[Naka_Timo]

Krua Apsorn (Sam Sen)

Samsen Road
Samsen 1 Alley, Wat Sam Phraya
Phra Nakhon, Bangkok
Tel: +66 2 668 8788
Mon to Sat: 10.30am – 7.30pm



This two-decade-old, family-run shophouse has won favour with just about everyone who has eaten chef Chanchawee’s cooking, including the Thai royal family. The raison d'être for making the pilgrimage here is the decadent stir-fried crab with yellow chilli and the famous fluffy crab omelette. Start there, and if hunger persists.

Krua Apsorn is somewhere that only locals and foodies in-the-know head to. It serves simple but supremely delicious Thai food at pocket-friendly prices. If you haven’t been there before, mark it down in your itinerary, for the next time you are in Bangkok, you know you will be in for a treat at Krua Apsorn.

The signature Stir-fried Crab in Curry Powder (THB 400) is one of the best stir-fried crab dishes that we’ve had in Thailand, and definitely a must-order when dining at Krua Apsorn. It also comes in a spicier version – the Stir-fried Crab with Yellow Chilli (THB 400). Pay attention to the tables around you and you would realize that every table has the stir-fried crab dish.

Krua Apsorn has several branches in Bangkok, but go to the original outlet at Samsen Soi 9 – located just north of the National Library in the old town of Bangkok. Getting there can be quite a challenge because it is relatively inaccessible, but if you are planning to make a trip to visit Dusit Palace or Khao San Road (the backpackers’ district in Bangkok), then it is in the vicinity; just approximately 10 minutes away. Of course, when in doubt, just hail a cab. The journey from the main Siam area is about 20 minutes without traffic.

If Krua Apsorn was located near Siam or Sukhumvit, we would dine here every day whenever we are in Bangkok.