Khao Gaeng Jek Pui (Bangkok, Thailand): The Thai Curry and Rice Stall Where You Can Eat on Musical Chairs!

This article is part of the Bangkok Food Trip series. Check out the installments: Bangkok Food and Travel Guide | Chinatown Food Trip | Jodd Fairs Rama 9 Food Trip (Night Market) | Khao Gaeng Jek Pui (Thai Curry Rice) | MICHELIN Street Food Guide | Phed Mark (Pad Krapow or Holy Basil Stir-Fry) | On Lok Yun (Thai-Style Western Breakfast) | Polo Fried Chicken (Soi Polo) | Raan Jay Fai (MICHELIN-Starred Street Food) | SookSiam Food Trip | theCOMMONS Thonglor (Food Hall) | Wattana Panich (Beef Noodle Soup)

A staple of Thai cuisine, Thai Curry or Gaeng/Kaeng in Thai, is a dish made of a protein, coconut milk, and aromatics. Unlike Indian Curry that uses spice blends and is thick, it makes use of fresh herbs and is on the soupy side. It’s available in different varieties, in which Green, Red, Yellow, Massaman, and Panang are the most common ones.

So on our trip, we made sure to try Thai Curry, especially Green Curry since my wife loves it. And what better place to try than in Khao Gaeng Jek Pui (or simply Jek Pui).

Hidden in the alleys of Bangkok’s Chinatown (check out my Chinatown food trip here), Jek Pui has been serving Khao Gaeng or Thai Curry and Rice for more than seventy years. While it’s popular for its delicious curries, it is also known for having no tables and only stools. In fact, it’s nicknamed “Musical Chairs Curry” because finding a seat there is like playing the classic party game.

Jek Pui is now operating in a new location. Good thing that there is a sign directing to it.

Good thing there are signs to direct customers

Thankfully, it’s not like the party game when we visited to Jek Pui. We got seated right away on its iconic red plastic stools probably because they’re about to close. On our visit, there were a couple of food tour groups composed of tourists, as well as locals doing takeaways.

They’re about to close when we arrived, but there are still a lot of customers!

Their menu is quite simple, consisting of ten dishes (if my count is right) and two side dishes.

Since we arrived late, we were only able to try two dishes. The first one is the Green Curry with Chicken. It’s coconutty, creamy, and spicy, and it uses different parts of the chicken (I got pieces of breast and wings). I like that the gravy is on the soupy side.

Green Curry with Chicken (THB40) with add-on Boiled Egg (THB10) and Chinese Sausage (THB10)

We had it with Chinese Sausage, which is flavorful, chewy, and not too sweet. We also tried the Boiled Egg in Sweet Brown Sauce, which is really chewy and a tad too sweet for me.

The other is the Red Curry with Beef. The flavor is milder and the gravy is thicker than the Green one. The beef is tender!

Red Curry with Chicken (THB40) with add-on Boiled Egg (THB10)

Jek Pui is a true street food experience, as you get to eat on plastic stools. Moreover, they serve amazing curries. I’ll definitely be back to try their other curries!

So if you’re in Bangkok, don’t miss this food spot. I highly recommend it to you!

Have you tried Jek Pui? What Thai Curry spot should I try next?

Address: 25 Mangkon Rd., Pom Prap, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok, Thailand | Operating Hours: Daily, 3-7PM