Chotechitr

Location Quiz Nearby Places History At present

Chotechitr (Thai: โชติจิตร, pronounced [t͡ɕʰoː.tɕít]) is a cozy Thai restaurant tucked into a small, two-story shophouse with charming historic Sino-Portuguese architecture. It sits in Phraeng Phuthon, within the Sam Praeng area, close to the intersection leading out to Tanao Road on Rattanakosin Island, Bangkok.

Location

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Nearby Places

San Chaopho Suea subdistrict

San Chaopho Suea is a khwaeng of Phra Nakhon District, Bangkok.

Neighbourhood Settlement

Kor Panich

Kor Panich is a Thai sweet shop in Bangkok, Thailand. Founded in 1932 by Kab and Sarapee Chiabchalard in a shophouse on Tanao Road, the bakery is renowned for its sticky rice desserts, including mango sticky rice. The restaurant uses sticky rice from Chiang Rai, and Nam Dok Mai and Ok Rong mangoes, along with coconuts from Chumphon. Freshly grated coconut flesh is kneaded to produce coconut cream and coconut milk. Sugar, salt, and other ingredients are measured by weight and mixed by machine and weighed by scale. Independent vendors sell mangoes in front of the shop.

Brewery Distillery

San Chaopho Suea

San Chaopho Suea) or San Chaopho Suea Phra Nakhon, usually known simply as San Chaopho Suea is a Chinese joss house located at 468 Tanao Road, San Chaopho Suea Sub-district, Phra Nakhon District in the old town Bangkok near Sao Chingcha and Wat Mahannapharam with features the Southern Chinese architectural style. It is the shrine of Chaopho Suea, according to the ancient Chinese belief and it is one of the most respected Chinese shrines in Bangkok and Thailand alike Wat Mangkon Kamalawat in Chinatown, especially during the Chinese New Year. This shrine was built in 1834 in the reign of King Nang Klao. In the past, it was located on Bamrung Mueang Road but was relocated by the command of King Chulalongkorn to the Tanao Road, the present location. The shrine enshrined statues of Chinese Supreme Being, including the Tiger God, Lord Guan, Caishen, Dai Seng Ya and Mazu, which are highly venerated among both Thai and Chinese people. At present, it has been promoted as one of the nine temples under the project "Respect to the Nine Temples" of Tourism Authority of Thailand along with other temples are: Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho, Wat Chana Songkhram, Wat Suthat, City Pillar Shrine: Wat Arun, Wat Rakhangkhositraram and Wat Kalayanamitr. It is now a recognised ancient monument of Bangkok since 1988.

Landmark Monument

Nattaporn Ice Cream

Nattaporn Ice Cream is a homemade ice cream parlor that produces and serves its ice cream in a small, historic two-story shophouse built in the Sino-Portuguese architectural style, located in Phraeng Phuthon, one of the three phraeng in the Sam Phraeng area of Phra Nakhon district, Bangkok. Situated within Rattanakosin Island, the historic old town of Bangkok, the parlor specializes in traditional Thai-style ice cream and has been in operation for over 80 years, dating back to around the time of World War II. The current owner, Nattaporn Rungrotesuwan, explains that her family is of Chinese descent and has been selling food in the Sam Phraeng area for many generations, dating back to her grandmother's time. She represents the second generation. Although the family has a long history in the neighborhood, the ice cream parlor itself officially began full-scale operations in 1989 The parlor's ice cream is distinctive for its texture, which is crumbly like sand and contains tiny ice crystals that give a pleasant crunch when eaten. Unlike typical ice cream parlors, scoops are not served using a traditional ice cream scoop but rather with a regular rice-serving ladle. The ice cream is served with a variety of toppings, such as luk chit, corn, job's tears, barley, roasted peanuts, sticky rice, black beans, and red beans. Flavors include fresh coconut, fresh milk, fresh strawberry, chocolate, coffee, Japanese black sesame, Thai green tea, and Japanese teas such as matcha, hojicha, and genmaicha. A special offering is the Mahachanok mango ice cream, made from a variety of large, premium-priced mangoes. Nattaporn Ice Cream has received numerous awards and recognitions, including being featured in the Louis Vuitton City Guide as a recommended ice cream parlor in Bangkok.

Restaurant

Si Kak Sao Chingcha

Si Kak Sao Chingcha is a four-way intersection located at the tripoint of San Chao Pho Suea, Sao Chingcha, and Wat Ratchabophit sub-districts within Phra Nakhon district, Bangkok. It connects Thanao, Bamrung Mueang, and Fueang Nakhon roads and marks the starting point of Thanao Road. From this intersection, the Giant Swing is clearly visible along Bamrung Mueang Road. This intersection is one of only two in Bangkok that still retain the term "Si Kak" in their names, the other being nearby Si Kak Phraya Si. Both are linked by Fueang Nakhon Road, which is just 0.5 km long. Fueang Nakhon was constructed alongside Charoen Krung and Bamrung Mueang Roads during the reign of King Mongkut, making these three among the earliest formal roads in Thailand. The phrase "Si Kak" comes from the Teochew dialect, meaning "four-way intersection". "Sao Chingcha" is a Thai term referring to the Giant Swing, a Hindu religious structure located in front of Wat Suthat. Historically, the Triyampawai ceremony, held during the Songkran festival, began its procession at this very intersection. The area surrounding Si Kak Sao Chingcha is rich with historic charm, featuring old shophouses that house a variety of establishments such as a Rolex dealer, a traditional teahouse, workshops for Buddha statues and religious idols, souvenir shops, restaurants, and a branch of the Siam Commercial Bank. The Ministry of Interior building is also located nearby. Just off Thanao Road near this intersection are three smaller streets known as Sam Praeng, named after three members of the royal family who once had palaces in this area. Sam Praeng is renowned for its historical and architectural significance, showcasing Sino-Portuguese style shophouses inspired by Singaporean designs dating back to the reign of King Vajiravudh.

Neighbourhood

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History

The restaurant has a long and storied history, dating back to the late reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), making it over 100 years old. Passed down through three generations, the recipes have remained unchanged since the founder, Chote Lheangsuwan, a military officer and expert in Thai herbs, opened it. Originally running a herbal medicine shop, Chote later infused his knowledge of herbs into the dishes. Today, the restaurant is run by his granddaughter, Krachoichulee "Tim" Gimangsawat.

At present

Even though the restaurant is small, it offers more than 500 dishes, focusing mainly on traditional Thai cuisine, many of which are now rare and hard to find elsewhere. Chotechitr gained international attention in 2017 when American actress Meghan Markle, who was then engaged to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, mentioned it in an interview. She told a website reporter during a 2016 interview: "The shop's got about six tables. There's no Michelin star. It's not a fancy restaurant. I just took one bite of Pad Thai and, oh my god! What have I been eating all my life? This is what Pad Thai's supposed to taste like?" About 60 to 70 percent of Chotechitr's customers are foreigners, coming from all over the world. Alongside visitors from Europe and America, many come from Asia, particularly China and Korea, often discovering the restaurant through word of mouth. The restaurant has also been widely recommended by leading travel magazines and websites such as Lonely Planet and Travel, and it has received numerous awards from TripAdvisor. The owner is also quite proficient in English. Being a family-run spot, every detail is looked after personally. The restaurant also offers vegetarian options for those who don't eat meat, which are available year-round.