Kanom Jeb Paexia: 100-Year-Old Shumai Food Cart

Kanom Jeb Paexia: 100-year-old shumai food cart

There are so many great food carts in Thailand that it’s hard to pick which one to eat from. Kanom Jeb Paexia has attracted huge queues that has led to the small cart getting sold out constantly for over 100 years.

Here’s what’s kept the food cart in business for over a century as well as where to find it.

An unassuming food cart run by one uncle

Image credit: dontrie513

Around 11am in front of Wat Mongkol Samakhom, you can find an old uncle pushing his small, unassuming food cart into place. As he begins steaming his handmade shumai, you will already see a huge line forming of people wanting to get a bite.

Image credit: dontrie513

This line will stretch along the block as people queue up to get their fair share.

Image credit: eat.eattherapy

Although the food cart opens for business at 11am and stops serving at around 3pm, the uncle sometimes runs out of shumai as early as 2pm – only after 3 hours. So come early so that you don’t miss your chance for a box of the popular shumai to go.

Using Grandpa’s cooking techniques and brass steamer

Image credit: dontrie513

The secret to the unique flavour Kanom Jeb Paexia’s shumai has is that the food cart has been using the same brass steamer for over 100 years.

Image credit: eat.eattherapy

The steamer was used by the current owner’s grandfather back when he was running the food cart. Today, the owner looks as old as the steamer he is using. You can imagine all the flavour that the old steamer is imparting on the shumai.

Thin wrappers and lots of filling

Image credit: jui_ji

The shumai sold is on the smaller side, just large enough for one bite.

Each piece has very thin wrappers but is stuffed to the brim with lean pork.

It tastes not too strong, but rather mellow and well-rounded. The shumai is topped with fried garlic and savoury sauce.

The meal won’t break your bank either. Ten pieces of shumai cost only ฿35 (US$1).

Enjoy Chinatown’s 100-year-old shumai

Despite being an unassuming food cart hidden away in Chinatown, Kanom Jeb Paexia has a huge following that leads to them to get sold out in only 4 or 5 hours. So be sure to show up at 11am sharp to beat the lines.

Kanom Jeb Paexia
Address: 48 Plaeng Nam Rd, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100
Opening hours: 11am-2pm, Daily
Nearest train station: MRT Wat Mangkon
Contact: +66 8 1726 0777 | Kanom Jeb Paexia’s Facebook | Google Maps