Pantip Market

Gyros in a yellow mustard-and-mayonnaise sauce, among the best around

A Greek stall serving very good gyros in a yellow sauce of mustard and mayonnaise. When the craving is for something in the shawarma family, this is the stop at Pantip Market.

A menu of one dish: pad thai, wrapped inside an omelette

An elderly man stands over the pan, and the whole menu is a single dish: pad thai wrapped inside an omelette. The pad thai itself doesn't always land, and can come out watery. It all happens in the corner by the exit that leads to Mandolino's back entrance.

Smoked chicken roasted inside a jar, with a plate of som tam beside it

The chicken comes out of the jar and is sold by the piece, and the difference between the pieces is the whole story: the quarter chicken is soft and juicy, the breast tends to dry out. The gap is wide — the leg can be the best and best-value plate on the island, and the very same bird can also arrive bone dry. Som tam alongside turns it into a full meal, and you look for it beside the shawarma stalls.

ℹ Opens at 11am, closed on Mondays, and not always open in the evening

Borscht, buckwheat and fish cakes, deep inside a Thai market

Buckwheat with mushrooms and fish cakes, chicken and beef versions beside them, and a vegetable salad with soured cream — a full Russian plate in the least likely setting, with borscht to go with it. It isn't a place that wins everyone over, so come to it out of curiosity. It sits in the second shed, next to the Indian stall.

Coconut ice cream served in the shell, at the long-standing roti stall

Excellent ice cream, served inside the coconut shell itself. The stall is the market's long-standing roti place, and it makes a sweet finish to a meal without leaving the Pantip Market grounds.

Patongo with condensed milk, from the stall at the end of the car park

Patongo, Thai doughnuts, with condensed milk on the side — and the combination is perfect. You can also ask for them plain and dress them at home. Not everyone comes away convinced by this stall, so take a look before you order.

ℹ Mornings only, and probably only early in the morning

Pantip's new Nepali — flawless momo, gyoza made by hand

The momo here are flawless, and the gyoza are his own handiwork. You can also order a frozen portion in advance to take home. The wait used to run long enough to break your spirit, so it is worth checking whether that has changed. The stall is in the Greek's block, a few stalls along and to the left of the hummus.

Salads made to order, a touch more carefully put together than the food court's

Salads made to order: you choose the components and get a plate put together for you. The work is a little more careful than at the salad bar in the Thong Sala food court. Second stall from the entrance, in the second shed — the one with the Indian and Russian stalls.

For anyone who wants lasagne in the middle of a Thai market

Not every meal at the market has to be Asian, and this is the stall holding down the Italian corner. The lasagne is the dish that justifies the stop.

ℹ Open at lunchtime

A small, no-frills sushi cart — and it comes served on a boat

A little cart turning out decent sushi and serving it on a boat, and the presentation is the fun of it. It parks in the covered section, and you can catch it in the afternoon.

Organic Thai cooking with a delicate touch, and excellent khao soi

Thai cooking built on organic produce, with delicate flavours and a menu that keeps changing. The khao soi is the real reason to come, and an average of around 100 baht a dish keeps the meal firmly in market-food territory. It stands to the right of the pasta stall.