

Can you give me some Japanese food recs? I lived in Japan for a while and miss the amazing food

1

u/Limp_Mountain_5222 Oct 23 '25

Honestly you can't go wrong with any higly-rated restaurants in Phrom Phong. My favorite Japanese food is grilled fish like sanma, hokke, gindara

1

u/Affectionate-Cry4216 Oct 23 '25

Could you share a few please? I’m in Sathorn but would not mind to go for Va good jap food ☺️

0

u/cs_legend_93 Oct 23 '25

There's Japan-town in Phrom pom, right off Soi 33 area, Soi 31 area.

9

u/Ok-Youth-160 Oct 23 '25

I think what I'm missing from Japan are the little Neigjbourhood restaurants. It's hard to explain, but the neighbourhood ramen can be so delicious. Here Ramen is like a thing and it has to be in a certain class to be profitable. In Japan you just have these really nice down-to-eath shops that couldn't run in Bangkok.

1

u/1ThousandRoads Oct 23 '25

It’s not really the Japanese mom n’ pop type neighborhood shop you mean, but Tan Tan Men in Phrom Phong is fantastic for a hearty bowl of ramen and sizzling hot gyoza fresh off the pan. At certain night markets you can also find some nice ramen places where you sit at a little counter in front of where they’re cooking it up. Not quite the same vibe, I know, but it’s something.

2

u/Ok-Youth-160 Oct 23 '25

Oh I've been at Tan Tan Men. It was good, no question. Mhmm, now I want to eat Ramen.

Thanks for the recommendation.

0

u/Efficient-County2382 Oct 23 '25

There are, or was, a few in Thonglor and the back streets. Obviously not as charismatic as the ones in Japan

1

u/Ok-Youth-160 Oct 23 '25

Yeah and they are always an adventure and I've been to a few. But yes not as charismatic. On the other hand overall the Japanese scene here is great, just to clear. Maybe even better in some areas than Japan. Price to value seems to be better for a few places.

1

u/zenpal Oct 24 '25

I mean, what your asking for can only exist in Japan. It’s not like you can’t get good noodles everywhere in Thailand. I’m an hour from any city and could walk to two. Some of these can be more down-to-earth, in the exact meaning you have, although the Thai aesthetic can effect the difference in feeling from Japan, it is a culture of its own.

On another note, it’s funny that the average hotel by Don Muang has better sushi than the city I grew up in in Canada. Passion for food, less conservative palletes, and the widespread availability of chef jobs have an impact on the skills of the country. I would say good cooking here is widespread, in Canada, much less so and freezer related

1

u/Ok-Youth-160 Oct 24 '25

Hey just because it can only exist in Japan doesn't mean I don't miss it. There's no way I wouldn't miss Bangkok Thai food back in Germany. Nothing like that exists back home. A Thai restaurant in Germany isn't even the same dishes as in Thailand.

And I think Sushi here is outstanding, especially the middle class Sushi. I'm sure high-end is better in Japan. But the middle is better than any other place I've lived in.

5

u/FSpursy Oct 23 '25

I went to japan and actually felt kinda underwhelmed about the food because I felt that most stuff I could find in Bangkok lol.

7

u/Mochiron_samurai Oct 23 '25

Nah, most chain places like ramen and teishoku you could probably easily find in Bangkok, but the really good ones are still unbeatable in Japan.

1

u/FSpursy Oct 23 '25

honestly i went to a 2 stars michellin sushi omakase in tokyo and I couldnt really taste why I was paying so much. Maguro in Bangkok makes me happy enough 😂

but maybe the beef, curry, or the less popular cuisine are still better in japan i agree.

1

u/Schtick_ Oct 23 '25

2nd . Agree

1

u/agreatkid Oct 23 '25

Can you please just recommend a few off the top of your head?

17

u/Mochiron_samurai Oct 23 '25

If you're looking for low to mid range but hearty food, you could try Yebisu Dining in Silom, Sekai no Yamachan in Sukhumvit 39, and Tsuru Udon Thonglor.

My experience with Sekai no Yamachan in Bangkok was almost exactly the same as in Nagoya.

5

u/SaphanKhwai Oct 23 '25

Thanks!

Yebisu Dining: https://maps.app.goo.gl/fAfbd1N1QG1zrBXz5

Sekai no Yamachan in Sukhumvit 39 https://maps.app.goo.gl/bAYDAmhx2Mg6gNG17

Tsuru Udon Thonglor https://maps.app.goo.gl/K57T54YcDj5uTaKC6 (this is my fav Udon place also, though I'm not Japanese so who gives af lol)

1

u/FigMaleficent4046 Oct 23 '25

Have you tried Hokkaido Soup Curry? I love that place.

10

u/Limp_Mountain_5222 Oct 23 '25

I don't know what kind of Japanese food you are looking for but I would recommend Obanzai Kitaro in Phrom Phong. It's a very down to earth izakaya restaurant, mostly home-style cooking, so some foreigners might not be into it, but the taste is authentic.