Bigger and Better Eathai at Central Embassy in Bangkok

Everyone knows that Thailand has one of the world's most wonderful street food scene. Since 2014, Eathai at Central Embassy luxury mall in Bangkok brings many of the best Thai street food together under one roof. 

Opened two years ago, Eathai soon became very popular with tourists and locals alike. Now, Eathai has expanded nearly 50% in size to cater for more food stalls and more visitors in search of good Thai street food in a comfortable environment.



Let's take a tour of the bigger and better Eathai together - follow me 😃



The Krua 4 Pak zone which features street food from Thailand's 4 regions has been expanded to accommodate more stalls, more dining choices. The 4 regions are central, northern, southern, and Issan (northeastern Thailand).

The food stalls are curated by an expert panel and some of the best stalls of Thailand are invited to set up in Eathai. With Eathai, we can enjoy some of Thailand's best all at once and in comfort.



Eathai has a certified Halal section offering more than 10 different dishes.



This colourful ice mountain in a bowl is one of the several desserts served at the Baan Kanom Thai stall - there is everyone's favourite Jatujak coconut ice cream, kanom krok (coconut pudding) and Lodchong Wat Jade (cendol in Malaysia and Singapore lo), just to name a few.



Food is prepared the old way by hand - no shortcuts or factory pre-mixes.



Making hot sweet rice cakes - the same can be found at nearly every street corner in Bangkok.



Hot sweet desserts like boiled red beans, boiled yam etc.



Eathai hosts guest stalls on 2 weeks rotation from famous shops around Thailand at Moom Aroi or "Delicious Corner". At the moment, it is Moo-Yarng Mueang Trang, the famous whole crispy roast pig from Trang.



There is an Eathai cafe for tea, coffee, soups and other light quickie meals. Opens early for breakfast. Shall try the cafe for their Thai style milk tea next time.



There is even a library at the lifestyle corner where customers can enjoy Thai food with a good book - on Thai cuisine and recipes, of course.



Eathai has a good size supermarket section well stocked with fresh food, dry food, spices, herbs and pastes etc from all around Thailand and from the Royal Project for rural Thailand.



We can get healthful organic rice at Eathai - there are 19 kinds of Thai rice and organic rice sold here 😄



You can also get your exotic Thai sauces and oils at Eathai.



Issaya cooking school where guests can learn how to cook Thai dishes. Eathai is really a one-stop eating and learning centre for Thai food culture.

OK, now let's settle down to the serious business of eating Thai food 😋



When you enter Eathai, the receptionist will give you a large plastic card like this. Find your seat, browse the many stalls and give the card to the stallholder when you make your orders. The stallholder will record your orders in the card. Return to your seat and your freshly cooked food will be delivered to you.

When you leave after your meal, hand the card to the cashier. The cashier will total up your bill as recorded in your card. Simple and neat. Nice!



OK... here's what we had. We were pretty ambitious. How do Thai people stay so slim? 😆



Pad Thai Sawei (Thai-style stir fried rice noodles) by Pad Thai Sawei Ladprao. Iconic Thai national dish, simple yet versatile and there are countless variations to the basic fried rice noodles.



Guay Tiew Tomyum Kung (mantis shrimp rice noodles in spicy soup) by Gueng Tiew Kung Baan Pae.



Kao Nam Prik Long Rua (sweet pork chili paste with rice) from the Royal Kitchen (M.L. Nueang Nilrat's recipe).

My friend Ms Eclair's favourite - she likes the pretty vegetable carvings and the well balanced flavours of the minced pork stewed in the sweet, savoury, spicy sauce.



Yum Pla Duk Fu (crispy catfish with green mango spicy salad).

One of my favourite Thai dishes. I still remember my first bite of Yum Pla Duk Fu during my first trip to Bangkok in the 1980s. I was delightfully surprised by the airy crisp and the light savoury flavour of the dish.



Hoy Tord (Thai crispy pan fried mussels or oysters with eggs).



The popular Hoy Tord is found at many street corners and alleys in Bangkok.



Moo Ping (grilled pork on a skinny wooden skewer).

Moo Ping stands are literally everywhere you turn in Bangkok. The grilled pork is tender and juicy sweet from the marination as well as the pork's natural sweetness.



This fortnight's special guest - Moo-Yarng Mueang Trang (signature grilled pork of Trang province) at Moom Aroi or "Delicious Corner".

The fat and meat were savoury and slightly stiff but the skin was hard and chewy.



Khao Soy Nuea (egg noodle in curry with beef) by Krua Sa Bun Nga from the Northern food zone.



Bai Lieng Pad Kai Sai Goong Sieb (stir-fried Malindjo leaves with egg and crispy dry shrimp).



Khao Neow Durian (durian sticky rice) by Baan Kanom Thai (Thai Dessert House). 

My stomach was really full by the time it came to desserts. But, after one spoonful of this sweet durian with glutinous rice in a flood of creamy rich coconut milk, I couldn't resist one spoonful after another.



Khanom Bueang - Thai style crispy crepe with crushed peanuts and shredded coconut infused with sugar.



Freshly made like in the bustling streets of Bangkok.



Washed it all down with an icy, fresh watermelon slushy.



While we ate, we were entertained by soft, rhythmic music from the som tam (papaya salad) stall just behind us.



Be like a smart local - come in a group, each person orders what s/he likes, sit together and sample each other's favourites. It is so much fun 😃



Eathai is located inside Central Embassy which is a luxury mall. There are many renowned international brands like Marimekko as well as sought after Thai names like Sretsis here. So, it's convenient to tie in your favourite pastimes, shopping and eating, all under one luxurious roof at Central Embassy.



👍Eathai is an excellent place to experience the street food of Thailand all under one roof. Eathai is highly accessible, it's interior is spacious, bright, clean, air conditioned and the food is curated by local experts bringing the best from the entire country. Pricing is at a premium (mostly 100-300 Baht per serving) but I feel it is worth it for the comfort and quality of food we are getting.

Acknowledgement: My visit to Bangkok and Eathai was graciously hosted by Central Group.



Restaurant name: Eathai 
Address: Eathai is at the lower ground level of Central Embassy, 1031 Ploenchit Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok, Thailand (located between Phloen Chit and Chit Lom BTS stations. Nearest is Phoen Chit station - just steps away by sky bridge.)
Tel: +66 2 160 5940
Hours: 10:00am to 10:00pm  

Non Halal and certified Halal sections available

Date visited: 26 Feb 2015, 23 Aug 2016  

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