Where to eat Asia's most iconic dishes in Bangkok

Sure, it’s rather predictable to stroll into an Indian restaurant and head straight for the garlic naan and tandoori chicken, or to insist on only ordering spring rolls at your local Vietnamese joint.

But there’s something to be said for the popularity of these iconic Asian dishes, particularly when they’re done authentically and honestly.

With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of 10 iconic dishes from 10 Asian countries, and some of the best places to get them in Bangkok.

A dish of pork adobo at New Mabuhay, Bangkok’s only Filipino restaurant.

The Philippines: Adobo

If you find yourself craving adobo, the unofficial national dish of the Philippines, you’ve really only got one option in Bangkok.

Fortunately, New Mabuhay, a family-run Filipino restaurant in Bangkok’s Pratunam area, does a solid job.

Rich with fatty pork and melted shallots, and boasting both a sharp vinegar tartness and a black pepper bite, this thick stew-like dish may have you booking the next flight to Manila.

New Mabuhay. 1/31 Soi 19, Phetchaburi Road. Tel: +66 (0)2 255 2689. Open daily, 8:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

A dish of chicken rice at Boon Tong Kiat Singapore Hainanese Chicken Rice.

Singapore: Chicken rice

Khao man kai, Hainanese-style chicken rice, is one of the most ubiquitous plates in Bangkok. But there’s one shop house restaurant’s take on Singapore’s signature dish that just might lead you to reassess your relationship with this street staple.

Boon Tong Kiat Singapore Hainanese Chicken offers perfectly cooked fragrant rice and steamed chicken so tender you’ll wonder if they forgot to cook it.

After a meal here you’ll never want to go back to the street stalls again.

440/5 Soi 55 (Thonglor), Sukhumvit Road. Tel: +66 (0)2 390 2508. Open daily, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. 

A bowl of pork congee at Soul Food Mahanakorn.

Hong Kong: Congee

Although the dish is found across Asia, Hong Kongers have long laid claim to congee, the rice porridge known in Thailand as jok.

Soul Food Mahanakhorn -- not a Hong Kong restaurant at all, but rather a pub serving food -- serves our favorite bowl. 

With a good stock as its basis, the dish combines smooth rice and generous squares of tender pork belly, resulting in congee that -- dare we say it -- is even tastier than the Hong Kong version.

Soul Food Mahanakorn. 56/10 Soi 55 (Thong Lo), Sukhumvit Road. Tel: +66 (0)85 904 2691. www.soulfoodmahanakorn.com. Open Tuesday-Sunday, noon-2:30 p.m. & 5:30 p.m.-1 a.m.

A dish of mohinga, the noodle soup and unofficial national dish of Myanmar.

Myanmar: Mohinga

Bangkok can boast noodle dishes of virtually every race and creed, but mohinga, Myanmar’s unofficial national bowl, is probably the rarest of the lot.

Combining the thin fresh rice noodles known in Thailand as khanom jeen with a thick, fish-based broth, the dish is served topped with deep-fried vegetables and lentil fritters.

Mohinga is available from a handful of Burmese vendors on Soi ABAC; simply look for the Burmese-language signs near the first intersection. 

Soi ABAC, off Thanon Ramkhamhaeng. Open daily, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

Some of the northern Chinese-style dumplings served at Kiaw Liaw Ning.

China: Dumplings

Despite what we may think in the West, Chinese cuisine is anything but a homogeneous entity and the closest we could come to a single representative dish is the humble dumpling.

Steamed, fried or boiled; stuffed with vegetables or pork; it’s Chinese comfort food at its best.

The only downside is that the dumplings at this no-frills eatery will make you wish Bangkok was significantly colder so you could take advantage of their warming properties. 

Kiaw Liaw Ning. 152/7 Thanon Silom. Tel: +66 (0)2 635 6536. Open daily, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Click ahead to see five more of Asia's iconic dishes.