Originally Posted by
billp
Just to clear up misconceptions, there are mall food COURTS as opposed to food FLOORS of malls which tend to be full of chain restaurants. At the food courts, you generally have to preload a stored-value card which you must use to pay for the offerings. You can get unspent credit refunded on your way out. At Terminal 21 (at Asok BTS), the “Pier 21” food court on the 5th floor is arguably one of the best values in the city. When they were putting it together, they offered concessions to many of the top street carts or shop house eateries — and the food there is excellent and mostly freshly prepared. As for eating for $4, well I usually load the card with 200 baht and get at least two dishes, a small bottle of water and some leftover baht on my way out. If I want mango with sticky rice (yes I DO!) I need to put 300 baht on the card.
Interesting. I as mentioned thought it was quite decent, but did not know it was also one of the better value for money food halls in Bangkok, or the history of how they were putting it together. And I too can't leave without a service of mango with sticky rice, which is one of the best desserts you can get in Thailand IMO.
I also like the food hall at the bottom of emquartier, though of course more expensive. That shopping centre itself is also one of the nicer ones and usually not as crowded as other high-end'ish shopping malls in Bangkok. Also directly connected to a BTS station (Phrom Phong), one hop down from the Terminal 21 BTS station.