Tom Yum Noodles
Noodle Love Affair - part 1
Noodles in Thai cuisine is an entire food group. There are endless ways noodles are served from breakfast of rat tail noodles with clear broth to the late night egg noodle with shrimp wontons.
Noodles came to Thailand from China via influences from neighboring countries like Myanmar and Laos and were adapted into various regional styles.
One of the most common noodle dishes in Thailand is noodles served in broth or kuay tiew which is the Thai word for noodles. Kuay tiew is a Teochew or Hokkien Chinese word for thin rice noodles. It comes in various styles with different broths, proteins, vegetables (usually bean sprouts), and condiments. It’s typically eaten for lunch since its fast, cheap, and fresh. Every bowl is made to order and can be customized. When you order noodles in Thailand, you always pick your noodle type from the standard options:
thin rice (think pho) or sen lek; this is my go-to
thick rice (thick chowfun) or sen yai
egg noodles or mee leung
rice vermicelli or mee khow
noodleless or khow lao
Kuay Tiew Tom Yum
My favorite is the tom yum noodle soup which is noodles in a spicy and tangy pork broth seasoned with chilies, sugar, vinegar, and fish sauce. It’s topped with meatballs or ground pork and crushed peanuts. Another common version of this dish is known as Sukhothai noodles which includes sliced long beans in addition to the standard beansprout. If you’re in NYC, check out Pure Thai Cookhouse in Hell’s Kitchen; the noodles here remind me of Thailand. If you’re you in LA, Hoy Kha noodles or any hole-in-the-wall in Thaitown will make a great bowl of tom yum noodles.
I like to order mine dry-style; it comes with all the seasonings and toppings but with no broth. The flavors are more concentrated and it’s a great choice for super hot days when you don’t want to eat an entire bowl of hot soup.
Pictures above are noodles from Kuay Tiew Tam Lung or Ivy Gourd Noodles. Their name refers to their signature additional of tam lung or ivy gourd runner greens to their noodle dish. These come with a slice of pork loin, innards, meatball, and the best lard garlic oil you’ve ever had. I’ve been coming here since I was born so it’s at least 30 years old. They also serve their noodles without the tom yum seasoning for those who prefer the original version. If you don’t want noodles you can order their khao soi or rice with any curry of their daily curries.
Tom Yum Noodles from Malee Noodle
Here’s another tom yum noodle but from Malee Noodles. This is Sukothai-style with long beans (hidden under the noodles) and fine-ground peanuts. It comes with fish meatballs instead of pork. It has a fish wonton stuffed with ground pork, fried fish cake, rugby-shaped fishball with scallions, plain round fishball, and fish cake noodles (on the right).
