Bangkok Street Food for Kids
Kids can be difficult eaters at the best of times, so imagine what it must be like when you fly off to Bangkok with them? With all those steaming, spicy dishes and scary looking bowl of noodles with chicken feet thrown in them, it’s going to be pretty difficult to find something that they’ll actually be able to eat.
However, it’s not all as bad as that. In fact, there are plenty of delicious foods scattered around Bangkok that are just perfect for kids. They’re tasty and fun, we can promise you now that kids will just lap them up!
Pork/Chicken Omelet with Steamed Rice and Ketchup
Let’s start with the basics, this dish is exactly what you expect it to be. Believe it or not, omelets are popular food throughout the world, and in Thailand it’s no different. If you’re kids are being fussy eaters while you’re on holiday, this is a great way to get them to eat as it’s something they’re almost certainly familiar with. “Kow kai jeeo” is just a simple omelet, mixed with tender pieces of pork (moo) or chicken (gai) and served over a plate of fine tasting jasmine rice. Drench the omelet with tomato ketchup, and there you go, a simple, easy meal that kids are guaranteed to love.
Where to Buy: Restaurants
Price: 40-45 Baht
Top Tip: When you ask for ‘kow kai jeeo’ add the word ‘moo’ on the end if you want pork, or ‘gai’ if you prefer chicken omelet.
Garlic Fried Chicken with Rice and Fried Egg
This one is a bit of a mouthful. By that we mean the name in Thai, “Gai tort ga teeam kai dao”, which may take one or two attempts before you say it right! But it’ll be well worth the attempt if you can say it right, for this is a dish that kids are sure to love. Tender pieces of chicken are brought to life once cooked with this delicious garlic sauce. Served over steamed rice and with a fried egg thrown in for good measure, it’s surprisingly similar to something you might eat back at home.
Where to Buy: Restaurants
Price: 45-50 Baht
Top Tip: If you prefer a small omelet rather than fried egg, you can ask for ‘gai tort ga teeam kai jeeo’ instead.
Thai Cucumber Salad
A fresh tasting, totally not spicy Thai salad. Sweet, tangy and juicy tasting, made with slices of fresh cucumber, shallots, cilantro, onions, peanuts and a squeeze of vinegar, this delicious salad can be eaten alone or as an accompaniment to fish and meat dishes.
Where to Buy: Restaurants
Price: 50-60 Baht
Top Tip: This salad is often eaten with a variety of the steamed fish dishes that are so popular in Thailand, so if you can tempt the kids with this it might be a way of enticing them to try some other things too!
Isan Pork Sausage with Sticky Rice
This is always an especially tempting treat for kids in Thailand. “Nam saayd gorg” comes from the north east of Thailand, normally home to some of the country’s spiciest of foods. However, perhaps this was truly a dish made with kids and fussy eaters in mind, for it’s not at all spicy like other dishes associated with the region. the Isan pork sausage is big, chunky, very meaty and ever so slightly sweet or sour tasting, depending on how it’s been made. Eat with your fingers, in between handfuls of the deliciously chewy sticky rice, it’s a sure fun way for the kids to have their dinner,
Where to Buy: Vendors, restaurants
Price: 50-60 Baht
Deep Fried Chicken or Shrimps with Sticky Rice
This is another kid’s favorite, and it looks just like the real KFC that you can find at home. Called “Gai tort” these deep fried pieces of succulent chicken in a yellow crispy batter can be found on almost every street corner in Bangkok, as they’re a popular snack food for street cleaners, office workers and policemen alike. Eat them with a bag of sticky rice, a sweet sauce dip and prepare to get some very messy fingers!
Where to Buy: Vendors
Price: 45-50 Baht per piece, 5 Baht for sticky rice
Top Tip: You’ll probably want to find a vendor who has tables so you can sit down and eat, rather than watching your kids struggle with it and make a mess as you walk around the streets.
Chicken Satay
These are tasty Thai kebabs. “Satay gai” are a great snack food for kids, one that they’re sure to enjoy without any crying or whining at all. Usually three or four chunky morsels of marinated chicken served on skewers and cooked over a grill, they can be found at restaurants or by vendors on the street. They come served with a delicious peanut sauce poured over them, tucked into a handy plastic bag for you so the kids can safely munch on them as they walk down the road.
Where to Buy: Vendors, restaurants
Price: 10-20 Baht each
