Choosing where to stay in Bangkok was an exercise in self-restraint. Spread across the city, accommodations look tempting regardless of the area you search at. In the end, it was the vibe of Chinatown that led me to pick Yaowarat as the place to stay whilst in Bangkok.
The main vibe of Chinatown comes from all the food that spills out of the restaurants and on to the dozen street stalls on the main road. From shark fin soup to mango sticky rice and other Thai specialties, there is hardly any dish you won’t find if you look for it with the right intent.
Sam makes a lot of heads turn with its ambitious street selling at his stall in Chinatown in BangkokThere is an informal ethnicity in order too. The Chinese stalls are manned by Chinese immigrants or naturalized Thai citizens whose forefathers came from China while the Thai dish out their own cuisine. So imagine my surprise when I found Samuel tossing noodles in his wok to the admiring glance of passersby. Despite the crowds, Samuel eyed me and quickly figured I could be his next customer.
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Samuel is a Frenchman who has settled in Thailand after marrying his Thai wife Maem whom he met at a karaoke bar in his early years when he was reselling clothes made in Thailand back home in France. Sam, as he likes to be called, knew how to home cook French food but took on the challenge of opening a stall with Maem over a decade ago. At first, Maem cooked the Thai dishes on offer at the stall and Sam acted as waiter and cashier.
Gradually, Sam began to take turns behind the wok and found a ready audience that were much more pliable to eat at his stall. He learned how to cook by watching his wife and then added his own signature flair to the dishes. Sam is energetic, happy and genuinely wants you to enjoy his food. When I ordered a couple of dishes and asked to make it vegetarian, he listened intently and made the dishes just right. He even ordered beer for us from a nearby shop and made everyone feel comfortable, all the while talking about himself and his food as we chowed down the delicious and affordable fare. He can converse effectively in Thai, English and of course, French.
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His popularity began to grow almost as soon as he stepped behind the wok he says and there’s been no looking back. Initially, he was a hit with tourists but gradually his Thai language skills and charming demeanour helped him win over the local Thai clientele as well. Today, it is impossible to hide the crowds waiting to try his food, most of which gets sold out by end of the day.
You are most likely to try his specialty dish locally called Yum Woon Sen that basically translates to Thai Glass Noodle Salad and is a staple dish across the country. So much so that he is locally known as the Farang Yum Woonsen vendor in Bangkok (farang means foreigner in Thai). He can customize a few other dishes if you ask him although there is no set menu per se. Just land up and take your fill after asking Sam.
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Once you’re done, Sam will even take time off despite being deluged with orders and pose for you like he did for me. At the end, Sam’s last words to you will be that you have food at his stall the next day as well. And looking at his enthusiasm and personal attention to detail, you make a note to visit him again before bidding him adieu.
Other Stories in the Series:
#FOTW: Discovering Perfect Smiles At Jim Thompson’s House In Bangkok
#FOTW: All Smiles With Ile Sainte Marie’s Border Guard In Madagascar
#FOTW: A Happy Chat With Henri
PS – Faces of the World is a series focussing on the most interesting people I’ve met on my travels. This is a community feature in which you are invited to send your own #FOTW Picture with a short intro to [email protected] to get featured.
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