Bangkok Sidewalk Vendor, Khanom Buang Phraeng Nara
Khanom Buang is one of the old style dishes that is less commonly found among street vendors today due to the labor and time involved in making it.
See our recipe for Khanom Buang.
Khanom Buang Phraeng Nara is found in the heart of the Saochingcha area, and their version is perhaps the best available in Thailand. This family has made khanom buang for over 100 years, dating back to the turn of last century when Nanglamoon Heeranwatip was a chef in the Narathip royal palace for King Rama IV. The lady preparing it for you now, seen in picture at top left, is Nanglamoon's daughter-in-law. The royal palace is still in the neighborhood but it now functions as a government hospital.
The khanom buang here is very expensive by local standards, but the fact that they remain in business is a testament that sometimes food can be so good that it will fetch a high price. Usually you might pay 10 baht for 3 khanom buang, however at this shop the price is up to 30 baht each.
There are two kinds of fillings offered, sweet and savory. For sweet khanom buang you can get foi tong, coconut, persimmon, candied gourd (rare to find this filling so be sure to order it). Taste is sweet and gentle, and very fragrant. They start by adding a thin layer of pandan custard which is a heavenly (and addictive!) flavor.
Savory khanom buang uses shrimp, egg and cilantro, and each piece is a staggering 30 baht which is very high by local standards. Everything here is made by hand using the ancient method, and the very best ingredients. They even grind their own rice flour using an ancient rock grinder, using the best jasmine rice and mungbean.
They are open from 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Mon-Sat. Phone number is 02-222-8500. See our free map!
