If you’re anything like me, you could eat fried chicken for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is pretty much what I did for two weeks straight whilst holidaying in Thailand. Ok maybe not for breakfast and maybe not for both lunch and dinner but I virtually ate golden, crunchy chicken every day. It was a dream come true, especially when covered in sticky, sweet chilli sauce with the sometime accompaniments of sticky rice and papaya salad. Ofttimes though, it was just me pounding the streets with a chicken wing in hand. By God it was good.
If you only visit one fried chicken joint in Bangkok, make it Soi Polo Fried Chicken. After lunch wander over to Lumphini Park, hire a giant swan paddle boat and stalk monitor lizards in the lake. I guarantee you it will be one of the best afternoons you have in a long time. No joke.
There’s no need to muck around here- stick to an order of fried chicken, som tam and perhaps some sticky rice if you’re in the mood. Wash it all down with copious amounts of beer. Best. Lunch. Ever. The chicken is deep fried whole, hacked into pieces and then covered with a generous sprinkling of fried garlic. The result is crispy skin, moist, tender meat and bursts of garlicky crunch. Dip this into the runny, sweet chilli sauce and you’ll be considering ordering another half chook before you’ve even finished your first piece. The som tam is juicy, fresh and spicy- I liked the wedges of tomato and the lashings of salty sweet lime juice.
Soi Polo Fried Chicken is legendary and does a rip roaring trade. If you’re in town, and fried chicken gets your heart beating a little bit faster, don’t be a fool, GO!
Good to know:
Beer (large bottles) 70-90THB
Half a fried chicken 100THB
Som tam 50THB
Sticky rice 15THB
Soi Polo Fried Chicken
137/1-2 Soi Sanan Khli
Off Wittayu (Wireless Rd)
Lumphini
Get here via taxi or walk from Ratchadamri BTS
Telephone 02252 2252
Open 7:ooam to 10:00pm daily
Images: Thomas Southam
