SookSiam Food Trip: Eating at ICONSIAM's Indoor "Floating Market" (Bangkok, Thailand)

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This article is part of the Bangkok Food Trip series. Check out the installments: Bangkok Food and Travel Guide | Chinatown Food Trip | Jodd Fairs Rama 9 Food Trip (Night Market) | Khao Gaeng Jek Pui (Thai Curry Rice) | MICHELIN Street Food Guide | Phed Mark (Pad Krapow or Holy Basil Stir-Fry) | On Lok Yun (Thai-Style Western Breakfast) | Polo Fried Chicken (Soi Polo) | Raan Jay Fai (MICHELIN-Starred Street Food) | SookSiam Food Trip | theCOMMONS Thonglor (Food Hall) | Wattana Panich (Beef Noodle Soup)

Bangkok is undeniably a street food haven. You can’t go to the Thai capital and not eat its street food. But understandably, not everyone is immediately ready for it. Some have concerns, such as food safety and cleanliness.

Thankfully, there are places that are relatively safe for those beginning to try street food. One of them is SookSiam at ICONSIAM.

ICONSIAM: Possibly the Most Luxurious Mall in all of Thailand

But I can’t talk about our SookSiam experience without talking about ICONSIAM first. Located beside the Chao Phraya River, ICONSIAM is one of Bangkok’s newest malls. For me, it’s the nicest mall I’ve visited in all of Thailand.

The mall has several areas that are worth exploring. Each has its own theme, with Instagram-worthy features. Take, for example, the fifteen-meter-high indoor waterfall in ALANGKARN ZONE. Though it’s not as spectacular as Singapore’s HSBC Rain Vortex in Jewel Changi Airport, it definitely is a sight to see and relaxing to watch.

For those into luxury brands, the ICONLUXE zone is worth visiting. It is home to luxury brands such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Rolex, and many more.

Of course, a visit to ICONSIAM isn’t complete without a visit to its River Park, which offers a nice panoramic view of Bangkok and the Chao Phraya River. Visit it at night for a relaxing view of the city.

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Let’s now go back to the topic of this article.

SookSiam: Is It Really a Floating Market?

A combination of the words “happy” in Thai (sook) and the old name of Thailand (Siam), SookSiam is the indoor “floating market” at the basement of ICONSIAM. But to manage expectations, it’s not really a floating market with moving boats. Rather, it’s designed to look like one, with stationary “boats” with vendors on it.

SookSiam showcases the arts, culture, tradition, food and way of life from 77 provinces across Thailand’s 4 regions. There are over 3000 local businesses in it, spread throughout seven zones.

We went there mainly for food. But we can’t help but notice some stalls with fascinating products, including this one that sells miniature food and kitchenware:

I love miniature items so this stall caught my attention.

Bought this miniature Mango Sticky Rice ref magnet

Intermission: Are you planning a trip to Bangkok soon? Can’t decide what activities to do yet? Then check out the activities in Klook!

Let’s talk about the food there. Honestly, we got overwhelmed with all the selection available. But we managed to settle with the food below (in alphabetical order). Take note that I wasn’t able to take note of the stall names except for one.

Cups of Green: This is a traditional Thai-Chinese dessert. It’s a pudding scented with pandan (screwpine) leaves and topped with caramelized coconut sugar and sesame seeds. It reminds me of the Filipino kakanin (rice cakes) back at home.

Mango Sticky Rice: Because this is the most popular Thai dessert, there are many stalls selling this. The one we got has five scoops of sticky rice, each with different color. But there’s not difference in flavor. LOL. The mangoes, as expected, are sweet!

Moo Krob (Crispy Pork Belly): It’s pillowy tender and has a very crunchy skin.

Moo Ping (Grilled Pork Skewers): It’s tender, juicy, and rightly sweet. It reminds me of the sweet Filipino pork barbecue but better, in my opinion. This is easily my favorite in our SookSiam experience.

Oyster Pancake: It’s crisp and the oysters are plump and soft. But it needs seasoning.

Thai Milk Tea at Lung Ngen Coffee: Lung Ngen is a famous claypot coffee stall that has several kiosks within SookSiam. It’s the creamiest I’ve ever had! The grass jelly is tasteless and is really just for texture. I just had to finish it fast because the ice dilutes the drink.

Tom Yum Pork Noodle: This is underwhelming. The broth is sour but the noodles are overly soft. It also needs a bit more seasoning overall but the condiments help repair the dish. The meatballs are tasty and I like the innards, though.

I’m aware that the food at SookSiam may not be the best versions of it. But it’s a good (and safer) introduction to Thai street food. Moreover, a visit to SookSiam is also a feast for the senses. So I highly recommend that you visit it!

Have you been to SookSiam? How was your experience? What other food should I try there? Comment below!

Address: 299 Soi Charoen Nakhon 5, Charoen Nakhon Rd., Khlong Ton Sai Subdistrict, Khlong San District, Bangkok, Thailand | Operating Hours: Daily, 10AM-10PM | Contact No.: (66) 02 437 0711 | Facebook | Instagram | Website

Again, if you still don’t have a travel medical insurance for your Bangkok trip (or other trips) yet, then get SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance! Get a quote by using the Nomad Insurance Widget below!

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