Food is of the utmost importance here. Locals have been known to brave the beast of Bangkok traffic and make cross-town journeys with the sole purpose of sampling a bowl of noodles at a famous local shop.Thais often ask each other "Have you eaten rice yet?". This shouldn't be understood in the literal sense, but almost as another way Thais say hello. It's howThai people socialize.Whether the occasion calls for family,friends,business, or anything in between, there's usually food nearby.TheThai dining experience requires that all dishes be shared - real evidence of the importance of dining to the Thai sense of community.

A taste of Bangkok doesn't just stop at Thailand's world-famous national cuisine; flags of all nationalities fly here, and the results can be amazing. Tom yum soup and creamy curries can be found alongside seared foie grus, crispy tempura and heart-stopping steaks. It won't be a challenge to find some culinary dynamite for your plate.You'd be better off compiling a list of what the city doesn't have on offer, You're bound to eat very well, whether it is at the sexiest, high-end locales, or at the origin of most local food - the streets, where you can get a very tasty, hearty meal at a non-descript stall, or even crackling grasshoppers and worms!

Fantastic food is also available round the clock, although choices narrow as it gets closer to midnight. Many restaurants have closing times at 9pm or earlier. However, plenty of them feed late-night appetites. If you really want to bump elbows with the locals and get to the heart of things, Bangkok's street food culture doesn't acknowledge the concept of time, with some vendors even carry ing on into the wee hours. If a business can survive by trading when everyone is asleep, then it must be good, right?

So whether you're a night owl or an early bird, slightly picky or a try-anythingonce daredevil, you're in for a non-stop gastronomical journey.

THE ADDED VALUE

One of the Asia's great dining bargains, Bangkok has an incredible range of culinary venues and food offerings to suit any budget.You can stuff yourself with local delicacies at hawker stalls on the street for less than B35 (US$ I ) a plate, or treat yourself at one of Bangkok's finest eateries for around the price of a gastropub meal in London.

With each of the following restaurant listings we present an approximate scale (see box above) of the per-person cost for a three-course meal (starter, main and dessert), not including drinks. Most restaurants charge 7% government tax (VAT) plus a 10% service charge.Additional tipping is the diner's prerogative but is not expected. Credit cards are widely accepted, unless otherwise noted.

Butt Out
Smokers beware. Lighting-up indoors is forbidden at air-conditioned restaurants citywide - you risk being fined B2,000 (US$60),and subjecting the restaurant owner to a lashing B20,000 (US$600) penalty. Exempted are licensed pubs serving food, and, in practice, many Japanese and Korean restaurants.