The Khun Yim Market, Udom Suk

If there is one place to look to truly understand what it means to be in Thailand, that place would be a local market. Here, locals and travelers come by the flocks, looking for delicious treats, fresh vegetables, and knick knacks to take home as souvenirs. In markets, prices are cheap and food is everywhere, with so many smells coming at you from all directions that it can be hard to discern which way to turn. In Bangkok, a world with so many markets it would be impossible to visit them all, how can you know where to start? For me, the Khun Yim market is a classic example of a great, local neighborhood market. It is small enough to not be overwhelming, but big enough to have endless options of things to try. It is located between Sukhumvit, the major thoroughfare of the East side of Bangkok, and Udom Suk Street, and right at the steps of the Udom Suk BTS station. Its easy accessibility makes it a perfect stop for those coming back from work and wanting to grab a bite to eat on the way home. Because of this, it is most crowded between 5 pm and 7 pm Mondays through Fridays. This is a locals market, a place where people from all walks of life gather to eat and shop for that cheap weeknight meal. And lucky for me, it is a 15 minute walk from my house. 

Be grateful this picture is not a scratch and sniff.

The first thing you’ll notice upon the entrance to the market is an extremely strong and pungent smell that any traveler of Southeast Asia will immediately know: durian. This foul smelling fruit is a favorite amongst some, and loathed by many many others. Its scent is marked by the smell of sweet, rotting trash. While some have tried to persuade me to take a bite, I simply cannot get past the smell. Eat if you dare, which I have not. 

If you can brave walking over the stinky threshold, the market opens up with delicious snacks at all sides. While there are dozens of stalls, a few have repeatedly beckoned to me with their tasty offerings, the first of which is ideally placed. A mala skewer stall is within the first few in the whole market. These skewers are the perfect accompaniment to any Thai meal, as it's one of the consistent places to find vegetables. I am known to pick up a few broccoli skewers, some king oyster mushrooms, and the holy grail, pork wrapped enoki mushrooms. The pork and fish options are also fantastic for an extra boost of protein. Simply pick up whichever skewers you fancy, put them into the metal tray provided for you, and hand them off to be prepared. These will take about 10-15 minutes to grill, which will give you time to find the rest of your meal. While these vegetables are precious to a well-rounded dinner, I wouldn’t dive in unless you are ready for some serious spice. Mala skewers are consistently one of the spiciest items I have eaten in Thailand. They are coated repeatedly with mala spice while they are on the grill, and let me tell you, they are HOT! I believe it is important to continually test and push your spice tolerance, and this is one of the ways I can always do that. By the end of a few skewers, especially the broccoli ones where the mala spice gets caught in all the nooks and crannies, I am sweating, my nose is running, and I am trying my best to contain the waterworks with the flimsiest and tiniest scraps of papers that Thai people dare call napkins.

Once the mala skewers are placed, it is time to take a walk around the rest of the market, looking for other options to fill out the rest of the meal. Here, I will highlight some of my favorites, but know that there are so many more options, an almost endless amount in this little market. 

An ice cold and perfectly sweet watermelon shake.

At the opening of the market but off to the right is a stand that sells lots of different fruit shakes. In a hot, unairconditioned market eating spicy food and hot soup, an ice cold shake is the perfect accompaniment. For me, it will always be a watermelon shake, but other favorites include banana or avocado. The nice ladies at this stall will typically add honey as a sweetener, but if you do not want it too sweet, all you have to do is ask for it wan noi. 

Further inside the market at one of the more built out shops on the left, you can find a specialty that is hailed from Chinatown but lucky for me is right down the road from my house in this market! Rolled noodle soup with crispy pork is one of the most fun and succulent dishes that I have had in Thailand. These special noodles are very wide, and they roll up into little tubes that carry the rich pork broth straight down the gullet. The bites of crispy pork belly are just that: CRISPY. Even while soaking in the salty broth, they maintain a crispiness that explodes with savory flavor. Like all good Thai food, it comes with a basket of condiments so you can make it as sour or spicy as you like. This is one of those foods that the price (less than $3!) and setting would imply is basic at best, but the flavor transports you to a five star establishment. 

The rolled noodle soup of my dreams.

Another one of my favorites is another soup establishment located in the back right of the market (what can I say, give me hot, spicy soup in a humid market on a tiny plastic stool and I’m a happy gal). This one has a slew of options, two of which really shine. The first is what I would call your basic pork soup. It has egg noodles, pork dumplings, red barbecue pork, and sometimes even crispy pork. It is simple and savory, but always hits the spot. The other option is a Thai favorite, tom yum with minced pork. Now, this tom yum won’t be the bright red and creamy tom

The classic pork soup.

yum that you might be used to. Tom yum actually comes in two forms, the red one with coconut milk, and clear tom yum. While the broth does not look as exciting as its rich and creamy counterpart, it still comes with that hit of sourness that accompanies every perfect bowl of tom yum. The mined pork gives it a richness that leaves you wanting more with every bite. 

Like every good Thai market, Khun Yim has a stall that I have come to know as the “everything” stall. You want pad kra pao? They’ve got that! Are you craving some pad see ew? They definitely have that too. From som tam to fried rice, the nice lady behind the counter will be there to help with all of your Thai classics. 

 With these four stops, plus any others that tickle your fancy as you walk by, you are sure to have a wonderful, delicious, and cheap night at the market. But, before I leave you, I have to mention my personal favorite time to visit Khun Yim Market: breakfast time. 

Jok is no joke.

While much of the prepared food is closed up in the early morning hours, there are a few that thrive. My first stop on a morning visit to the market will always begin with congee, or in Thai, jok. While it took me some time to first try congee, I have never looked back from that first bite. I know that rice porridge does not sound or look the most appetizing, but I promise once you start, you will never eat scrambled eggs for breakfast ever again. This congee is simply scrumptious. The flavor is mild which makes it great for mornings, with juicy pork meatballs to make it filling. The rice is cooked to a perfect consistency where it isn’t too watery but also isn’t too thick: Goldilocks would approve. I always order mine with a soft-boiled egg that mixes perfectly into the congee, giving it that umami kick. After spending less than $2 on your breakfast, you will find toppings of green onion, sliced ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and dried chili. I like to add a little bit of each because, as I said, it has a very mild flavor. I find congee to be the perfect morning meal, not too light but also filling enough to have a solid start to the day. It pairs perfectly with a thai tea or watermelon shake, whichever floats your boat. 

After having my breakfast I will head to the very back of the market to visit the world’s best grocery store: the fresh market. From all of my time living internationally, I have always highly valued the fresh market experience. This is where the local people buy their fruits, vegetables, fish, chicken, rice, pantry staples, and much more. In this section, do not expect a lot of the vendors to speak English, but I find that they are always happy to accommodate and show you the way. My one major piece of advice to go by when starting to frequent a local market is to find your preferred seller of each item. If you consistently revisit the same stalls, you will make fun and happy connections with locals who find it all too fun to have a foreigner shopping with them. For me, I have found this sweet man who is overtly friendly and kind, even though the only communication we have is through pointing and use of my extremely limited Thai. While not many words are exchanged, he is giving with his smiles and always makes sure to call me suay, or beautiful, every time that I stop by. His vegetables are bountiful and gorgeous. I find them to be of much higher quality, lower price, and use less plastic than the vegetables at the grocery store. 

My favorite man at the market.

My other favorite stop in the fresh market section of the market is to a lady who has two giant bowls of curry paste, one green and one red. The red curry paste is a go to for me. It is super flavorful, extremely spicy, and makes for the easiest week night meal. One portion (which is A LOT) costs just 45 cents US, and I simply cook up some vegetables and shrimp or fish, add the curry paste and a box of coconut milk (which she also sells) and it makes the most authentic and delicious dinner. (My husband says that he will no longer order red curry at restaurants because of how amazing the home-cooked version is with this curry paste). 

And that is the Khun Yim market! While there are endless options to try, I typically find myself revisiting my favorite few when looking for a comfortable and cheap Thai meal. This market seriously is one of my all time go-tos, not just because it is a 15 minute walk from my house, but because it is bustling with local people and is seriously so cheap. I hope that you find a chance to visit to meet the vegetable man, sweat out some mala skewers, and wash it all down with a watermelon shake. But if you can’t, don’t fret, I will be there again and again.