A guide to the best street food in Asia

Onto Thailand, which has to be one of the street food capitals of the world. Pad Thai has become a fairly staple meal for the western world when we think of grabbing some takeout, but nothing comes close to getting it straight from the source.

A Thai dish of stir-fried rice noodles with eggs, vegetables and tofu in a sauce of tamarind, fish, dried shrimp, garlic, red chilli pepper and sugar, you’ll find this moreish meal in almost any Thai street food market. If you’re lucky, you’ll find a version that’s enveloped in a perfectly formed omelette, which, when prodded with a chopstick, unfolds into a steaming bowl of deliciousness. Garnish with some common condiments such as red chilli pepper, lime wedges and peanuts, and you’re looking at, in my humble opinion, the best street food in Asia. You might expect to pay anything between $12-18 for a decent Pad Thai in the US, but at Thai street carts and simple restaurants you can get it for $1-2. Not bad.

If you’re looking for something a bit more soupy, tom yum Thailand’s most popular – and is easily some of the best street food in Asia. Well known within Thailand for being the go to hangover food amongst the locals (and now you!), it’s packed with tasty shrimp,  heaps of garlic, lemongrass, galangal, lime and fish sauce. Tom yum ticks all the boxes when it comes to top class Thai street food that’s easily accessible everywhere! So next time you find yourself down Khao San Road stitching together the night before…tuck into a big bowl of this southeast Asian delicacy and let the hangover blues sizzle away in a haze of chilli and lemongrass.