wait your turn, bub

12 อร่อย ซาลาเปา (12 aroy salapao)

crowds around food always pique my curiosity. especially if they're waiting.
i just joined the line of chinese thai folks waiting around stacks of steamers at '12 aroy salapao.' and i ended up being the only one who didn't buy a batch. being chinese, i've had a few salapao buns (chinese: bao zi) in my lifetime and they're usually pretty run of the mill: airy white bread encasing a sweet or savory filling. good for on-the-go.
i tried a black sesame paste bun fresh out of the steamer. i have never had a fluffier, lighter bun with a just-sweet-enough black sesame paste. i had no idea salapao could be so much better than what i'd had before. no savoring possible. next time i'm getting one of each filling.

flavors: red bean, black sesame, cream, ground pork, and red pork (18B). taro and ba gway (20B).
12 aroy salapao (look for '12'), 53 thanon mahannop (at the corner of trok wat mahanop 1) , rattanakosin
18-20B per bun