The most affordable Thai food in Bangkok under one roof

04 Feb The most affordable Thai food in Bangkok under one roof

There are dozens of food courts in Bangkok, usually located in an air con shopping mall where in self service style you pick from a range of tasty dishes from food stalls, all prepared quickly and at low cost. So when Central Embassy, the new ultra-luxury lifestyle mall opened in Bangkok in May 2014 it was clear that they were going to do something different with their food court. And they did.

Central Embassy Bangkok boasts an impressive collection of high-end designer stores, fine-dining, a luxury cinema and a six-star hotel due to open in 2015. It has become one of the world’s leading shopping destinations with its minimalist white interior and huge space. However, it also contains the most delicious and affordable Thai food in Bangkok. If you can’t afford to shop at Prada or Vivienne Westwood, trust me, on lower ground floor of Central Embassy is the most wonderful and affordable Thai food shopping and eating establishment imaginable.

‘Eathai’ is the concept of offering hundreds of classic Thai dishes from across the entire country in a beautiful setting. This place is like a Thai food kingdom and spans 5000 square metres. They have assembled signature dishes from all 4 regional cuisines – central, southern, northern and Issarn food, which means massive variety. There is also a vegetarian, seafood, and a street food area; a bar, a cooking school and a supermarket with awesome produce you can pack into your suitcase to take home. Care has been taken to source the best brands but at affordable prices.

Unlike classic food courts, your meal is served to you at a table and also unlike classic food courts, the decor of this place is just wonderful. Yes, you are inside an air con mall but the best has been done to authentically recreate the old style food stalls, the cooking implements and comfortable wooden seating. Many of the most famous food stalls in Bangkok have been invited to recreate their same signature dishes inside this lavish arena. Dishes start from around 80 baht up to 400 baht and despite the wide range of choice, ordering is made easy since most dishes are laid out in example with detailed English descriptions.

When you add the draw of the supermarket with it’s impressive range of organic toiletries and cooking pastes, I could literally stay here all day.

I totally put this food court into the bracket ‘affordable’ because although you can find all these dishes 20-30% cheaper out there on the street – this really is value for money and won’t break the bank no matter how many dishes you order. It’s also educational; I live in the South and love Issarn food but the Central area was a whole new discovery for me. I was also ending a Vegan month in January 2015 and found their vegetarian area awesome. The laab tofu in the photo below was very very tasty.

EATHAI

Central Embassy 1031 Ploenchit road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand

5 min walk from Phloen Chit BTS station or Chit Lom BTS station, (Skytrain) over a comfortable walkway.

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Photo of Central Embassy’s Atrium courtesy of Flickr.com – By Nonth. All other images courtesy of Eathai’s Facebook Page. Laab Tofu taken on my phone.