Never been to Bangkok Soul? Don't know where to start? Our team put together a beginner's guide covering the must-orders and hidden gems on our menu.
First visits can be overwhelming. Our menu is intentionally short, about twenty items, but if you don't know Thai food well, the names and descriptions might not tell you much. Here's a practical guide from our staff.
Start with the khao kha moo
If you only order one thing on your first visit, let it be our braised pork leg over rice. It's the dish that started Bangkok Soul and the one that best represents what we're trying to do: simple presentation, maximum depth of flavor, no shortcuts.
For the table
The miang kham is a good shared starter, betel leaves filled with toasted coconut, peanuts, dried shrimp, lime, ginger, and a sweet-salty palm sugar sauce. It's interactive and a good conversation piece. Each leaf is one bite.
The tom kha is our soup. Not tom yum but tom kha. It's coconut milk-based, less sour, more fragrant with galangal and kaffir lime. We use chicken, but it's the broth you'll remember.
Heat levels
Everything on the menu is made at a traditional heat level. We don't reduce the spice for a general audience. If you are sensitive to heat, tell your server and we can adjust pastes and nam prik elements. But we'd rather you try the real version and work up from there.
What to drink
The house Thai iced tea is made with a blend we source directly, stronger and more aromatic than most American versions. For something less sweet, the pandan soda is cold-pressed in house. Both pair well with anything spiced.
Dessert
Mango sticky rice when mango is in season. Tub tim grob, water chestnuts in coconut milk, year-round. Both are light enough to actually eat after a full meal.
