Somboon Seafood Surawong

Curry crab is the reason anyone books here. Poo phad pong karee, crab stir-fried with curry powder and egg, has been the house dish since 1969, and this Surawong address is the original branch that started it. Nearly every table orders it. You should too.

The rest of the menu isn't filler. Giant river prawns, sea bass in three-flavour sauce, morning glory fired off to order. It's a licensed multi-floor seafood hall rather than a plastic-stool operation, so seafood is priced by weight and the bill climbs faster than you'd expect if you're ordering the big prawns. Royal visits and celebrity photos cover the walls, which tells you how long this place has been doing the same thing.

Branches have opened all over Bangkok and they're fine. But if you're going to eat curry crab once on this trip, eat it at the one that invented it. Go early in the evening or expect a wait, because the dining rooms fill and the turnover is brisk rather than leisurely.