🔄 Last checked 2 Jul 2026 · details and hours can change — check the venue before you go
Ask anyone from Udon Thani which pad thai shop is the real deal in this city, and the name "Pad Thai Bua Dang" comes up almost every time. It's a small shophouse in Soi Asawin, the lane connecting Pho Si Road with Mukmontri Road right in the middle of town — the storefront is so plain that if you didn't already know it, you might walk right past. But locals have been eating here for years and long ago crowned it the legendary pad thai shop of the city. Then in 2026, the MICHELIN Guide confirmed what locals already knew, awarding it a first-ever Bib Gourmand — one of 13 new shops nationwide to win the award in the MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2026. Think about it: a shophouse pad thai stall from a small soi in Udon Thani, standing in the same guide as the country's biggest names. That's the charm of Bib Gourmand — it hunts down genuinely good, genuinely cheap food without caring what it looks like.
The heart of the shop is the wok. Every plate here is fried fresh to order, nothing pre-fried and left sitting for a scoop. The noodles are soft, chewy Chanthaburi rice noodles, wok-fried until the smoky char comes through clearly, and the flavour leans balanced rather than sweet the way many pad thai shops go — a point people really love. Toppings run both seafood and meat. The plate to try is pad thai with fresh shrimp, plump shrimp working perfectly with the smoky noodles. The pad thai with grilled pork and Chanthaburi noodles is the unexpected twist that's become the shop's signature — fragrant grilled pork folded into pad thai turns out better than you'd expect. If you're after the classic version, there's pad thai wrapped in egg, a thin egg sheet wrapping the hot noodles inside, and it's satisfying every single time you peel it open. Prices start at just sixty baht, and even loaded with every topping you still won't hit two hundred.
The name "Bua Dang" (red lotus) also happens to echo the red lotus sea at Nong Han Kumphawapi, a symbol of Udon Thani province. If you're planning a trip to see the red lotus bloom in the cool season, swing back into town and cap it off with a pad thai of the same name on the way back — perfectly on theme. Even though it's a shophouse tucked in a soi, MICHELIN notes it has air-conditioned seating, friendly service, and an English menu. Foreign travellers flying straight into Udon Thani can order with total ease. Shops like this are exactly why we love eating our way through the provinces — the really good food doesn't need to be in a mall or on a main road, you just need to know which soi to turn down.
Pad Thai Bua Dang
Pad Thai Bua Dang sits on Soi Asawin, the lane connecting Pho Si Road with Mukmontri Road, right in the middle of Udon Thani, in the Mak Khaeng zone near the municipal fresh market. It's just a few minutes' drive from Nong Prajak Park or Central Udon. Prices are very easy on the wallet — a plate of pad thai runs about 60–150 baht depending on toppings, so budget around 100–250 baht per person for a full, satisfying meal. The shop is open every day, roughly 11:30–21:00 (some sources say it closes at 21:30 — hours aren't fixed, so call ahead to check at 096-645-7895).
The shop takes walk-ins only, no advance booking needed, but because it's a small shophouse frying each plate fresh to order, evenings on weekends and holidays can mean a longer wait. If you'd rather sit back without gambling on the queue, weekday afternoons are the best time to go. On the plus side, there's cool air-conditioned seating and an English menu, and you can dress however you like. The plates to order are pad thai with fresh shrimp, pad thai with grilled pork and Chanthaburi noodles, and pad thai wrapped in egg.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| MICHELIN award 2026 | 🍽️ Bib Gourmand · 🆕 New this year |
| Province | Udon Thani |
| Cuisine | Pad thai / Thai one-plate dishes |
| Approx. price | A plate of pad thai runs about 60–150 THB depending on toppings (Wongnai lists THB 101–250/person) |
| Booking | No online booking — call 096-645-7895 |
| Hours | Daily ~11:30–21:00 (some sources say 21:30 — hours aren't fixed, call ahead to check) |
| Landmark / getting there | Soi Asawin (connects Pho Si Rd/Mukmontri Rd), in-town Udon Thani |
| Area | In-town (Mak Khaeng) |
Before you go
Call 096-645-7895 · A small shophouse right on the soi, frying each plate fresh to order — evenings on weekends and holidays can mean a longer wait. Order, then let that wok smell make it worth it
Stay nearby in Udon Thani and hit every MICHELIN spot
See all hotels on AgodaUdon Thani has several more MICHELIN shops — see the full list across every tier and province on our roundup page
🏅 All MICHELIN restaurants across Thailand 2026