Baan Lalin: A Thai Comfort Food Cafe in a Century-Old Wooden House
Hidden in Trok Tuek Din in old Bangkok, Baan Lalin is a Thai food cafe in a 100-year-old wooden house that Thai food lovers should try.
Meeting Point Management Team
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Quick answer
Baan Lalin is a Thai comfort food cafe in a wooden house over 100 years old at 5 Trok Tuek Din, Dinso Road, Phra Nakhon, near the Giant Swing. It is run by two contestants from MasterChef Thailand Season 1, with dishes around 69 to 129 baht. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Key takeaways
- A Thai food cafe in a 100-year-old wooden house in the Trok Sin and Trok Tuek Din community
- Run by Ploy and Nam Fon from MasterChef Thailand Season 1
- The name Lalin blends Laksanawadi and Natnicha in the traditional Thai way
- Dishes such as grilled pork neck with holy basil rice (99 baht) and som chun (79 baht)
- Open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Thai omakase also available
Contents
The Phra Nakhon district is full of old wooden houses that keep their Thai character, including one small house tucked away in the Trok Tuek Din and Trok Sin community: a cute wooden home called Baan Lalin. If you love Thai food, you have to come and try it.
Thai comfort food in a 100-year-old house
Baan Lalin is a Thai comfort food cafe set in a wooden house more than 100 years old, in the heart of the Trok Sin and Trok Tuek Din community in Phra Nakhon (Sao Chingcha). It welcomes everyone with easy-to-eat, uniquely delicious Thai dishes and Thai-style baked goods made by two women from MasterChef Thailand. The cafe is shady and leafy, set among classic surroundings and the simple everyday life of the local community.
The story behind the cafe
Baan Lalin presents Thai food in a cafe format, created by Ploy Natnicha Boonlert and Nam Fon Laksanawadi Sripornsawan. The two share the same passion, cooking, which brought them together on MasterChef Thailand Season 1. After the competition they became close friends and decided to open this restaurant, combining their strengths: Nam Fon's easy-going Thai dishes and Ploy's modern Thai desserts and drinks, all in keeping with the atmosphere of this old wooden house.
Where the name comes from
The name comes from combining Ploy's and Nam Fon's names, following the old Thai way of creating names for children. Nam Fon's name, Laksanawadi, was joined with Ploy's name, Natnicha, to create "Lalin", a name that is both beautiful and fitting, expressing Thainess and femininity.
The atmosphere
Downstairs outside is a lawn shaded by trees and the cafe's own vegetable and herb garden, with a small seating area and a bar counter for eating, snacking and sipping drinks. (On our latest visit, you couldn't sit at the bar on the ground floor; seating was only outside in the garden and on the second floor.) The decor is retro, with old-school sweets and popular toys from the past that bring back childhood memories.
The second floor is a relaxed wooden house filled with vintage furniture and household items, a beautiful, classic recreation of how people used to live.
What we ate
Every dish we had today was delicious.
Food
- Grilled pork neck with holy basil rice: 99 baht
- Rice tossed with holy basil beef and egg: 129 baht
- Garlic rice noodles with Chinese herbal braised pork: 129 baht
- Watermelon with sweet dried fish: 69 baht
Desserts
- Black sesame scone with palm sugar: 69 baht
- Som chun (fruit in syrup): 79 baht
- Thai melon cake with coconut milk: 79 baht
If you love Thai food and Thai desserts, don't miss it. The cafe also offers Thai omakase-style dining; call the restaurant for details.
Baan Lalin details
- Phone: 085 593 5998
- Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (closed every Monday)
- Address: 5 Trok Tuek Din (Trok Tuek Sin community), Dinso Road, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok
- Getting there: Take the MRT to Sam Yot station. Look for Mont Nom Sod (Sao Chingcha branch), walk to the right of it, past 7-Eleven and into Trok Tuek Din, then follow the Baan Lalin signs for about 100 metres.
FAQ
Where is Baan Lalin?
At 5 Trok Tuek Din (Trok Tuek Sin community), Dinso Road, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok.
How do I get there?
Take the MRT to Sam Yot, find Mont Nom Sod at Sao Chingcha, walk to the right of it past 7-Eleven into Trok Tuek Din and follow the Baan Lalin signs for about 100 metres.
What are the opening hours?
Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; closed Mondays. Phone: 085 593 5998.
Who runs Baan Lalin?
Ploy Natnicha Boonlert and Nam Fon Laksanawadi Sripornsawan, who met on MasterChef Thailand Season 1.
The Meeting Point management team loves eating, travelling, temple visits and lifestyle. We pick the restaurants, cafes, stays, attractions and temples we have visited ourselves and write about them honestly.
