Dealing with the Food While Training in Bangkok

There are a ton of misconceptions about food in Southeast Asia, and especially Thailand. Whether you’re a first time traveler or experienced travel junkie, knowledge of where and what to eat in Bangkok is essential to you being able to experience the most of the city during your time in it. Some of the best Thai, Chinese, Indian, and International cuisine can be found in the capital city. Here’s how you can determine the best places to eat while training Muay Thai at Khongsittha.

The Best Local Options Around the Gym

There are dozens of local food stalls and restaurants around the gym that you can get your Thai food fix. Grilled chicken, fried rice, papaya salad, fresh fruit, and amazing Thai noodles are all within walking distance. There is an afternoon market that opens at 4pm and closes at 9pm seven days a week that has locally-sourced food and a great dessert area as well. If you’re interested in learning about the nutritional aspects of Thai food and what to eat/what to avoid, check out our blog post that goes into detail about Muay Thai for fitness and weight loss. This will help you determine what to eat to give you the fuel to train hard twice a day.

Many travelers are worried about whether or not eating food from Thai restaurants and Thai street stalls are clean and sanitary. From our experience, we recommend taking a good look at a food stall or an establishment before sitting down to eat. Thailand, despite what many think, has some of the cleanest street food in the world. Think of it like this; the owners of these establishments are serving Thais on a daily basis, and they value the quality of their food. Even after you leave, they will still be providing food to locals, so try not to worry too much when eating at a noodle stand or a roadside barbecue. However, traveler’s stomach and dissentery are quite common for first-time travelers. Downshiftology has a great post here about tips for eating Thai food safely which you should read before taking on the streets of Bangkok.

Our Partner Restaurant, Cafe Reverie

If you don’t want to worry about cleanliness and love convenience, Cafe Reverie is our go-to restaurant and the perfect solution for those who are staying and training at Khongsittha. With a highly-trained kitchen staff and quality ingredients, this cafe has a broad range of food for you to choose from. We’ve also picked a few select dishes that are healthy, nutritionally balanced, and clean to spotlight in this article.

Roast Chicken Breast with fried Basil and Brown Rice — The perfect post-workout meal, with clean carbs, lean protein from the chicken breast, and typically ordered with steamed vegetables and an egg to get even more tasty nutrients.

Fried Boat Noodles (Pad See Ew) — With your choice of chicken, pork, or beef, these noodles pack fiber, a ton of carbs, and protein as well. This is typically a dish best ordered before your afternoon training session.

Protein Shakes and Select Juices — Both our shakes and juices have no added sugar in them and come from fresh fruit. Potion No. 78 pictured above has pear, guava, and apple juice.

Eating in the City

If you’re getting tired of the options around the gym, take a taxi and head into the city. Thailand’s best restaurants are all located in the capital. From street food to fine dining, have fun exploring the different streets of Sukhumvit and you may just find some hidden gems when you get off the beaten path. For fine dining, check out Bangkok Asia City’s Top Table Guide to the city here. If you’re looking for some exceptional restaurants that are affordable as well, check out 10Best’s most recent guide to value restaurants in Bangkok.