Street Food Asia is a docuseries by Netflix that explores many aspects of the street food scenes in Asia’s major cities, from the food itself to the people who make it. Kicking off its premiere episode in Thailand, one of the vendors featured in that first show is a legendary rice-and-curry vendor Jek Pui Yaowarat.
Known as Thailand’s Chinatown, Yaowarat is the neighborhood where Thai-Chinese people in Bangkok have lived for generations. So many fascinating shops and great restaurants can be scattered around this area that it has become well established as a must-visit foodie destination for locals and tourists alike. Located on Mangkon Road, in a soi next to Wat Leng Noei Yi, Jek Pui is one of the most popular vendors in the neighborhood. Here you will find curry pots lined up on streetside tables, cheap red plastic stools, and a long line of customers queueing up to taste the famous rice-and-curry.
Jek Pui is an old rice-and-curry vendor in Yaowarat with more than 70 years of history behind it. It has become so famous for its delicious food that word-of-mouth recommendations ensure the shop is never short of customers stopping by. This vendor stands out because it is located in a shophouse without any tables, only stools for customers to sit on as they eat. Once they finish eating, customers have to give up their seats to allow new customers to take their places, hence the nickname of the “Musical Chairs Rice-and-Curry” vendor.
Jek Pui’s menu is both rich and varied, with its coconut milk-based curries particularly noteworthy. Delicious with a great aroma and not too spicy, their rich curry flavors stand out in dishes that include chicken curry, meatball curry, green curry and Lou Mei, a spicy stir-fried caramelized pork dish, and many more.
A must-try highlight is Jek Pui’s “Chinese curry,” which you can choose to have with either Chinese pork sausage or beef sausage. Whichever meat you choose, this dish has a pleasing coconut milk curry aroma with a tasty broth. Also, “black egg Lou Mei” features soft and thick pork with the salty and sweet tastes of the Lou Mei powders. Paired up with steamed rice, these curries create a delightful combination. With a savory flavor and an aroma of herbs and curry powder, “Chicken Green Curry” with steamed rice or rice noodles is another popular dish you have to try at least once here. Chopped chillis are also available for those who love spicing up their curries.
Jek Pui Rice-and-Curry is open every day from 03.00-07.30 pm. Take the MRT subway to Wat Mangkon Station, walk back up to the temple, turn right, and walk about 50 meters. Keep an eye out for a soi on the left with a long queue. Check for closing dates on its Facebook page: ร้านข้าวแกงเจ็กปุ้ย-เจ้เฉี๋ย
