Celebrity food travels: Class 95 radio DJ Yasminne Cheng’s top places to eat in Bangkok

When it comes to finding the best local food, Class 95FM DJ Yasminne Cheng is a pro. But, her skills apply equally to other cities too, okay? Some of the best food she had on her travels was in Bangkok, New York City, and even as far away as Peru. Of course, we made her narrow it down. “Why do you have to ask such hard questions?” she lamented.

Eventually, she picked Bangkok as her favourite food city, as she’s been there “too many times to count”.

“Bangkok is so accessible for Singaporeans; the produce is fresh; the variety is amazing, from cheap eats to fine dining and Michelin-rated restaurants; and the quality and standard is up there,” she said. “Plus, it’s cheaper than the equivalent of what we could get here.”

One of the things that draws her into any local food scene is that “food reflects the soul of the people”, she enthused. “And, my eyes often order more than my stomach can take.”
 
She loves to go in search for food no matter where in the world she is, but has one caveat: She won’t stand in line for hours for anything, no matter how hyped. 

“I have never queued more than an hour for something,” she asserted. “In Bangkok, (fellow Class 95FM DJ) Big Mutton paid someone to queue three hours so we didn’t have to for Here Hai and that S$40 was well spent, methinks.”

That particular eatery – famous for its “Insane Crab Fried Rice” – and others are on her list of top recommendations when in the capital of the Land of Smiles.

HERE HAI

"When it says crab omelette, it’s more like, 'Would you like some omelette to go with your crab?' Known for their crab fried rice with amazing wok hei and their crab omelette, it lived up to the hype and then some. So good, I dabao-ed (took away) some home for my mum."

AFTER YOU DESSERT CAFE

"No trip to Bangkok is complete without saying hello to their amazing Shibuya Toast that’s crispy on the outside (but not oily) with a fluffy centre. Original is best, just pour that syrup over! Shiok! Also their Mango Sticky Rice Bingsu is love."

THONG SMITH

"Consistently good boat noodles. If you’re going to the Siam Paragon branch, go around 11.30am and it’s highly likely you won’t need to queue. The wagyu beef noodles is 'mmm'. It’s pretty spicy so I like to go for 'small spicy' which is already somewhat drool inducing. Also, order additional pork lard – so good!"

GAGGAN X LOUIS VUITTON

"This was casual fine dining and I really enjoyed the whole experience. It was fun and quirky, like having to lick the colourful monogrammed mash potato with different flavours off the plate, and there were lots of flavour bombs."

POTONG

"Chef Pam does amazing Thai Chinese. From the food to the service to the story behind the restaurant’s location and the storytelling behind each dish, this is not just fine dining, it’s a whole experience. Be prepared to waddle out of there though, it’s a lot of food. Good value too, compared to what you’d have to pay for a full degustation menu with wine pairing if you were in Singapore."