CNN names Bangkok "Number One in the World" for street food

[iReason]

Thai street food is hazardous to your health.

Here are some facts:

 

Formalin and Borax are commonly sprayed as a preservative and to enhance color on questionable proteins.

http://jem.rupress.org/content/6/4-6/487.abstract

 

Re-used oil, oil that is discarded by bigger restaurants is routinely purchased by street vendors and small restaurants.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/532582-the-hazards-of-reusing-cooking-oil/

 

The vegetables are awash with deadly pesticides banned in Thailand and elsewhere.

 

"Farmers use the chemicals because they need to make fast money from good-looking cash crops,

and they pay little heed to concerns about their own health or the risks to their customers, government officials say."

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB842989003430605000

 

What the Thai call “Chicken Powder”, is used in virtually everything.

It consists of 71% MSG, Salt and Sugar.

The rest are chemical compound “flavor enhancers”

The standard practice is to add 2 heaping tablespoons of this powder, 2 more of pure MSG and 1 of white sugar,

to a recipe.

 

That lovely soup? With the chopped chives in it?

Water and chemical compound "flavor enhancer" cubes.

Or any soup for that matter.

 

That lovely orange-gold colored fried chicken?

The coloring is the result of the same product being re-fried 2, 3, and sometimes, 4 days in a row.

 

These factors are do to greed, laziness and lack of education.

 

Thai food of old, was a different story.

What you get in the restaurants now ain’t it.

And that grunge on the street isn’t even close.

 

Do yourself a favor and avoid it.

Edited August 10, 2016 by iReason

[Baerboxer]

7 hours ago, SOTIRIOS said:

...I heard that Singapore is way beyond compare...also in terms of cleanliness, etc....

 

Who did you here that from? The Singapore Tourist Board?

[Baerboxer]

24 minutes ago, iReason said:

Thai street food is hazardous to your health.

Here are some facts:

 

Formalin and Borax are commonly sprayed as a preservative and to enhance color on questionable proteins.

http://jem.rupress.org/content/6/4-6/487.abstract

 

Re-used oil, oil that is discarded by bigger restaurants is routinely purchased by street vendors and small restaurants.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/532582-the-hazards-of-reusing-cooking-oil/

 

The vegetables are awash with deadly pesticides banned in Thailand and elsewhere.

 

"Farmers use the chemicals because they need to make fast money from good-looking cash crops,

and they pay little heed to concerns about their own health or the risks to their customers, government officials say."

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB842989003430605000

 

What the Thai call “Chicken Powder”, is used in virtually everything.

It consists of 71% MSG, Salt and Sugar.

The rest are chemical compound “flavor enhancers”

The standard practice is to add 2 heaping tablespoons of this powder, 2 more of pure MSG and 1 of white sugar,

to a recipe.

 

That lovely soup? With the chopped chives in it?

Water and chemical compound "flavor enhancer" cubes.

Or any soup for that matter.

 

That lovely orange-gold colored fried chicken?

The coloring is the result of the same product being re-fried 2, 3, and sometimes, 4 days in a row.

 

These factors are do to greed, laziness and lack of education.

 

Thai food of old, was a different story.

What you get in the restaurants now ain’t it.

And that grunge on the street isn’t even close.

 

Do yourself a favor and avoid it.

 

But of course in farang land it's all perfect, healthy, good quality blah blah blah.

 

Dream on.

 

Another farang who just has to try and piss on the parade.

[Baerboxer]

3 hours ago, CALSinCM said:

 

Food poisoning for my family to date:

*Well know international franchises in Thailand:  2 cases

*Thai street food: 0 cases

 

For me:

 

Thai street food: 0 cases (regular eater at local fresh market food courts).

Singapore Airlines Business Class: 1 case, serious enough to require clinic treatment.

French 5 star hotel in Versaille: 1 case

UK: several - don't trust hot dogs, burgers or kebabs there anymore.

[Thian]

4 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Who did you here that from? The Singapore Tourist Board?

 

Singapore has great foodcourts who are perfect. I didn't see much streetfood there, not more than BKK for sure. It's an organised place.

 

I like streetfood but not in BKK since it's always so filthy around those stalls. 

[Baerboxer]

9 minutes ago, Thian said:

 

Singapore has great foodcourts who are perfect. I didn't see much streetfood there, not more than BKK for sure. It's an organised place.

 

I like streetfood but not in BKK since it's always so filthy around those stalls. 

 

Singapore and Malaysia have some great food courts. I get the impression that street food vendors have been corralled into the food courts there to control quality, hygiene, environment etc. The Malaysian food courts compare on cost with Thailand and have wonderful variety.

 

Take your point - sitting on a plastic little chair, rickerty old battered metal table with most of the paint missing, animals hanging around, lack of washrooms etc.etc. Having said that, I've never had a problem apart from the heat and humidity.

 

As a "foodie" whose been very lucky to travel and work in many countries, I really think Thailand has the widest and most available variety of anywhere. And that, all things considered, certainly has the best street food. But it's all down to personal taste, they type of food enjoyed, ability to eat different types of food and willingness to try.

 

Over 25 years since I first came to Thailand and still finding new dishes to try. 99% of which I enjoy.

[Thian]

8 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Singapore and Malaysia have some great food courts. I get the impression that street food vendors have been corralled into the food courts there to control quality, hygiene, environment etc. The Malaysian food courts compare on cost with Thailand and have wonderful variety.

 

Take your point - sitting on a plastic little chair, rickerty old battered metal table with most of the paint missing, animals hanging around, lack of washrooms etc.etc. Having said that, I've never had a problem apart from the heat and humidity.

 

As a "foodie" whose been very lucky to travel and work in many countries, I really think Thailand has the widest and most available variety of anywhere. And that, all things considered, certainly has the best street food. But it's all down to personal taste, they type of food enjoyed, ability to eat different types of food and willingness to try.

 

Over 25 years since I first came to Thailand and still finding new dishes to try. 99% of which I enjoy.

 

In Thailand the streetfood always comes from very cheap dirty carts, soi dogs around, cats near, garbage under the stand, wet floor with puddles..plastic chairs who are litterally black from all the hands who touched them last decade, never ever been cleaned.

 

I most asian metropoles the streetfood is much cleaner and looks more professional. They also don't try to block traffic like Thai vendors do.

 

I miss foreign Asian streetfood in Thailand, there are not many Malaysian, Indonesian, Chinese restaurants or streetfood stands.  Also there are not many good foodcourts in BKK, you have to know the city well to find them.

[White Christmas13]

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/eat/the-michelinstarred-restaurant-where-meals-cost-150/news-story/61332ffdb4c8c4f27f3d8a12947af832   

[Gweiloman]

13 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Singapore and Malaysia have some great food courts. I get the impression that street food vendors have been corralled into the food courts there to control quality, hygiene, environment etc. The Malaysian food courts compare on cost with Thailand and have wonderful variety.

 

Take your point - sitting on a plastic little chair, rickerty old battered metal table with most of the paint missing, animals hanging around, lack of washrooms etc.etc. Having said that, I've never had a problem apart from the heat and humidity.

 

As a "foodie" whose been very lucky to travel and work in many countries, I really think Thailand has the widest and most available variety of anywhere. And that, all things considered, certainly has the best street food. But it's all down to personal taste, they type of food enjoyed, ability to eat different types of food and willingness to try.

 

Over 25 years since I first came to Thailand and still finding new dishes to try. 99% of which I enjoy.

 

"I really think Thailand has the widest and most available variety of anywhere. "

 

I beg to differ. Thailand has a fairly wide variety but pales in comparison to Malaysia and Singapore in both variety and taste. Chicken rice here is fairly bland, consisting of just plain boiled chicken, sometimes chicken flavored rice, sometimes just plain rice and just the same sort of nam jim accompanying it. In M'sia / Singapore, one can have proper Hainanese chicken rice with chilli sauce / ginger / black sauce on the side. Alternatively, crispy skin roast chicken. 

 

But the main advantage that M / S has over Thailand are the coffee shops. Sitting at one table, you can order up to 50 different varieties of rice / noodles prepared in different ways as well as Indian and Malay and sometimes western style food. Even at a simple mamak store, you can eat 7 days a week and not repeat the same dish.

[Thian]

35 minutes ago, Gweiloman said:

 

"I really think Thailand has the widest and most available variety of anywhere. "

 

I beg to differ. Thailand has a fairly wide variety but pales in comparison to Malaysia and Singapore in both variety and taste. Chicken rice here is fairly bland, consisting of just plain boiled chicken, sometimes chicken flavored rice, sometimes just plain rice and just the same sort of nam jim accompanying it. In M'sia / Singapore, one can have proper Hainanese chicken rice with chilli sauce / ginger / black sauce on the side. Alternatively, crispy skin roast chicken. 

 

But the main advantage that M / S has over Thailand are the coffee shops. Sitting at one table, you can order up to 50 different varieties of rice / noodles prepared in different ways as well as Indian and Malay and sometimes western style food. Even at a simple mamak store, you can eat 7 days a week and not repeat the same dish.

 

Yup in Malaysia a chicken/rice is litterally chicken with rice, maybe 2  slices of chives in it but nothing more. 

But they also have the yellow rice with chicken which is much better imo.

 

I really like Asian kitchen but the important part for me is meat and in Thailand they consider anything meat. They also don't care if it's cooked well done or not.

 

Why are there not many thai food buffet restaurants in BKK? I would try all their food if it was clean and proper cooked. I don't trust anybody who makes his income on the streets in BKK.

 

The best streetfoodstalls who operated many years have become restaurants or takeaway places. 

[mushroomdave]

7 hours ago, Detectorist said:

Except CNN didn't rank the 23 cities. Another BS headline

You are 100% correct.....CNN does not name Thailand #1......it names the top 23 cities with no rankings at all.

http://us.cnn.com/2016/08/08/foodanddrink/gallery/best-cities-for-street-food/index.html

[Gweiloman]

20 minutes ago, Thian said:

 

Yup in Malaysia a chicken/rice is litterally chicken with rice, maybe 2  slices of chives in it but nothing more. 

But they also have the yellow rice with chicken which is much better imo.

 

I really like Asian kitchen but the important part for me is meat and in Thailand they consider anything meat. They also don't care if it's cooked well done or not.

 

Why are there not many thai food buffet restaurants in BKK? I would try all their food if it was clean and proper cooked. I don't trust anybody who makes his income on the streets in BKK.

 

The best streetfoodstalls who operated many years have become restaurants or takeaway places. 

 

The yellow rice is either saffron flavoured rice (Malay style) or nasi bryiani (Indian style).

 

Most Malaysians, when eating Hainanese Chicken rice usually opt for either a half or full chicken, unless it's just for one person and usually eaten as fast food (during lunch, for eg).

 

The reason the rice is so much tastier is that prior to cooking, it's slightly pan fried with chicken oil and then cooked in chicken broth from cooking the chicken. Very often, parts of the chicken (skin mostly) and also ginger are also put into the rice cooker.

Edited August 10, 2016 by Gweiloman

[SoilSpoil]

How is it possible that Taipei is not in the CNN list?  Taiwan is a street food heaven.

[Familyonthemove]

I travel a lot in Asia and I eat food - which makes me uniquely (ahem) qualified to rank the top 5 Asian cities for Street Food:

 

1. Seoul

2. Singapore

3. Bangkok

4. Taipei 

5. HCM City (Saigon)

 

 

Edited August 10, 2016 by Familyonthemove

[Thechook]

Another number 1 title.  Truely  please, is there anything that Thailand isn't number 1 at.

[JHolmesJr]

9 hours ago, SOTIRIOS said:

...I heard that Singapore is way beyond compare...also in terms of cleanliness, etc....

 

It is garbage compared to bangkok.

 

Overpriced and unimaginative….and not very tasty.

 

Same old crap…satay, chilli crab, pepper crab, barbecue sting ray, char kway teow…..very unhealthy and they gouge you till you bleed.

 

Bangkok is great..as is taiwan, penang and any middle eastern place. Heck, even India has better offerings.

 

CNN is a deranged and biased channel…I wonder if they get paid to report these things since ether aren't being objective.

Edited August 10, 2016 by JHolmesJr

[JHolmesJr]

30 minutes ago, Thechook said:

Another number 1 title.  Truely  please, is there anything that Thailand isn't number 1 at.

 

Not kicking in the heads of people who displease them.

[oldlakey]

15 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

Finally a claim to fame which is obvious and true.

Events and awards like these always amuse me

Take the baseball world series if its still called that, OK WORLD series 

So as most  if not all the developed world do not allow food to be prepared, cooked or consumed in such

disgusting conditions this is just more meaningless BS

I do eat this street food myself and thats in every country where its available

I would be less than honest though if I did not admit to looking for Hewie on occasion you just have to be lucky

[gandalf12]

Where is Honk Kong?

[oldlakey]

10 hours ago, nottocus said:

I don't like bkk street food. I don't like CNN either. They even support Clinton! How low can u go?

I am a limey and have nothing to brag about where politicians are concerned

What happens in the USA is none of my business either

But have you seen who will be the next US president if its not Clinton

[oldlakey]

13 hours ago, ratcatcher said:

I am sure you are right, since Singapore has Indian, Malay and Arab plus Chinese. A nice combination.

Indian Malay and Chinese are the local population who make up approx 97% of the population

The Chinese make up 75% of the population

Why single out Arab cuisine any particular reason, just curious

Of course there is Arab cuisine as there is Japanese Korean Italian french  etc etc

Then there is burgers, and pizza plus all the rest of the western fast food crap

 

[diddygq]

Been eating Thai street food for 10 years including Pla ra (Fermented fish) in som tom and have never been sick.   I agree that Thai street food is at the top.

[RandolphGB]

The CNN articles doesn't name Bangkok as Number 1. Bangkok is among 22 other cities on the list of the best places in the world to eat street food.