Thai restaurant in Sangam, Seoul: four dishes at Drunken Thai

Hey, it's Bongsam, here to try some cool Thai food. Today I'm introducing Drunken Thai, a place near Sangam where you can enjoy rice noodle soup with a real local street-market vibe.

Drunken Thai Sangam Branch / Address: 338 World Cup buk-ro, Cheongun Sangga 1F, Unit 105, Mapo-gu, Seoul / Hours: Daily 11:00-22:00 (break time 15:00-17:00) / Parking is difficult

How to get to Drunken Thai Sangam Branch, and where to park

Drunken Thai Sangam Branch sits near Maebongsan Mountain. It's a 5-minute walk from Digital Media City Station Exit 9, where the Airport Railroad, Gyeongui-Jungang Line, and Line 6 all meet, so it's very easy to get to.

I'd recommend parking at a nearby public parking lot ahead of your visit.

Inside Drunken Thai: the feel of a Bangkok night market

The interior of Drunken Thai, this rice noodle soup spot near Sangam, really is like a local Bangkok street market. It's authentic enough that you'd swear you wandered into a local market in Chiang Mai by accident.

From the pink plastic chairs to the little dishware props, they really nailed the vibe.

Drunken Thai Sangam Branch menu: the four dishes we ordered

The menu at Drunken Thai Sangam Branch was packed with the kind of dishes you'd only expect to find locally — pad thai, curry, khao pad, tom yum goong, and more. There was so much I wanted to try that I ordered four dishes, planning to demolish everything from soup to fried rice to rice bowl to stir-fried noodles.

Two kinds of chili and radish pickles on every table

Looking around the table after ordering, I found two kinds of chili and radish pickles set out. If you want your soup a bit spicier, add the chilis; if you want your stir-fries hotter, go for the red pepper flakes.

The pickles, which look like chicken-mu (Korean pickled radish), are perfect for a bite whenever things feel a little heavy.

Pad thai: sweet-savory stir-fried noodles with crunchy bean sprouts

The first dish to arrive at Drunken Thai, this popular spot near Sangam, was pad thai, the Thai stir-fried noodle dish. It came piled high with fresh bean sprouts, along with shrimp, tofu, egg, and a wide variety of other ingredients all stir-fried together.

It was so sweet-and-savory delicious! The bean sprouts had a great crunch and the sauce was perfectly absorbed into the noodles. Sprinkle on some red pepper flakes for extra spice and it's absolutely perfect.

Pad kra pao moo sap: minced pork rice bowl with free rice and noodle refills

Next up was pad kra pao moo sap. This is the dish I tried and loved in Pattaya, then failed to recreate at home in Korea multiple times. It came piled with a generous amount of minced pork sauce, which made me so happy with how hearty it was.

The rice bowl at Drunken Thai, this great spot near Sangam, truly has it all — sweet, salty, and spicy all in one. Wow... it's the kind of flavor that just calls for more rice, and since rice and noodle refills are free here, you should absolutely get more and eat as much as you like. It's so delicious you'll keep craving it, so I'd recommend eating your fill without any regrets.

Rice noodle soup: the pick for a hangover or an upset stomach

Wow, the color of the rice noodle soup broth here is truly a work of art. The deep, rich broth had crunchy bean sprouts and thick, tender slices of meat piled on top — nothing was missing.

With cilantro's aroma wafting up, the savory depth of flavor was so good. The broth at Drunken Thai, this favorite near Sangam, is perfect for a hangover and unbeatable for settling your stomach. What I loved most was that since it's not made with wheat flour, it sits light on the stomach.

Khao pad: fluffy Thai fried rice that kids will like too

Finally, khao pad, the Thai fried rice, was incredibly fluffy. It was stir-fried perfectly with zero clumping, looking so appetizing, and the minced vegetables blended in beautifully for great texture. It got saltier and nuttier with each bite — the kind of flavor kids would love too.

Wow, if I had to pick the tastiest dish of all, it's definitely pad kra pao moo sap! I regret ordering so many dishes that I couldn't add more rice — next time I'll come with more room in my stomach and eat my absolute fill!

Drinks: Singha soda water and lychee

For a palate cleanser, I also ordered two drinks, and remarkably, they had the same Singha-brand soda water I drank in Thailand. I only knew the brand for beer, but this fizzy, refreshing soda water was great too. The lychee drink was sweet and smooth, letting me finish the meal with that full Thailand feeling.

Is Drunken Thai Sangam Branch worth a visit?

So after visiting Drunken Thai, this rice noodle soup spot near Sangam, my personal takeaway as Bongsam is that this is a Thai restaurant with real fun to be found in its local street-market feel. Every single dish was seasoned so well and tasted so great that I found myself craving it again the moment I walked out. If you want to enjoy a meal that feels like traveling, definitely go check it out!