absolutelyBangkok archive · Food & Drink
Originally published June 8, 2008
It’s hardly a secret, they have all the DVDs and games over at Pantip Plaza. You may even buy your Mac or a DSLR camera at Pantip. Pantip is no longer a synonym for piracy and copyright frauds. To me though, Pantip though holds a secret. It’s the home of the most delicious khao soi gai.
Venturing to Pantip Plaza means venturing to get two bowls of creamy viscous khao soi gai — a curry noodle dish from Northern Thailand. Similar to a massaman’s curry texture, khao soi gai is all pleasantly thick and oily. Prepared like nowhere else at Pantip’s food court on the second floor.
Since years the same old lady is preparing and filling up the bowls. She won’t remember your face, even if you eat her curry every day. She sells so many of these bowls in that otherwise completely unspectacular food court.
She sells so many bowls filled with soft and crispy noodles and freshly sliced shallots and pickled mustard leaves and a big chunk of chicken floating in the glorious curry, there’s no chance she can remember a face.
If at Pantip, don’t only head for the gadgets. Head for that curry. Thai food photographer Austin Bush who was looking a decent khao soi in Bangkok met a respectable one at Yuy Lee at 25 Sukhumvit Soi 31.
If you’re a khao soi addict you’ll agree that the slightly pale color and watery texture don’t really promise the richness you’re looking for. Austin himself calls it “decent, but not exceptional.” I tried it, definitively more watery than Pantip’s exceptional khao soi gai. See? Now you have an excuse to venture there more often.
More successful Austin had been at Khao Soi Sophaphan — see Austin’s shot above. You’ll notice that a commentator even mentions Pantip’s 2nd floor khao soi gai.
A noodle curry so delicious, a New Yorker dedicates a blog to this Burmese influenced perfect Thai dish.
And this just in: Tried the khao soi at Emporium’s food court. Not shabby at all! If you’re looking from the Skytrain, it’s the fourth stall named Tom Yum Noodles (written in Thai). They got “Northern Style Noodles” on the menu — that’s what you want. Creamy, slightly sourish and enjoyably rich. Deserves a solid recommend.
From the absolutelyBangkok archive. Back to all stories