Suvarnabhumi Airport Foods

For this recommendation, I will be discussing the ups and downs of airport food at Bangkok’s main airport, Suvarnabhumi Airport. Before I begin, I must first advise you that the correct pronunciation of the name has not ''mi'' at the end - it’s actually Su-varn-na-poom. Yes it looks a lot uglier but just make sure you don't say the ''mi'' at the end. Moving on, I will point out two restaurants that you should go to, with what to order and of course, very unfortunately, what not to order.

Let’s dive right in to it! The two restaurants I would recommend to those that would like to have a meal at the airport are, Chinatown Restaurant and S&P. Both restaurants are on the same floor, and once again I can’t remember what floor that is. Anyhow, if you remember these two names when you head over, you should be just fine to find a half decent meal.

Chinatown Restaurant

Chinatown, as the name suggests, serves Chinese dishes. These Chinese dishes are more like the Chinese food that we Thais - and apparently the people of the Southeast Asian region - enjoy. You should definitely order crispy pork belly, simply because it’s the bomb. Just take a look at the picture, it looks amazing. The only downside was that the portion was small. Taste wise you won’t be disappointed. Also try the fried chicken with rice. This is essentially chicken rice but in Thailand you could either choose steamed chicken or fried chicken. As I am a very healthy person, I always choose the fried version. The rice was nice from its marinate or garlic and ginger. Overall a very nice one dish wonder.

What you should not order from here though, pay attention now. You should not order fresh coconut juice. I know that the coconut are cut open to order, but trust me, it’s a gamble for the price the drink costs. As a matter of fact, you never know whether the coconut will be delicious or not. It’s like a hit and miss thing. And since you’re drinking it at the airport, you can’t (or shouldn’t) really afford to buy another one just because the prior was not ripe enough. If you’re down for some coconut juice, have it during your time in Thailand, but just not at the airport. For the high price that you pay, you will probably cry afterwards if the coconut juice is not at its finest.

S&P Restaurant

S&P is a huge chain of restaurant in Thailand. It mainly has Thai food but there are always options for western food as well. Most of the dishes are quite good. My childhood favourite at S&P is the American Fried Rice. I know, it sounds a bit weird. I never got the chance to eat American Fried Rice (or even heard of such a dish) during my two years in the States. What it is, is basically fried rice with tomato sauce (ketchup for us American English speakers) with an addition of raisins. It that doesn't sound unique enough, the best parts actually come on the side. An American Fried Rice will have a fried egg (inform the waiter/waitress if you'd like a Sunny Side up otherwise they’ll cook it through), a few tiny hot-dog-sausages, a piece or two of ham or bacon, and sometimes, a fried chicken on the side. It’s quite good actually, but my palate has moved on a way since I was seven. They’re also well-known for their cakes, desserts and light snacks. I’m not too sure if these are offered at the restaurant here, but you could always check out the display and menu at the front. Overall, S&P is another great place to have a meal at the Bangkok airport.

Stalls with Boxed Food

Alternatively, pretty right in the middle of the terminal just away from the restaurants are stalls where you could also purchase boxed foods. I have tried them on a few separate occasions and would definitely buy food from their again. They’re not one of those lunch boxes where the food look sad and that they’ve been prepared a week ago. The food taste good given the fact that it’s not fresh. And the best part is, they’re a fraction of what you would pay when you sit and dine in the restaurants. They’re still more expensive than what you can find in Bangkok, but hey, this is the reality of airport prices after all. At these stalls, you could select from skewers of chicken, pork and fish/pork balls. For heavier meals, they usually have rice plus a side dish, often pork, chicken or beef. Sometimes, you may also find Thai omelettes (the world’s finest in my opinion) and other staple dishes.

Drinks are also much cheaper at these stalls. There is a coffee shop that makes decent coffees and hot chocolates (more like milo or oval tine). If I were to sit in a restaurant and drink from a glass of ice (leaving like 70ml of the actual drink), I would choose to buy a drink from this stall any day. They make very nice Thai iced coffee, which is basically iced coffee with the addition of milk and lots of sweetened condensed milk (the best bit). They usually make it quite sweet, so be sure to inform the barista how sweet you’d like you Thai iced coffee. Like I mentioned, we don’t often drink hot/iced chocolate, but rather the siblings, in Milo or Ovaltine. These two are the most common brands in Thailand as far as the chocolate powder game is concerned. Both of them have a richer and thicker taste than the normal chocolate powder we often drink overseas. I would go for an iced Milo or Ovaltine over a regular iced chocolate any day. Once you give it a try, you will do all you can to get your hands on a jar of them!

Source

Having something to eat at the airport is never cheap, but I hope these tricks will have get the most out of the Thai baht. Oh, I forgot to mention but you also grab some really really good snacks from convenient stores like 7/11 or Family Mart. Try the get small boxes of flavoured milks or chocolate drinks! I get those every single visit. But of course, ultimately the best solution is to avoid airport food as a whole. The ugly truth is that the quality and taste are never really up to par and they’re not a very good introduction or conclusion of Thai cuisine. But if you want something that is super consistent for quality, you could always join the long queue for Burger King or order a drink at Starbucks. I hope these little tips from a local will help you should you be at our airport!

Chinatown Restaurant, Bangkok Suvanabhumi International Airport - Ratings :

Accessibility - 9/10

Price - 7/10

Selection - 7/10

Staff Friendliness - 7/10

Cleanliness - 7. 5/10

Atmosphere - 8/10

Overall - 8/10

Down below is an interesting read for more information on what's there for hungry travellers at the Suvanabhumi International Airport Terminals :

http://www.bangkokairportonline.com/node/131

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