Charoen Gang (เจริญแกง) sells Thai curry over rice and fresh khanom jeen, the soft rice noodles eaten with a curry spooned over them. My wife and I ate at its branch on the ground floor of The EMSPHERE on a Friday afternoon in August. This post covers the khanom jeen with chicken coconut curry, the two-dish rice set with bitter melon soup, the bottled som ma-pit juice, how the seating works and how to get there.

Khanom Jeen With Chicken Coconut Curry

My ฿175 set came as a bowl of chicken coconut curry with fish balls and long beans, beside a plate of noodles with a halved boiled egg, dill, shredded cabbage, pickled greens and a dried chilli. It is an easy way into khanom jeen. The curry is gentle on the palate and I could not feel any heat from it at all, which makes it a safe first order for anyone wary of Thai spice. I could not get enough of it and finished the whole bowl.

A plate of rice noodles with a halved boiled egg, a bunch of dill, shredded cabbage, pickled greens and a dried chilli, with the curry bowl behind.
The khanom jeen plate that comes with the curry.
A bowl of yellow chicken coconut curry with white fish balls, long beans and a red chilli.
The chicken coconut curry with fish balls, ฿175 with the noodles.

Bitter Melon Soup And Phuket Fish Balls

The rice set is ฿165 for jasmine rice with two dishes. We picked a clear soup of bitter melon with pickled mustard greens and pork bone together with Phuket fish balls stir-fried phat cha style, each in its own bowl printed with the shop's name. The fish ball stir-fry carried no real heat either, at least to me.

I love bitter melon and this soup does it well. It is salty without being too salty, with something about it that kept me going back for more. Eat it with the rice, which balances its deep savoury flavour.

A plate of jasmine rice printed with red hibiscus beside a bowl of bitter melon soup and a green bowl of fish ball stir-fry, all marked with the shop's Thai name.
The ฿165 rice set with its two dishes.
A bowl of clear soup with a long piece of bitter melon, pickled mustard greens and a pork bone.
Bitter melon soup with pickled mustard greens and pork bone.
A green bowl printed with the Charoen Gang name holding yellow fish balls stir-fried with chilli, shredded root and a green peppercorn sprig.
Phuket fish balls stir-fried phat cha style.

A Bottle Of Som Ma-Pit

My wife wanted something sour and orangey, so she ordered the ฿79 bottle of som ma-pit juice, served with a cup of crushed ice. It is sweet but more sour, which is how she likes it. She orders it often. Lunch for two came to ฿419 with the drink.

A yellow bottle of juice with a Charoen Gang label beside a plastic cup of crushed ice on a tray, with tables behind.
The ฿79 bottle of som ma-pit juice with its cup of ice.

Getting To Charoen Gang At The EMSPHERE

We came by BTS, which is the easiest way. Exit 6 at Phrom Phong station leads onto a covered skywalk that runs straight into The EMSPHERE. Charoen Gang is on the ground floor and opens daily from 10am to 10pm.

Each restaurant on that floor has its own seating area, like a booth with its own space, so we ate in Charoen Gang's section rather than at a shared table.

Is Charoen Gang Worth It

I have lived in Thailand long enough that curry over rice rarely surprises me, but this is a good place to bring visitors who want Thai curry without the fire. It is not traditional, since the cooking is adapted to modern palates. Of the restaurants at The EMSPHERE, this is the one I would point a first-time visitor to for Thai food. The coconut curry with khanom jeen is the dish to order. For more Thai food in Bangkok, read my post on Krua Bangna. For other places to eat, browse more restaurants in Bangkok or start with our Bangkok guide.