View of Thong Lo from Sukhumvit road
We love the street food in Thailand and Thong Lo has its share of delicious things to eat, including grilled pork. Since Kasma had her small-group tours stay in the Thong Lo area, I’ve spent a fair amount of time there over the years. Thong Lo (pronounced closer to “Tawng Law”) is the name for Sukhumvit Soi 55. Thong Lo is generally considered an upscale neighborhood; nonetheless, as nearly everywhere else in Thailand, there is ready availability of all kinds of delicious street food. In addition, there are numerous store-front restaurants that are well worth a taste! Note: Even in February 2020 there are still street vendors there, though not as many as when this was written in 2011.)
(Click on an image to see a larger version.)
Getting closer to grilled pork
I like to graze along the street. Some of my favorites are the grilled bananas, the sticky rice with mangos, pork leg rice and Northeastern-style charcoal-grilled sticky rice (Kao Jee).
There’s one vendor who I have extreme difficulty just walking by, without stopping to make a purchase. It’s found on Thong Lo just a little ways in from Sukhumvit Road on the lower-numbered soi side, just a little bit further in than the shop with Mangos (and Sticky Rice); a bit further down what used to be my favorite place for Duck Noodles.
I think most Westerners thinking of grilled meat on sticks in Thailand would immediately think of satay. This vendor sells another kind of grilled pork called (Moo Bping), translated by Kasma as Grilled Marinated Pork on Skewers.
Grilled pork vendor
Delicious grilled pork
Moo Bping has wider slices of pork than satay and a different marinade. A good Moo Bping includes a small slice of pork fat, grilled in with the other slices of meat. Rather than being served with a peanut sauce (as with satay), it comes with a hot and sour dipping sauce. Actually, I don’t mind eating it without the sauce: at least at this street stall, the meat is quite succulent and already well-flavored from the marinade.
Unless memory fails, it is 10 baht for a fairly substantial stick. Try a couple!
Update: As of February 2020 this vendor was still to be found in somewhat the same location, though not every day. Also, the price increased.
The following articles are also about Thong Lo street food.
Written by Michael Babcock, February 2011 & May 2020