Bangkok (Lonely Planet) - Andrew Burke [106]
At most restaurants or vendor stands specialising in gǒo·ay đěe·o, you are expected to specify which noodles you want when ordering.
The king of Thai noodles, gǒo·ay đěe·o comes as part of many dishes. The simplest and most ubiquitous, simply called gǒo·ay đěe·o mǒo, takes the form of noodles served in a bowl of pork stock accompanied with balls of ground pork, and perhaps a handful of mung bean sprouts. Season your noodle soup by choosing from a rack of small glass or metal containers on the table (see boxed text, below).
In recent years, one of the most popular types of gǒoay đěeo in Bangkok has been yen đah foh, an intimidating-looking mixture of assorted fish balls, cubes of blood, water spinach and rice noodles in a bright-red broth. The dish is probably the biggest culinary contribution by the Teo Chew, an ethnic group originally from southern China that comprises the largest group of Chinese in Bangkok. The yen đah foh sold next door to the Sri Mariamman Temple, the Hindu temple off Th Silom (known locally as Wát Kàak), is said to be the most authentic.
Chilli-heads must give gǒo·ay đěe·o pàt kêe mow (‘drunkard’s fried noodles’) a try. A favourite lunch or late-night snack, this spicy stir-fry consists of wide rice noodles, holy basil leaves, meat (typically seafood, but also chicken or pork), seasonings and an eye-opening dose of fresh sliced chillies and garlic. Jay Fai makes the most lauded – and most expensive – pàt kêe mow in town.
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PERK UP YOUR NOODLE
Much as chicken soup is viewed as something of a home remedy for colds in the West, rice-noodle soups in Thailand are often eaten to ward off colds, hangovers or general malaise. When you face a bowl of noodles and the array of condiments available to season them, you must be prepared to become your own pharmacist, mixing up the ingredients to create the right flavour balance.
If you see a steel rack containing four lidded glass bowls or jars on your table, it’s proof that the restaurant you’re in serves gǒo·ay đěe·o (rice noodles). Typically these containers offer four choices: nám sôm prík (sliced green chillies in white vinegar), nám Ъlah (fish sauce), prík Ъon (dried red chilli, flaked or ground to a near powder) and nám đahn (plain white sugar).
In typically Thai fashion, these condiments offer three ways to make the soup hotter – hot and sour, hot and salty, and just plain hot – and one to make it sweet.
The typical noodle eater will add a teaspoonful of each one of these condiments to the noodle soup, except for the sugar, which in sweet-tooth Bangkok usually rates a full tablespoon. Until you’re used to these strong seasonings, we recommend adding them a little at a time, tasting the soup along the way to make sure you don’t go overboard. Adding sugar to soup may appear strange to some foreign palates, but it does considerably enhance the flavour of gǒo·ay đěe·o nám.
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Probably the most well-known gǒo·ay đěe·o dish among foreigners is gǒo·ay đěe·o pàt tai, usually called pàt tai for short. Taking the form of thin rice noodles stir-fried with dried or fresh shrimp, bean sprouts, tofu, egg and seasonings, the dish is traditionally served with lime halves and a few stalks of Chinese chives and a sliced banana flower. Thip Samai, a nondescript shophouse restaurant in Banglamphu, is generally regarded as the best place in Bangkok to try this dish.
Another popular dish using this type of noodle is gǒo·ay đěe·o râht nâh, noodles served with marinated pork and slightly slimy gravy. A seafood version of the latter, gǒo·ay đěe·o râht nâh tá·lair, is one of the most popular versions in