Eat Like Anutin

By Thai PBS World Feature Desk

In Bangkok, power lunches rarely look like this. Anutin Charnvirakul—Thailand’s prime minister— has built a reputation not on white-tablecloth dining, but on a restless appetite for the city’s everyday flavors. From noodle shops in back alleys to late-night rice porridge stalls, his idea of good food leans pretty much towards places where taste outweighs polish.

During the 2026 Thai general election campaign, Anutin was as likely to be found sampling street-side skewers as he was on the political stage—turning casual bites into meatballs into something of a public ritual. Food, for Anutin, is less an indulgence than a language: a way of connecting, hosting and navigating the beat of the city.

When time allows, he brings along his ministers, friends—and visiting dignitaries—to his regular haunts. These are the places he returns to, and the ones that define how he eats.

Here are five restaurants to follow if you want to eat like Anutin.

JOK PRINCE

In the old riverside quarter of Bang Rak, along the storied Charoen Krung Road, Jok Prince has long anchored Bangkok’s working-class mornings with bowls of congee once prized for their thrift. Over decades, that humble street-side setup has matured into one of the city’s defining culinary institutions—its reputation sealed when the late Anthony Bourdain dropped in for Anthony Bourdain: No Reservationsin 2009.

Last Wednesday, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul returned with Singapore’s minister Chan Chun Sing for an unceremonial breakfast that felt more ritual than protocol. A longtime regular since his school days at nearby Assumption College, Anutin is said to favor the classic bowl: silky, almost custard-like rice porridge laced with a faint charcoal smokiness, topped with a soft-boiled egg, minced pork, offal, ginger, and a dash of heat. A Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand recipient, Jok Prince remains a study in simplicity—best paired with crisp pa thong ko bun and eaten without ceremony.

Address: Opposite Charoen Krung 42

Opening hours: Daily, 6am–1pm; 3pm–3am

ROSELAMOON

In Bangkok’s Asok district, Roselamoon feels almost suspended in time. The dining room boasts an old-world rhythm, where meals unfold without hurry and the menu resists the pull of reinvention. The cooking leans on restraint and clarity.

Salt-baked chicken arrives moist and evenly seasoned, its simplicity part of its appeal. A steamed goby, dressed lightly with soy and a trace of Chinese wine, underscores the kitchen’s preference for balance over flourish. Elsewhere, wok-fried noodles are dry and aromatic, and braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens is softened by pillowy mantou buns.

Still, it is the roasted pigeon that defines the experience and brings Prime Minister Anutin back for more. Favored, reportedly, by Anutin, the dish is crisp-skinned and deeply savory, served with a salt-and-lime dip that cuts through its richness.

Address: Sukhumvit 21

Opening hours: Daily, 11am–2pm; 6pm–10pm

KHAO TOM BAWON

If the old adage “you are what you eat” holds, then Khao Tom Bawon offers a neat read on Thailand’s PM—at least at the table. Unfussy, pragmatic, confident in his palate, and grounded, his tastes lean towards places where flavor does the talking.

Just across from Wat Bowonniwet Vihara, Khao Tom has been serving aromatic rice porridge for more than 70 years. It draws late-night crowds for its signature stir-fried morning glory—tossed over fierce heat until flames leap up around the wok. As the surge of fire settles, the result is crisp greens, a deep smoky aroma, and a dish that captures Bangkok’s bold, punchy flavors.

Anutin and his wife, Thananon Charnvirakul, are known to settle in for a familiar spread: stir-fried greens glossed with soy, braised pork, salted fish, and soft omelets alongside steaming bowls. “No frills—just great taste,” he once wrote, summing up both the shop and his own dining ethos. Here, simplicity isn’t a compromise—it’s the point.

Address: Opposite Wat Bowonniwetwiharn Ratchaworawiharn

Opening hours: Daily, 3pm–11pm

MOL AHAN ISAN

For all his fondness for Cantonese roasts—duck, goose, and anything with wings done the Chinese way—Anutin turns to something far more elemental when the political temperature rises: Isan food. At Mol Ahan Isan, along Sukhantharam Road near the Dusit Police Station, his order is decisive—the grilled beef hump, or nook yang.

Known in Thai as nook, the cut is prized for its marbling and collagen-rich depth. Cooked low and slow over fire, it yields a texture that is tender, smoky and deeply satisfying. “Exceptionally tender and deeply marinated… worth a second order,” he once wrote, noting how it pairs with sticky rice and chilli jaew dip.

It’s said that in early September last year—just days after parliament voted him in as Thailand’s 32nd prime minister—Anutin came here and ordered the hump cut repeatedly, a quiet ritual amid political upheaval. The menu ranges across the Isan canon: nam tokbeef, liver salads, and papaya salad—bold, spicy and refreshingly unadorned.

On April 1, after receiving the Royal Command appointing him prime minister, Anutin returned with Newin Chidchob, a veteran politician-cum-sports magnate for more hump at Mol.

Address: Sukhantharam Road, Dusit District

Opening hours: Daily, 10am–10pm

TANG SUI HENG POCHANA



Few noodle shops in Bangkok carry the quiet authority of Tang Sui Heng Pochana. For more than half a century, this family-run institution has drawn a loyal following with one defining dish: braised duck noodles, steeped in a dark, herb-laced broth that is both layered and restrained.

Among its regulars is Anutin, who, after a recent trip abroad, wrote of craving its goose noodles—particularly the bamee pok. “Springy yet well-balanced… each bite gives a satisfying ‘pok pok’ crunch,” he noted, praising even the roasted chili flakes for their fragrance and heat. Bowls arrive with tender duck, alongside optional extras of blood jelly and silky intestines, best dipped in sharp chili vinegar.

Now located at Stadium One, the shop remains largely unchanged. A Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand mainstay, it endures not through reinvention, but through precision—proof that some cravings never really leave.

Address: Stadium One, Banthat Thong Road

Opening hours: Daily, 10:30am–7:30pm