Anthony Bourdain filmed in Thailand four times between 2002 and 2014, across three different shows (A Cook's Tour, No Reservations, Parts Unknown). Unlike so many "Instagrammable" destinations, his Thai spots were never chosen for the setting: street stalls, floating markets, family canteens run for decades. We checked, one place at a time, which ones are still going today. Here are the 9 that passed the test.
Why following Bourdain's footsteps in Thailand makes sense
Bourdain hated "best restaurant" lists and places built for tourists. What he filmed were the places where Thais themselves have eaten for generations: a jok stall open at dawn in Bang Rak, a grilled chicken seller in front of a Muay Thai stadium, a train that rolls through a market where the trading never stops. Fifteen years after his first visits, some of these places have closed or moved (we point it out each time); others still run exactly as before.
In Bangkok, on the trail of street food and historic canteens
Four cult spots, all in the old town or Chinatown, all still in business.
1. Jok Prince
Filmed in the Bangkok episode of No Reservations (2009), this jok (rice porridge) stall with its trademark smoky flavour is still one of the most popular street food spots in Bang Rak. Bourdain tried the porridge with soft-boiled egg and pork offal, served with fried ginger and chilli. Now awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand, it still draws a mixed queue of locals and travellers.
Address: 1391 Charoen Krung Rd, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500 (opposite the Robinson Bangrak department store, a short walk from the Shangri-La).
Still open: yes, confirmed in business in 2025.
2. Tang Jai Yoo
This is where Bourdain, together with the famous Thai food critic McDang, tasted the house's signature roast suckling pig: cooked to order Chiu Chow style, never in advance, so expect a 15 to 20 minute wait. A Chinatown institution since the 1960s, the restaurant is still a benchmark for this dish in Bangkok.
Address: 85-89 Yaowarat & Thanon Phanurangsi, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100.
Still open: yes, the restaurant is active in Chinatown.
3. Likhit Kai Yang
One of Bourdain's favourite haunts in Bangkok: Isan-style grilled chicken (gai yang), som tam and sticky rice, right next to the Rajadamnern Muay Thai stadium. A family institution nearly 70 years old, it is still busy before Thai boxing nights, known for fast service and a warm welcome.
Address: 31/1 Phraeng Nara Rd, Wat Sommanat, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok 10100 (right next to Rajadamnern stadium).
Still open: yes.
4. Nefertiti Restaurant
A more surprising stop, filmed on his very first trip to Bangkok for A Cook's Tour (2002): Bourdain stopped at this Egyptian restaurant in Bangkok's "Arab quarter" for Egyptian-style coffee and om ali (a milk and raisin pudding). The Soi Nana area (Sukhumvit Soi 3/1) is still one of the few parts of the city devoted to Middle Eastern food, and Nefertiti is open almost around the clock.
Address: 4/8 Soi Sukhumvit 3/1 (Soi Nana / "Soi Arab"), Khlong Toei Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110.
Still open: yes, with recent reviews in 2025.
The floating markets and the Maeklong train, captured on screen
Still in the Bangkok episode of No Reservations, Bourdain went out to the neighbouring province of Samut Songkhram to film three iconic places, about an hour and a half by road from Bangkok and easy to combine in a single day.
5. Maeklong Railway Market (Talad Rom Hub)
The famous "umbrella market": noodle and seafood stalls set up a few centimetres from the tracks, whose vendors fold away their tarps and awnings every time the train passes, then put everything back straight afterwards. Bourdain ate noodle soup with fish balls, pork and wontons at one of the market stalls. The train still runs through the market eight times a day.
Address: next to Mae Klong station, Mueang Samut Songkhram, about 70 km south-west of Bangkok.
Still open: yes, daily market from 6:20 am to 5:40 pm, timed around the train schedule.
6. Amphawa Floating Market
A little further along the same canal, Bourdain tried a Thai salad with prawns and mussels and fried prawn cakes, cooked right on the boats moored along the banks. Amphawa is still one of the most authentic floating markets in the Bangkok area, especially in the evening when the lanterns light up over the water.
Address: Amphawa district, Samut Songkhram.
Still open: yes, Friday, Saturday and Sunday only, from about 2 pm to 8 pm.
7. Taling Chan Floating Market
Closer to central Bangkok (in the district of the same name, on the Thonburi side), this is the floating market where Bourdain ate a snakehead fish stuffed with herbs, rolled in salt and grilled whole. The set-up has changed a little over time (not all the kitchens are on boats any more, and some now grill from fixed platforms along the canal), but fish grilled in banana leaf is still the market's speciality.
Address: 333 Chak Phra Rd, Khlong Chak Phra, Taling Chan, Bangkok 10170.
Still open: yes, weekends only, from 8 am to 5 pm.
In Chiang Mai, two spots from Tony's last trip to Thailand
For the Chiang Mai episode of Parts Unknown (2014), Bourdain teamed up with chef Andy Ricker (Pok Pok) to explore northern Thai food. Two places that were very busy at the time can still be identified and are still open today.
8. Khao Soi Lam Duan
One of the oldest khao soi (coconut curry noodles) sellers in Chiang Mai, where Bourdain and Andy Ricker ate a bowl of chicken khao soi with som tam and Thai iced tea. Watch out for the address, though: the original stall, once near Chang Phuak Gate, has closed and the business has moved to Charoen Rat Road, near Wat Fa Ham temple. This is the address to head for today, under the same name and with the same recipe.
Current address: 352/22 Charoen Rat Rd, Wat Ket, Mueang Chiang Mai (Fa Ham area).
Still open: yes, at its new address, usually from 10 am to 3 or 4 pm.
9. Midnight Fried Chicken
A late-night spot where Bourdain and Andy Ricker worked through fried chicken, Thai sausage and nam prik (chilli paste) with sticky rice. The night-time atmosphere is what makes it special: go around midnight, once the bars on nearby Loi Kroh Road are in full swing and the queue in front of the stall gets longer.
Address: 139 Kamphaeng Din Rd, Chiang Mai 50100.
Still open: yes, every evening except Sunday, from 6:30 pm to 2 am (cash only).
Practical tips for planning your food tour
- Always check the address before you go: as Khao Soi Lam Duan shows, some stalls filmed 15 years ago have moved or changed their name. A quick look at Google Maps or the place's social media saves you a wasted trip.
- Group the spots by area: the 4 places in central Bangkok can be done in one day; the 3 markets in Samut Songkhram combine into a day trip (the train, then Amphawa or Taling Chan); the 2 Chiang Mai spots need a day there, khao soi at lunchtime and Midnight Fried Chicken late in the evening.
- Bring cash: most of these street food and market spots do not accept cards, unlike more touristy restaurants.
- Plan around short opening hours: several of these places only serve one sitting (often morning or lunchtime), and the floating markets only run at weekends: build your day around them rather than the other way round.
After such a packed street food tour, time for a shopping break: our guide to 10 places to buy niche perfume in Bangkok shows you a completely different side of the city, between Song Wat and Ratchaprasong.
Extending your trip in Southeast Asia
Like many travellers, you can easily combine a stay in Thailand with a tour of neighbouring Cambodia, less than an hour and a half away by plane. If Angkor is on the list, our guide on how many days you need to visit Angkor will help you choose the right pass for your time there. And to keep bank fees down for the whole trip, our guide to cutting your bank fees abroad applies across the region.
Find all our articles on Asia here.