Thai Food in Mexico City / Bangkok Restaurant, the First in Mexico to Serve Authentic Thai Cuisine
This place, founded 40 years ago, is so authentically Thai that you feel like you’re actually there. And it’s not expensive (quite the opposite).
By Alejandro Pohlenz
My dad used to tell me that in life you need to be either first or the best. Even trickier is being both. Bangkok (by the way, the name of Thailand’s capital, a city of about 15 million people) prides itself on being the first Thai restaurant in the country. It was established in 1985 (celebrating 40 years this year) and, ever since, has been serving Thai food as if you were actually in Bangkok.
So Bangkok arrived first, and as a radio station decades ago proclaimed, “it came to stay.” Four decades in operation clearly mean that people love it.
It’s funny that the directions to find the restaurant in the “Plaza de las Estrellas” are: it’s “right in front of Juan Gabriel’s star and around the corner from Julio Iglesias’ star.” Pretty convenient, right? Easy to find—just follow the trail of stars… (I wonder how far Lupita D’Alessio’s star is).
Once you navigate this starry maze, you’ll arrive at this Thai oasis, filled with objects from Thailand, with tables covered in bright orange tablecloths. The cutlery is fascinating—bronze with carved figurines. Despite being sandwiched between the Circuito Interior and Melchor Ocampo (you can’t get more urban), once inside Bangkok, the ambiance immediately transports you.
Chef Blanca mentions that there are 60 dishes—imagine that! (Which is why they recommend going with friends and ordering several dishes to share.) One vital feature of Bangkok is that it isn’t expensive (I hesitate to say “affordable prices”).
The cost doesn’t compromise the quality or authenticity of the food. One highly praised dish is a chicken soup with mushrooms, coconut cream, and lemon grass tea called “Tom Ka Kai,” with a flavor that is… surprising and interesting. Another much-loved classic is the Pad Thai: cooked in a wok, it combines sour, sweet, salty, and mildly spicy flavors. It includes rice noodles, tofu, bean sprouts, peanuts, fish sauce, tamarind sauce, and lime. The most popular version is the shrimp Pad Thai, or “Pad Thai Goong.”
Listing all 60 dishes would be overwhelming. A few highlights include the “Neuah Yank” (grilled beef with soy and garlic), the “Neuah Phad Priksod” (beef with chili, mushrooms, and lobster sauce), and the walnut chicken with sautéed chilies and pineapple rice. The tongue-twister of this last dish is called “Kai Phad Sapparot,” and it’s served inside half a pineapple. In my opinion, it’s splendid.
The most ecstatic dessert is the “Koa Niao”—sticky rice with coconut milk and mango. It’s served warm, and eating it is pure delight (like a kiss or a hearty laugh).
In short: Bangkok is the first and an excellent Thai restaurant where you don’t need to fear paying what the Spaniards call “an arm and a leg” (here we’d say “an eye from your face”).
(Note: there’s an express menu from Monday to Friday. For 140 pesos, you can enjoy vegetable and chicken chow mein, seafood soup, fried rice with chicken and vegetables, spring rolls, chicken skewers, or red curry… just 140 pesos!)
- What we love and recommend trying: sticky rice
- Address: Plaza Galerías, 2nd floor. Circuito Interior Melchor Ocampo 193 PL 05, Verónica Anzures, CDMX.
- Hours: closed Mondays. Tuesday to Sunday, 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Ideal for: lunch.
- Payment: cash and cards.
- Accessibility: yes.
- Phone: 55 5260 3305
- Reservations: no.
- Nearby public transport: Metrobús, Line 7, Circuito Interior stop.
- Pet Friendly: no.
- Kid-friendly: yes.
- Vegan options: yes.
