BANGKOK, Jan 20 — They say a bowl of chicken soup cures all ills but for me nothing works better than chu yuk fun or pork noodles.
Sweet broth, deceptively clear but brimming with the wholesome flavour of pork bones. Smooth rice noodles, slick and slippery. All manner of pork — sliced meat, pork balls and entrails — finish off a bowl designed to nourish.
Being Malaysian, it’s easy to consider chu yuk fun a completely local invention. Little did I know, till I ventured to Bangkok, that our neighbours further north have their own take on pork noodles.
Called kuai tiao nam sai in Thai, these pork noodles can come with a variety of noodles, porky toppings and even fish balls.
The best I have had in Bangkok can be found in a small, nondescript shop called Rung Rueang located along Sukhumvit Soi 26, a tree-lined street where hotels, massage parlours and quirky coffee bars rub shoulders amiably. It’s less than a five-minute walk from the Phrom Phong BTS station; take exit 4.
Time to order. Don’t fret if you can’t speak Thai; as with many eateries in Bangkok, there’s a menu with pictures so all you have to do is point.
The proprietor, a Chinese Thai, is multilingual and converses with our entire table fluently in English, Thai and Mandarin.
First, select your noodle type. Rung Rueang has four options — sen yai (wide rice noodles), sen lek (small rice noodles), ba-mee (yellow egg noodles) and keam-e (“rat’s tail” or loh shu fun).
With or without soup? Prefer your noodles spicy? Then it’s the tom yum style. Finally decide on the size of your bowl — small, regular or large — and you’re off to the races.
While we debate over each of these options, we quench our thirst in the sweltering Bangkok heat with some homemade lor hon gor (monk fruit) drink.
We counter its sweetness with some crispy deep-fried fish skin. The latter is addictive enough we can imagine returning just to snack on it!
My kuai tiao nam sai arrives almost as soon as the order goes in. Clearly the cooks at the outdoor kitchen by the side alley are practised at their craft; everything runs like clockwork.
The soup is full-bodied yet light enough for those who fear strong porky flavours. The sen lek noodles I selected are surprisingly chewy, a clear sign these — and the other types of noodles — are made in-house.
Tender slices of pork liver are firm and evidently very well cleaned for those who fear entrails. The fish balls are bouncy, “QQ” to use the Taiwanese parlance.
Without a doubt, the highlight is the rough-hewn meatballs made from coarsely ground pork. Oft neglected at other pork noodle stalls, here they are moist and fresh tasting. I could eat an entire bowl of them.
Enjoy your kuai tiao nam sai as is or complete your bowl with some condiments. At our table, we ponder the ubiquitous quartet found at every Thai eatery.
Figuring out which vessel contains which condiment is half the fun as we get to season our meal to our taste.
There is prik pung (dried chilli flakes), naturally, for heat. Crushed peanuts add crunch and a toasted aroma. Pickled chillies in vinegar provide some acid to balance the other flavours. Invariably the shocker for non-Thais will be the fourth condiment — sugar.
Yes, sugar. This is why almost all Thai dishes have a tinge of sweetness to it but beyond that, the sugar helps to elevate and bring out the best of the other flavours and the dish. A little of everything is needed; the trick is figuring how much. Experiment and adjust accordingly.
I have to confess: I can’t help myself from ordering another bowl. (My dining companions point to their full bellies and demur.)
This time a larger bowl with the wider strands of sen yai noodles, perfect for slurping. Instead of the clear nam sai broth, I ask for tom yum. Fiery with the red of namprik pao (chilli paste) and tangy with fresh lime juice, this version has all the condiments such as crushed peanuts and sugar already added.
More than simply spicy though, it’s the heavier use of nam pla (fish sauce) that makes kuai tiao tom yum more pungent and satisfying. A richer experience.
Pity the noodle house closes before sunset; I can imagine a bowl or two of this being the ideal hangover cure after a night out of drinking.
As it is, the best time to come is early in the morning, before the inevitable lunch hour crowds descend. Start with a bowl of kuai tiao nam sai, the clear and clean-tasting broth revealing new depths of porky flavour with every sip. Surely there’s no better wake-up call in Bangkok?
Rung Rueang
10/3 Sukhumvit Soi 26, Bangkok, Thailand
Open daily 8:30am-4:30pm
Tel: +66-2-258-6744
