We won’t mince words—Asia is the ultimate foodie destination, and nothing does this region’s killer cuisine justice like the fantastic fare at its local streetside stalls. From brittle samosas to rich soupy ramen, the most iconic Asian staples are all at their best when served steaming hot on the curb. What’s more, most of these roadside treats only cost a couple of bucks, meaning you can hit up as many hawkers as you want without hurting your wallet. Picking the right hotels near street food will give you easy access to the best eats and maybe even help you cut out some of that pesky queueing time.
With over 400 million visitors to HotelsCombined, we’ve chewed the fat with local foodies to find you the destinations and accommodations for exploring Asia’s fantastic food scenes. These brilliant boutiques put you on the doorstep of some deliciously diverse dollar-dining while sweetening the deal with those levels of luxury we all crave on vacation. To top it all off, we’ve also got the inside scoop on which mouthwatering morsels to order during your stay. Sound appetizing? Here are the best hotels near street food to get your fill of Asia’s most tantalizing tarmac treats.
1. Yangon, Myanmar
Located at the confluence of Asia’s two most historically influential cultures, Burmese cooking is a fusion of Indian and Chinese sensibilities, garnished with a bit of homegrown flare. Nowhere could this be more true than Myanmar’s former capital. Yangon’s kitchens are a mix-and-match of sensational samosas and steamy bowls of mi shay, or rice noodle soup.
Salads (thoke) are a big thing here, too. But forget the Cesar dressing—there’s none of that green garden stuff on the menu here. We’re talking laphet thoke: pickled tea leaves mixed with scallions, spicy chillies, tomato, peanuts, and roasted soybeans, with a splash of fish sauce and a squeeze of fresh lime for that added zing. Head to the night market on Strand Road to get your fill of the eclectic offerings that this remarkable city has to hawk.
Also try:
- A revitalizing fish noodle soup typically flavored with garlic, ginger, and lemongrass. Yangon’s Myaungmya Daw Cho Mohinga is a longtime local favorite for this popular breakfast dish.
- Shan tofu. Deep-fried into crispy oblivion and served alongside an assortment of spicy dipping sauces.
- Dosa sandwich. Affectionately known to locals as the “gangster sandwich” these stuffed Indian-style pancakes are served heavy with chickpeas, cabbage, and a mix of sweet and savory sauces. The hawkers at Maha Bandoola Park are notorious for their tasty take on this popular snack.
Yangon Hotels near Street Food
Sule Shangri-La Yangon
Centrally located between Bogyoke Aung San Market and Yangon Central Station, Sule Shangri-La Yangon is at the heart of the city’s local food scene. Unlike hotels near street food elsewhere in the city, Sule Shangri-La’s surrounding streets are one bustling open kitchen. A short walk to the south and you’ll find yourself in Chinatown, while Little India lies just a few blocks further to the west.
Inside the hotel though, it’s a wholly Burmese affair. At Sule, Shangri-La’s signature contemporary interiors are complemented by Burmese wall art and other local finishes. With no high-rise skyline to contend with, there are sweeping views of the city, including the opulent golden spire of the Sule Pagoda.
Star Rating: 5*
Price: USD 110 – USD 243
Guest Rating: 9.0
Address: 223 Sule Pagoda Road, Yangon 11141, Myanmar
Hotel Location
2. Penang, Malaysia
Penang’s flavorful food history began with the arrival of Chinese, Indian, and Malay settlers on the island from the late 18th century onwards. With each group introducing and adapting dishes from their own cultures, the island’s food culture is a melting pot of sizzling curries and moreish noodle soups.
Make space in your itinerary to slurp up a bowl of Assam laksa, a soupy noodle dish sweetened with tamarind sauce. Likewise, you can’t go wrong with nasi kandar, or rice served with a variety of curries and sauces. Word on the street is the best place to tuck into this terrific treat is Liyaqat Ali Nasi Kandar Map (known locally as Nasi Kandar Beratur, or “queue-up nasi kandar”). As the same suggests, expect to queue 30 minutes for your helping to be heaped onto the plate.
Also try:
- Roti Canai. Tear into this crispy Indian flatbread at the stalls on Transfer Road.
- Rojak. Tossed Penang-style salad with fruit, nuts, and juicy shrimp-paste. Head to Stall No. 39 in the Gurney Drive Hawker Centre.
- Char Koay Teow. Fried rice noodles that strike the perfect balance between sweet, spicy, and savory. Chow down on yours at the stalls on Siam Road.
Penang Hotels Near Street Food
Campbell House
Housed in a beautiful colonial-era terrace, Campbell House evokes Penang’s colorful past as a center of the British spice trade. Husband-and-wife team Roberto and Nardya have kept many of the building’s original features, harmonizing English, Peranakan, and Malay design elements. Its storied bedrooms, for example, feature Islamic wall hangings and Chinese dressers, while overhead beams give you the sense of staying in a Tudor cottage. Many of the rooms also feature standalone bathtubs and bath products by L’Occitaine. To complete this charming Old-World experience, there’s also a rooftop garden lounge where you can while away the twilight hours to the view of Penang’s UNESCO World Heritage townscape.
Star Rating: 4*
Price: USD 63 – USD 144
Guest Rating: 9.9
Address: 106 Lebuh Campbell, George Town 10100, Malaysia
Hotel Penaga
Historical Hotel Penaga is a beautiful blend of traditional decor and contemporary design elements. Solid-wood furniture, four-poster beds, and Peranakan flourishes set the tone of the bedrooms. But you won’t have to skip the modern necessities: whirlpool baths, air conditioning, and dry cleaning and laundry services are all available. A vanishing edge pool is a nice touch if you’re looking to beat the heat. Or you can achieve the same refreshing result with a cooling signature cocktail at the beautifully restored colonial-era bar
Star Rating: 4*
Price: USD 76 – USD 208
Guest Rating: 8.3
Address: Corner of Jalan Hutton & Lebuh Clarke, George Town 10050, Malaysia
Hotel Location
3. Fukuoka, Japan
If you’re serious about ramen (and no, we don’t mean the cup variety) then you’ll know that seaside Fukuoka is the place to slurp it down. Hakata ramen, the local variety, is characterized by its silky smooth pork broth and extra thin noodles. It was first served as a quick and easy meal popular with local fishermen. But as the threadlike noodles quickly turn mushy if not eaten immediately, hawkers started offering free noodle refills, called kaedama, to ensure each hearty bite is as firm as the last.
Ramen is a local staple, but if you want your bowl to deliver the full Fukuoka experience then a yatai is your best bet. These mobile streetside stalls are a key ingredient in the local food culture, disappearing every morning and popping up out of nowhere the moment the offices start to empty. Though yatai can be found all over the city, some of the best tend to pop up after 6 p.m. on the south side of Nakasu Island (Nakasu 1 Chome), near the city center. Most seat seven to eight people and can also be counted on for a frosty Asahi right by the water’s edge.
Also try:
- Soul-warming vegetables, tofu, and eggs slow-cooked in Dashi broth.
- Appetite-piquing chicken skewers best enjoyed with a crisp Kirin.
- Pork potstickers of Chinese origin. Maximize the flavor by combining soy sauce, vinegar, and a pinch of chili flakes. Dip generously.
Fukuoka Hotels near Street Food
Grand Hyatt Fukuoka
When not another kaedama you can possibly take, the Grand Hyatt is the ideal place to sleep off the inevitable carb crash. Offering elegant contemporary rooms, this luxury hotel’s 300+ rooms boast premium bedding, spacious bathrooms, and in many cases, great city views. The Grand Hyatt Fukuoka’s suites are an ideal choice for family parties or larger groups. For a truly memorable experience, check in to one of the Japanese suites, which provide a traditional ryokan experience, complete with a private tea room, garden, and hinoki soaking tub.
Star Rating: 5*
Price: USD 175 – USD 728
Guest Rating: 8.3
Address: 1- 2- 82 Sumiyoshi, Hakata- Ku, Fukuoka 812-0018, Japan
Hotel Location
4. Taipei, Taiwan
The mere mention of street food in Taiwan conjures up images of the island’s bustling night markets, which feed scores of hungry office workers and college students from 5 p.m. until late. These bustling arteries draw on Taiwan’s historical ties to Southern China, and you’ll be able to appreciate the connection in dishes like the deceptively delicious oyster omelet (ô-á-chian), a pan-fried snack served with tongue-tingling hot sauce. Steaming xiaolongbao, pork-stuffed soupy dumplings, are another surefire pleaser, especially when served under a nest of pickled ginger.
Not every Taiwanese street snack hails from continental Asia, however. A former Japanese colony, Taiwan is where you’ll find some of the best sushi and sashimi outside of Japan itself. Gourmet hawker center Addiction Aquatic serves some of the freshest ocean-borne fares, offering everything from rice bowls laden heavy with fatty tuna to steamed snow crab and raw sea urchins.
Also try:
- Gua bao. Tantalizing pork-belly buns garnished with cilantro and crushed nuts. Best bitten into at Lan Jia Traditional Taiwanese Snacks in Gonguan Night Market.
- Beautifully braised meats, tofu, and vegetables. Toss your ingredients into a little plastic basket at one of the stalls in Shida Night Market and wait while the auntie does her magic. Dig in.
- Tiger Pearl Milk Tea. Taiwan’s homegrown dessert drink that took over the world. Get your fix at Raohe Night Market.
Taipei Hotels near Street Food
Amba Taipei Songshan
Taipei’s homegrown brand of youthful hotels pride themselves on their free and open spaces, and you can certainly gulp in the breathing space at Amba Taipei Songshan. Located on the upper floors of an independent highrise, this brightly modern establishment enjoys uninterrupted views of Taipei 101, the Keelung River, and the city’s outlying mountains. The tech-savvy rooms boast high-speed Internet, abundant outlets, and thoughtful extras including Playstation, Apple TV, and bath products by eco-brand Cha Tzu Tang.
Amba’s excellent wood-fired grill, Que, is doubtless worthy of a meal during your stay. However, don’t hole up in your digs every evening. Endless street food stalls await just down the road at Raohe Night Market, Meanwhile, nearby clothing market Wufenpu offers a warrenlike shopping experience.
Star Rating: 4*
Price: USD 126 – USD 191
Guest Rating: 9.0
Address: No.8, Sec. 7, Civic Blvd, Taipei, Taiwan
Gloria Residence
Gloria Residence’s ability to provide spacious accommodation is quite surprising once you notice its location in one of Taipei’s most densely populated quarters. This smart city hotel draws inspiration from the local area’s popularity with Japanese expats by providing clean minimalist rooms, whose wooden finishes are a contemporary twist on traditional Japanese interiors.
Step outside and you’ll find yourself on the notorious Linsen North Road, Taipei’s red-light district but the local go-to for good eats, great cocktail bars, and (legit) massages. Ningxia Night Market, a tasty thoroughfare famous for its deep-fried taro balls, is also right around the corner. Our advice: save some room for the chicken rice (tuji fan) at the north end of Ningxia Street.
Star Rating: 4.5*
Price: USD 157 – USD 469
Guest Rating: 8.8
Address: No.359, Linsen North Road, Taipei 104, Taiwan
Hotel Location
5. Hanoi, Vietnam
Another of Southeast Asia’s confluent cultures, Hanoi’s story doesn’t have a happy beginning. Centuries of colonization, first by the Chinese and then by the French, left their mark on this charismatic city. Nevertheless, Hanoi persevered, and today you can taste the legacy of its storied past in its fantastic food culture, which incorporates culinary elements from East and West to create fresh, bright, and interesting flavors you’ll be hard pressed to find elsewhere.
Most travelers to Hanoi find the French connection in bánh mì, a baguette split lengthwise and stuffed with pork and garnished gloriously with Vietnamese pickles, cucumbers, cilantro, chili sauce, and lime. For a local lunchtime take on the sandwich, though, hawkers on Hoàng Hoa Thám (just around the corner from Cutisun Restaurant; look for the big tree) serve a deconstructed bánh mì patter consisting of pâté, fried eggs, sausage, pickled cucumber and a crispy French stick to soak it all up. Like all of Hanoi’s hidden gems, it takes a little extra work to find, but trust us—the search will be worth it.
Also try:
- Bun cha. Hanoi’s premier dry noodle dish. Grilled pork served over a hearty bowl of rice noodles. For the celebrity treatment, get them at Bún chả Hương Liên and sit on the same plastic stools that once supported Anthony Bourdain and Barack Obama!
- Bánh xéo. Crispy egg pancakes busting at the seams with lettuce, herbs, zesty green mango, starfruit, shrimp, and pork balls. Our favorite hole in the wall can be found here.
- Phở cuốn. A portable take on the noodle dish we all know and love. Beef noodles wrapped up in rice paper rolls. You can find them at these stalls by the West Lake.
Hanoi Hotels near Street Food
La Siesta Premium Cau Go
If the wildly romantic sunset views from its 8th floor aren’t the crowning moment of your visit to Hanoi, you aren’t vacationing right. This idly opulent hotel’s location near Hoàn Kiếm Lake places you on the periphery of Hanoi’s old quarter. Quite fittingly then, the hotel’s interior leans towards French colonial, with royal gray tones, rich hardwood furniture, and premium bedding befitting an aristocrat on tour.
Star Rating: 4*
Price: USD 108 – USD 347
Guest Rating: 9.7
Address: 1b Cau Go Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Hotel Location
6. Bangkok, Thailand
No food guide to Asia could be considered complete without a nod to Bangkok, most travelers’ site of induction into Southeast Asian street food. Thai food is arguably the best represented Southeast Asian cuisine worldwide, and when you’re in Thailand’s chaotic capital, it’s not hard to see why. Bangkok’s hotels near street food are on the doorstep of almost everything the city’s street kitchens have to offer—we’re talking gluttonous helpings of mango sticky rice, sweat-inducing papaya salads, and tantalizing banana rotis.
There’s no one place to get your foodie fix in Thailand’s premier city. Each market, hawker center, and stall-cramped alleyway has its own specialty to offer. Head to Yaowarard Road (aka Chinatown) to snack down on some serious south-China inspired fare. Or hit up Ekkamai Road and get hooked on local seafood dishes. There’s more to eat in Bangkok than can fit on any menu—the best way to do it justice is to pick a street and see what the city offers up.
Also try:
- Khao kha moo. Juicy slow-braised pork leg served on a bed of steamed rice. Get yours at Ratchada Night Market, near Thailand Cultural Center MRT.
- Pad See Eiw. Comforting stir-fried wide rice noodles served with your choice of pork, beef, or chicken—a real people pleaser.
- Pad Kra Pao. Minced pork combined with peppery Thai basil and piled in gratuitous heaps over rice. Too-hot-to-handle for some but oh so deliciously moreish.
Bangkok Hotels near Street Food
Centre Point Silom
This central hotel is the perfect pad from which to throw yourself into Bangkok’s famed streetlife. With a central Silom location, you’ve got the best the city’s nightlife can throw at you: markets (day and night), a vibrant queer nightlife, block on block of pit-stop-pleading street food stalls.
When you need to take a break from the urban madness, Centre Point Silom’s rooftop saltwater pool, onsite sauna, and simply stunning evening views of the Chao Phraya River all provide a welcome bit of respite. The rooms themselves are colonial nostalgic, a spacious aesthetic made all the more attractive by numerous luxury amenities. These include high-speed internet, premium toiletries, and a personal kitchenette—not that you plan on eating in.
Star Rating: 4*
Price: USD 75 – USD 405
Guest Rating: 8.6
Address: 1522/2 Soi Kaysorn 1 (Charoenkrung 50), Bangkok 10500, Thailand
Pullman Bangkok Grande Sukhumvit
Forget the barebones backpacker experience—do Bangkok in style at these swanky Sukhumvit digs. Pullman has cultivated an image for themselves world round as a purveyor of glamorous lodgings, and this downtown residence is by no means the exception. Boasting 325 elevated rooms and suites that look out generously over the central city skyline, Grande Sukhumvit offers you the chance to lord it over the city in all the five-star style you’d expect of a Pullman. We’re talking soaking tubs, rainforest showers, and a tasteful colorscheme to please even the most discerning of travelers. To complete the equation, the Antidot Spa combines European aromatherapy with timeless Thai massage techniques to work out any stress that didn’t melt away the moment you set foot in this fabulous downtown residence.
Star Rating: 5*
Price: USD 124 – USD 288
Guest Rating: 8.6
Address: 30 Sukhumvit 21 Asoke Road, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Hotel Location
7. Seoul, South Korea
Hawkers have a bit of a hard time in Korea, most of them having to constantly dodge surprise crackdowns by the local authorities. But there’s a reason the punters keep heading for these clandestine streetside cooks. Most pojangmacha, as they’re locally known, consist of a seated cart covered with a plastic awning to keep out cold weather. Popular with the after-work crowd, they serve soju at a fraction of the price seen in Seoul’s bars and restaurants. It’s no surprise then that most of the dishes you’ll find at pojangmacha are, in essence, great bar snacks.
Soak up the alcohol with a substantial serving of haemul pajeon, or seafood scallion pancake. Tteok-bokki (read: stir-fried spicy rice cakes) is the way to go if there’s a bit of a nip in the air. Polishing it all off with brown-sugar-filled pancakes (hotteok) is a surefire way to ensure that you head home on time—or at least take a break from the boozing to walk off the carb bomb you just ingested.
Also try:
- Quick-fix rice rolls packed with pork, veggies, egg, and kimchi. Get ‘em to go at Gwangjang Market.
- Gamja-dog. Korea’s take on the corn dog: battered in potato chunks and fried on a skewer. Satisfying just about everywhere you can find them.
- Bungeo-ppang. Fish-shaped sweet pancakes that are stuffed to the seams with red bean paste. Hit up Myeongdong Street and take home a whole school.
Seoul Hotels near Street Food
Lotte Hotel Seoul Executive Tower
Lotte Hotel Seoul bills itself as accommodation for those who like to travel in style, and if that doesn’t set the tone for your stay, the rooms certainly will. Furnished by fewer than four interior designers, the over 1,015 at this luxury residence feature smartly elegant decor. Traditional Korean touches, such as mounted fabric prints and lantern-inspired bed lamps add a historical element to each room. Meanwhile, some upper rooms entitle you to a partial view of Deoksugung Palace and the downtown Seoul skyline. When you’re ready to descend from your personal royal residence, the appetizing roadside eats of Myeongdong Street and other secrets of Seoul are just around the corner.
Star Rating: 5*
Price: USD 293 – USD 2,512
Guest Rating: 9.2
Address: 30 Euljiro, Jung-gu, Seoul 04533, South Korea
Hotel Location
Cancel Those Dinner Reservations! Stay at Hotels Near Street Food!
With so much on the menu, Asia’s street food scene merits a vacation in its own right. Though the region is home to a rapidly rising fine dining scene, it would be a culinary crime to visit without seeing where the food is at its realist. So the next time you hit up a night market, pull up a stool, and see what sensational something is slowing the people’s traffic—your tastebuds will thank you.
Where is your dream street food destination? Let us know in the comments below!
