CHINESE NEW YEAR - Yummy Yaowarat

Bah Jarng - steamed sticky rice with pork

With the Chinese New Year knocking at the door, there's no better time to explore Chinatown on foot for a gastronomic adventure.

Don't expect designer shops or fusion foods though. Bustling Yaowarat, Charoen Krung and small alleys will be lined with unpretentious street-food vendors. Check these out for Chinese delights as you celebrate the year of ox.

SWEET CHINESE NOODLE (No.1)
Noodles are everywhere in Bangkok - but in Chinatown, Je Phen's are the rarest of the rare. Her noodles (Bt15/bowl) are made of long, thin strips of rice and served with dried fruit and spicy ginger syrup.
Find it: Pee Ra Ga Market, on the corner of Yaowarat and Chakkawat Road. Open 9.30am4pm; call (086) 086 4166.

LIM LHAO NGOW NOODLE (No.2)
Lim Lhao Ngow offers a serious deal for fans of fishball noodle. For decades, the small shop has been famous for its "jumping fish ball". Thanks to the family's secret recipe, the bite-sized balls are crispy outside yet fluffy inside. The cost Bt2025 a bowl.
Find it: Song Sawat Road. Open 7pm11pm.

STEWED GOOSE AT LAO TANG LUE (No.3)
Good things come in simple ways and so does delicious goose. Lao Tang Lue will never make it on Bangkok's stylish dining scene but locals, both rich and poor, queue here for their stewed goose. Tender and sweet, the bird is cooked in black soy sauce, brown sugar, spices and herbs the old-fashioned way, with a meal for six, including rice, soup and fried veg, going for about Bt600.
Find it: Corner of Yaowarat and Pha Dung Dao Roads (in front of Pornthip Tailor School). Open 8am3pm; call (02) 223 8934.

BOILED RICE WITH PORK RIB (No.4)
This small shop opposite Wat Mangkorn Kammalawat doesn't even has a name but the boiled rice is so good here, it's worth waiting for a table. The secret is the soup made of pork rib. It's hale and hearty - especially on a wintry night.
Find it: Soi Issaranuphab off Charoen Krung Road. Open noon - 10pm; call (02) 623 0997.

TOY & KID SEAFOOD (No.5)
Fine dining doesn't have to come with a price if you know where to look for. This seafood stand is in the bustling alleyway where Phadung Dao meets Yaowarat. On the menu are prawn, squid, red snapper, mussel and oyster cooked as you like them, Bring your own Chardonnay and try "grilled king fish" (Bt170Bt200).
Find it: Soi Phadung Dao, off Yaowarat Road. Open 5pm10pm; call (02) 223 4519.