The Seasons

There's a real buzz about this perpetually busy shop that is worth the drive from Bangkok. The delicious chicken is tender and juicy, served simply with sauces that add a real kick. Opening times are limited as they often sell out within a few hours – a testament to the quality.

This casual eatery, which opened nearly two decades ago, is all about its signature shrimp dishes. Shrimp paired with bold Thai flavours and Southern influences delight fans of the crustacean. Diners can savour classics such as pad thai, alongside rich curries and flavourful soups. The shrimp comes from Jaidee Shrimp’s own farm in Surat Thani province, ensuring exceptional freshness and quality. With no red meat on the menu, the restaurant offers a wide array of fresh seafood, including squid, mantis shrimp and fish.

For 30 years, Maan Muang has been offering Northern Thai cuisine in a rustic, wooden Lanna‐style setting. Celebrated for traditional recipes and seasonal dishes, the restaurant serves steaming soups made to order. One highlight is the bamboo shoot with crab paste soup and pork ribs, in which tender bamboo meets umami‐rich flavours. Complimentary fresh vegetables are served to each table. The go-to eatery for anyone craving a true taste of Northern Thailand!

Spacious and well-organised, this lively spot handles groups with ease, offering both air-conditioned and open-air seating. Even at peak times, service remains swift, and the atmosphere relaxed. The extensive menu focuses on local seafood in tasty, well-crafted Thai dishes. In the rich, bold stir-fried crab curry, the egg is cooked to perfection – a highlight. Spicy seafood soups are plentiful too, making this a reliable option for fresh, satisfying cooking.

Run by the same family for over 20 years, this restaurant is something of a hidden gem for spice-lovers. Their signature dish, jungle curry soup with hand-minced fish, provides suitably lip-smacking flavours using ingredients like red chilli, fingerroot and turkey berry. An outdoor area embraces nature, with curved tree trunk tables and an arboretum. Herbs and spices from the forest are used as seasoning, often with game meats – the succulent stir-fried deer with cumin leaves is a must.

This cosy halal spot run by a Thai-Muslim family brings the Peranakan influences of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani provinces to Bangkok. Cooked to order, the dishes – rooted in family recipes – are worth the short wait. Standouts include red sticky rice with fried fish and coconut, punchy seabass with herbs, and la sae, a hard-to-find Narathiwat noodle dish. The space is done out in warm tones, with Southern-Thai touches such as golden Yan Da-O leaves.

With Singaporean chicken rice, Indonesian laksa and Malaysian Bak Kut Teh the highlights, Chuan Kitchen is the only restaurant in Nonthaburi offering this mix of national cuisine. Its stylish design is welcoming, with a high wooden ceiling, and floor-to-ceiling windows, accentuated by black stainless-steel frames and lighting. The nasi lemak and char kway teow are well executed, delivering a complete balance of flavours.