Jeh O Chula: How to skip the queue but still have your Tom Yam noodles

A search of 'Best Tom Yum Noodles in Bangkok' and you will almost definitely see Jeh O Chula on the list of search results. This casual eatery, conveniently located near Chulalongkorn University, is famed for its Tom Yum Mama Noodles.

Jeh O Chula first gained popularity a few years back as a great supper option. Then, their Tom Yum Noodles were only served late at night (after 10pm). But today, their noodles are served earlier in the evening as well, making Jeh O Chula a great dinner option as well.

Be prepared for extremely long queues

One noteworthy aspect of Jeh O Chula is the notoriously long queues.

Upon arrival, approach a dedicated booth located right outside the restaurant. At this booth, you can provide your name and receive a queue number, effectively securing your spot in line. More often than not, there will be a long line of people waiting - and your wait could easily take up to two hours.

Jeh O Chula does not take direct reservations, but there are ways that can help you 'fast track' your wait.

Skip the line: Get a set from Klook

If you wanted to fast track the queueing, it is recommended that you purchase a voucher from Klook.

You can purchase a meal voucher on Klook, which comes with either a small set (for 4 pax) or large set (for 8 pax) and fast track access. The set includes the famous Tom Yum Mama Noodles, as well as other signature dishes like the crispy pork belly.

It is perhaps worthy to note that the vouchers are slightly more expensive than if you were to order the food directly at the eatery — but in exchange, you do save a lot of the waiting time. And with the usually hot and humid weather in Bangkok, waiting in line might not be something you really want to do.

You should also note that although the vouchers provide you with fast track access, you might still have to wait 15-20 minutes before you can get a seat.

The sets on Klook do get sold out, so we strongly recommend that you make a booking in advance.

If you have a voucher, once you have arrived at the venue, head to the front of the queue and look for the queue counter (or person) and let them know you have a voucher to make it known that you have arrived so they can add you to the fast-track queue.

Remember that the Klook vouchers have time slots tied to it, and you should stick to your time slot.

Eat from the comfort of your hotel rooms: Get it delivered to you!

If you haven't been able to get a voucher on Klook, or if you have last-minute cravings, not to worry. You can also get the famous Tom Yum Noodles delivered to your hotel (if you are staying within the area of delivery).

Getting your food delivered not only lets you skip the line. It also allows you to enjoy the food from the comfort of your hotel room — though you wouldn't exactly get to enjoy the 'local atmosphere' that you would get at the eatery, if that is important to you.

If you are ordering online, you are also not obligated to purchasing the set meal. You can just order the Tom Yum, or you can add on other signature dishes that you might be more interested in.

Jeh O Chula used to be listed on Grab Food in Thailand. But as of 2023, it appears that they have removed themselves from the listing - though we do recommend that you download the app and do a quick check when you are in Bangkok, in case they are back onto the platform.

Simply download the Grab app, sign up with your phone number, and order your food! You can also use Grab for ride hailing to help you get around Bangkok, so we recommend you download the app before your trip anyway.

Can't find it on Grab? Order via LINE!

If you can't find it listed on Grab, you can place a delivery order with them using LINE instead! While LINE is not as commonly used worldwide as other messaging apps, it is probably the most widely used messaging app in Thailand.

Download the LINE app from the Play Store or App Store, and create your account using your phone number of email address.

Once you have your LINE account set-up, you can add them on your LINE account. Search for their LINE account using the id @jo113 (Remember the '@'!), or you can scan the QR code that is available on their Instagram account.

After you have added them on LINE, you can send them a message with your details and order. The automated messages are in Thai, but they do accept English messages as well. They will confirm your order, and the delivery man will call you when they are near. It will be useful to have a local number for this purpose, but even if you don't, just make sure you wait somewhere where the delivery man can see you (possibly at the hotel lobby!).

For orders made via LINE, payment is by cash only so make sure you have sufficient cash with you.

And in case you are wondering - no, you wouldn't have to wait hours for your food delivery. The last we tried, we managed to get the food within 30 minutes, which really isn't all that bad.

Is Jeh O Chula worth queuing for?

The star of the show is definitely the Tom Yum Noodles.

Jeh O Chula's Tom Yum Noodles were good, and we can see why it is so popular. The Tom Yum Noodles has a lot of ingredients, and the soup is a good balance of spicy and sour. If you are looking for some good Tom Yum, this is definitely a good choice.

The other items in the set menu were pretty decent as well, though we wouldn't say that we were blown away by it.

Would we have it again? Most likely, we will - though our preference would probably be to order and have it delivered so we can try other dishes without having to join the extremely long queue.

But, would we queue 2 hours for it? Definitely not.