One of the most famous noodle restaurants in Bangkok, Thailand, if you’re a resident, is Prachak. Prachak is a Thai restaurant known for its authentic Thai noodles — noodles that have been served by various generations of the same family for more than 100 years. After nine years living in Bangkok, I finally ate at Prachak restaurant a few weeks ago. Needless to say, it was easy to see how this noodle shop has survived since it opened in 1897. The noodles are incredible.
Location of Prachak – An unassuming looking typical Thai restaurant, with Thai signage, don’t expect to find the word “Prachak” written in the Roman alphabet here. To find the restaurant, if you don’t read Thai, you’ll need to know the address – 1415 Charoen Krung. It’s close to Saphan Thaksin BTS sky train station, and just opposite the Robinson department store.
The Atmosphere at Prachak – Nothing special as far as atmosphere goes, Prachak is just your typical Thai restaurant. Long, narrow and with small tables and chairs, its white tiled walls are covered with framed reviews, including one from Fodor’s. It’s also a two-storey restaurant so not as small as it initially looks.
But, it’s friendly, relaxed, and the owners are lovely. It’s also absolutely crammed with Thais so, if you don’t want a long wait, make sure you get there early, It fills up fast and, by early evening, their signature roast duck will be completely gone.
The Food – Of course, everyone goes to Prachak for the food and it’s dirt cheap and superb. Famous for their delicious bowls of noodles served in a rich, aromatic soup, they’re also one of the best places in Bangkok for roast duck, which is served in a variety of dishes including with noodles.
We ordered the duck noodle soup, which was amazing – rich, slightly spicy, and incredibly tasty. We also tried the salapao moo saap (steamed Chinese buns stuffed with minced pork), that were stuffed with more pork than I’ve ever had in any steamed bun, and several bamboo baskets of dim sum. My friend, who loves won ton, ate a bown of won ton noodle soup which smelled amazing and she swears is the best in Bangkok.
The menu at Prachak though is massive and has many other typical Thai dishes, besides their famous noodles, so be adventurous and order a few. You’ll also be happy to know it’s in English (unusual for such a traditional Thai restaurant) and has photographs. So, if you’re not sure what you’re ordering, the photo will explain.
Prices – Prices are dirt cheap, just one step up from what you’d pay sitting at a street stall at the side of a busy highway. And that’s for sit-down service in an air-conditioned restaurant. We ordered about eight dishes to split between three people and, with drinks, we still spent less than 400 baht ($13) split three ways. We also left there so full I was amazed I made it home without needing to lie down.