We decided to visit Ari, Bangkok, a popular food district that’s lined with restaurants ranging from hole-in-the-walls, cafés and fine dining spots. It’s our first time going around Bangkok since moving to Thailand, so a food trip sounded like a great idea. After all, it’s what we enjoy most in the country. (Check out our list of favorites here)
Budget Food Crawl Guide
1. Look up popular places and hand pick at least 5 with different themes.
2. Places must be within walking distance of each other.
3. The eating must be spread out from lunch to dinner.
4. Order only 1-2 items from the menu to share.
Fats and Angry
The first stop was Fats and Angry, a social media-famous burger joint for its diner-inspired interiors.
We were surprised that they were actually good. We had our share of disappointing experiences, but Fats and Angry serves straightforward burgers, and even the smiley fries and milkshake (which are usually all frills and no substance for some) were delicious.
What we ordered:
California Cheeseburger Combo (California cheeseburger, milkshake, and smiley fries) 380 THB
Sprite 35 THB
Total bill: 415 THB
Le Paris Croissant
Le Paris Croissant wasn’t on our list of places to visit in our Ari food crawl, but it was a few steps away from our first stop, so we thought, why not finish off our delicious burger meal with our favorite pastry?
We let our son decide which croissant to get, and the boy replied quickly (in a duh! tone) with, “Matcha!” and hurried to take his seat. (He’s currently obsessed with sitting on benches)
The croissant was delicious! Flaky, buttery, and was a play of texture with the matcha Craquelin on top for that subtle crunch in every bite along with a fine mixture of matcha filling and cold cream—the latter was a pleasant surprise that took it to another level!
Mark tried the cheesy Shokupan as well. It has a sweetish cheesy topping to go with the lightly toasted yet fluffy Japanese bread.
This has been our best croissant experience in Thailand so far.
What we ordered:
Craquelin Matcha N Cream 135 THB
Cheesy Shokupan Toast 100 THB
Total bill: 235 THB
Kenn’s Coffee & Croissant
We went for another croissant at Kenn’s Coffee & Croissant. They have a broader line of savory croissants, coffee, and drinks. I got myself a strong, cold Thai Coffee, and Tikoy finished the butter croissant almost all to himself. But we thought we could give it another try and pick another flavor. The café is connected to its sibling, Katie Chocolaterie.
What we ordered:
Plain Croissant 65 THB
Thai Coffee 85 THB
Total bill: 150 THB
Pak Nang
Pak Nang is a traditional southern Thai cuisine with rich, spicy dishes. We ordered their “Magical Tea,” an ensemble of a pot of blue ternate tea with shooters of lime juice and honey. Customers “perform” the magic by mixing them and turning the tea from blue to purple. It’s a great little experiment for kids.
As for the parents, we chose 1 dish each, seeing that the price point was higher than what we’re used to for meals. Later, we discovered that it was only because the servings were good for sharing. We stuffed ourselves silly trying to finish what we ordered.
Tip: If you are dining with kids, ask for “mai phed” dishes, as the choices are mostly hot.
What we ordered:
Magical Tea 120 THB
Ruam Kor-lae Bann Paknang Khaoneaw Kamin Horm (Grilled chicken, squid, and shrimp in kor-lae sauce served with turmeric sticky rice) 280 THB
Kai Jiew Prik Kaeng Tai Bai Horapa Krob (Thai omelette with spicy sauce and fried basil) 140 THB
Mhee Pak Nang (Pak Nang noodles served with Southern Thai grilled shrimp in kor-lae sauce) 250 THB
Total bill: 790 THB
Josh Kaffa
We had breakfast at Josh Kaffa, a boutique café and in-house restaurant of Josh Hotel (read our review here). It has all the ambience, and I should point out, good music that set the mood as we tucked into our toast and sipped our coffee. We love the “meatiness of the mushrooms and the strong coffee.
What we ordered:
American Friend
Sunny and Ham Salad
Thai Milk Tea
Cappuccino
Total bill: Breakfast was complimentary, but if you want to add, it’s 250 THB per head.
Fuu Soufflé
It was time for post-breakfast dessert with Fuu’s super fluffy and jiggly soufflé pancake. We tried their Tiramisu with Banana Caramel, and it took us to the clouds.
What we ordered:
Tiramisu with Banana Caramel 245 THB
Total bill: 245 THB
Thong Smith Siamese Boat Noodles
What initially drew us to this boat noodle place was its impeccable branding. Our decision to have lunch there was affirmed by its busy tables came 11:00 am, and a line of food delivery bikes awaiting their orders.
The staple street food got its name from the ladies who sold them from their boats laden with steaming pots of broth, tender meat, pork balls, spices, and greens.
The broth is one of a kind, being made with bone broth, fermented soy bean paste, aromatics, and pork or cow’s blood. It’s a tangy and rich concoction, and you can customize it with your preferred level of spiciness, noodles, and toppings.
We also ordered Thai drinks, the Roselle Tea Drink with Dates and icy Chrysanthemum drink. Thong Smith is a high end version of this otherwise cheap meal, but it was worth the try.
What we ordered:
Boat Noodles with Braised Pork, Pork Ball, and Sliced Pork 139 THB (Large bowl also available at 179 THB)
Chrysanthemum slush 89 THB
Roselle Juice 69 THB
Grilled Pork ball 119 THB
Total bill: 635 THB
Drop by Doughs
We concluded our Ari, Bangkok Food Crawl with a takeaway bag of Drop by Dough Donuts. It’s a tiny shop that seats about six customers at a time, and also serves ice cream.
The donuts were huge and cakey, and didn’t scrimp on the flavor. Not to mention, they offer artisan choices and fancy food art.
What we ordered:
Raspberry Rose 95 THB
Kyoto Matcha & Almond 115 THB
Total bill: 210 THB
Mark x Abi 
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