Cheap street food buffet in Bangkok
Bangkok might have cheap food everywhere, but eating in the city centre can be more expensive, especially with all-you-can-eat buffets. But here’s some good news for all foodies: there’s an inexpensive Thai street food buffet right next to Lumphini Park.
Lumphini Park is a huge public green space located next to the bustling Silom and Chidlom, making it a convenient spot to visit to try out the food here.
Wide range of freshly prepared dishes
This might be a stretch, but this place has got the be the cheapest street food buffet in Bangkok – or even Thailand. The price is only ฿40 (~USD1.31) and you get unlimited refills with no time limit. Let us know if you can find a better deal than this!
They use a self-service system here, so you can scoop up all the food you want on your plate.
We saw over 10 dishes being prepared on the spot and topped up regularly on the food trays. Most of these dishes are stir-fried, which go really nicely with hot steamed rice. They also have curries and soups to have at the side.
Note for vegans and vegetarians: unfortunately, most of the dishes here have meat in them!
Aside from the dishes, they also offer both steamed white rice or fried rice for no additional cost. There is also free-flow water to help yourselves to here.
When we went here, we decided to get green curry, stir-fried beef and vegetables for our meal. The green curry had a generous portion of Thai eggplants and chicken and had just the right amount of spice without burning our tongues off. The chicken was cooked well and was tender throughout.
As for the beef, it was cut into bite-sized pieces that had been tossed in oyster sauce and soy sauce with a little bit of chilli. This was our favourite dish for sure – the meat was so tender and juicy and was properly seasoned.
At other restaurants, beef is usually the most expensive meat option on the menu – but you can get it at the same price as all other dishes here. And, you can always go back for more!
While we were here, we had to try their famous Salmon Tom Yum Soup. Salmon is not a typical meat used in tom yum, which made this dish interesting. The soup had a strong scent of lemongrass and bergamot leaves and was pretty spicy. However, it was a tad fishy, so those who don’t like fish can skip this.
The ambience at Lumphini Buffet
The only signage the stall has is its green “฿40 buffet” sign that hangs above the dishes
The stall is situated along a footpath beside the street with some tables and chairs. Because of its popularity, you might need to share tables with others.
From what we gathered, most of the regular customers here have some unspoken etiquette rules, like how one shouldn’t sit for too long so that others can have a place to eat. Most didn’t reserve their tables even when they went back for refills either.
Popular among locals, this stall is usually packed with office workers during lunch hours. All the dishes are cooked by Mr. Pond, the friendly owner, whose wife helps with preparation. When we asked him why his food was so cheap, he said that he wanted to offer affordable and delicious food for those working nearby.
Mr. Pond constantly cooks and tops up the food so it doesn’t run out
As with other buffet places, you should always try your best to finish whatever’s on your plate. Mr. Pond shared that he’d never imposed any wastage fines before, but he might if too much food if left uneaten.
Get stuffed with free-flow Thai food at Lumphini
If you find yourself taking a morning stroll in Lumphini Park, head down to the park’s Gate 8 and turn right to visit this Thai Street Food Buffet place and eat all that you can without ripping your wallet apart.
And if you’re wondering what the stall is called…it actually has no name. But don’t worry, the shop is really well-known among the locals in the area as ‘the 40 baht buffet’, so just ask them and you should have no problem finding it!
Tip: Look out for the big green umbrellas near gate 8 of Lumphini Park.
Lumphini Street Food Buffet
Address: Outside Lumphini Park Gate 8, Sanrasin Road, Pathum Wan, Bangkok
Opening Hours: Tue-Sun: 6AM-3PM (Closed on Mondays)
Nearest Train Station: Take off at Ratchadamri BTS station (Exit 2) or Silom MRT station (Exit 1) and walk or take a taxi/motorbike to Sarasin Road
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