If it’s a competition for which country has the best street food culture, you could do worse than back in Thailand. Lucky for Melbourne, Soi 38 continues to fly the flag for excellent Thai street food.
Melbourne loves an obscure venue – as evidenced by Soi 38's history. The eatery began life as hole-in-the wall in a carpark, tightly packed with people happily slurping noodles while perched at brightly hued metal foldout tables and the King and Queen of Thailand smiling benevolently onto them from their home on the wall.
This year, they have moved to a new, bigger, home in Melbourne's CBD, foccussing on a range of Thai soups by day and pivoting to Thai North-Eastern (Issan) food by night.
Co-owner Andy Buchan started Soi 38 because he wanted to channel the spirit of Bangkok’s famous street food destination and namesake.
“One of the best things about Thailand is the food. It is not only delicious, but it is also plentiful and cheap. Much of Thai culture expresses itself through food and it is central to all occasions and celebrations.
"Top [co-owner and chef] and I wanted to bring something to Melbourne that we hadn’t seen and would make him proud to present to the city.”
That desire to offer food that unifies through its accessibility is one that Melbourne has embraced with gusto, making it truly one of the best bang-for-buck meals to be had in Melbourne, chopsticks down.
