Kuaytiaw khua kai: The best Thai dish you've never heard of
We ate our way through Yaowarat to find five of the top places in the city serving this super tasty chicken and egg mashup
Why are there so few dishes that combine chicken and egg? Maybe we just don't need any more, as we can’t imagine a more perfect mashup of the two than kuaytiaw khua kai.
Not as well known as the globally loved phat Thai, but with similar Thai-Chinese origins, kuaytiaw khua kai consists of wide rice noodles wok-fried with chicken breast, egg and preserved squid. Served on a bed of lettuce, the dish seldom involves any more ingredients than these, and is an exercise in delicious simplicity.
As with most Thai noodle dishes, kuaytiaw khua kai, whose name translates roughly as "noodles dry-fried with chicken," is served with the usual optional noodle condiments (fish or soy sauce, sugar, dried chili), but the salty and pepper-heavy chicken marinade and wok smokiness ensure that little additional seasoning is necessary.
The vast majority of restaurants serving kuaytiaw khua kai are located at the edge of Bangkok’s Chinatown, particularly near the Phlap Phla Chai intersection, where there are at least five places to get the dish.
Old-school atmosphere and attention to detail make Nay Hong our favorite place in Bangkok to eat kuaytiaw khua kai. Mr Hong, who’s been making the dish for more than 40 years, fries the noodles in pork fat using a pancake-like cooking technique, flipping the noodles en masse to ensure that there are lots of crispy singed bits.
Off Thanon Yukol 2, near Phlap Phla Chai intersection. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 5-10 p.m. Price: 30 baht/plate.
One of the several shops serving kuaytiaw khua kai near the Phlap Phla Chai Intersection, Nong Ann serves a particularly dry and crispy version of the dish. It’s the only shop in the area with air conditioning, and like other kuaytiaw khua kai restaurants in the area, fruit smoothies (try the watermelon) are also available.
Thanon Luang, near Phlap Phla Chai intersection. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 5-10 p.m. Price: 35 baht/plate.
Also located near the Phlap Phla Chai Intersection, Nong Stamp does a dictionary-definition bowl of khua kai, as well as khua thale, a tasty seafood spin on the dish.
Corner of Thanon Luang & Thanon Sua Pa. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 5 p.m.-midnight. Price: 35 baht/plate.
This popular and longstanding restaurant is where many Bangkokians were introduced to kuaytiaw khua kai. Unlike most vendors who scramble the egg with the noodles, here the egg is wrapped around the noodles in the form of a thin omelet. The dish is then topped with tiny bits of deep-fried dough, providing it with a satisfying crunchy element.
Chula Soi 20 (Talat Suan Luang). Tel: +66 (0)81 899 2173. Open daily, 3-11 p.m. Price: 35 baht/plate.
This longstanding vendor, located in the market alleyway known as Talat Mai (also known as Trok Itsaranuphap), fries his kuaytiaw khua kai on a flat brass wok over coals, using little more than a spoon to mix the ingredients. This unique cooking method and the use of garlic oil results in a bowl that’s deliciously rich and smoky.
Corner Thanon Yaowarat & Soi 6 (Trok Itsaranuphap). Open sporadically, 6-10 p.m. Price: 30 baht/plate.
http://www.cnngo.com/
Not as well known as the globally loved phat Thai, but with similar Thai-Chinese origins, kuaytiaw khua kai consists of wide rice noodles wok-fried with chicken breast, egg and preserved squid. Served on a bed of lettuce, the dish seldom involves any more ingredients than these, and is an exercise in delicious simplicity.
As with most Thai noodle dishes, kuaytiaw khua kai, whose name translates roughly as "noodles dry-fried with chicken," is served with the usual optional noodle condiments (fish or soy sauce, sugar, dried chili), but the salty and pepper-heavy chicken marinade and wok smokiness ensure that little additional seasoning is necessary.
The vast majority of restaurants serving kuaytiaw khua kai are located at the edge of Bangkok’s Chinatown, particularly near the Phlap Phla Chai intersection, where there are at least five places to get the dish.
Nay Hong making kuaytiaw khua kai at his restaurant near the Phlap Phla Chai Intersection.
Nay Hong
Old-school atmosphere and attention to detail make Nay Hong our favorite place in Bangkok to eat kuaytiaw khua kai. Mr Hong, who’s been making the dish for more than 40 years, fries the noodles in pork fat using a pancake-like cooking technique, flipping the noodles en masse to ensure that there are lots of crispy singed bits.
Off Thanon Yukol 2, near Phlap Phla Chai intersection. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 5-10 p.m. Price: 30 baht/plate.
A dish of kuaytiaw khua kai at Nong Ann.
Nong Ann
One of the several shops serving kuaytiaw khua kai near the Phlap Phla Chai Intersection, Nong Ann serves a particularly dry and crispy version of the dish. It’s the only shop in the area with air conditioning, and like other kuaytiaw khua kai restaurants in the area, fruit smoothies (try the watermelon) are also available.
Thanon Luang, near Phlap Phla Chai intersection. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 5-10 p.m. Price: 35 baht/plate.
Kuaytiaw khua thale, a seafood version of the dish, served at Nong Stamp.
Nong Stamp
Also located near the Phlap Phla Chai Intersection, Nong Stamp does a dictionary-definition bowl of khua kai, as well as khua thale, a tasty seafood spin on the dish.
Corner of Thanon Luang & Thanon Sua Pa. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 5 p.m.-midnight. Price: 35 baht/plate.
A dish of kuaytiaw khua kai at Pheng Phochana.
Pheng Phochana
This popular and longstanding restaurant is where many Bangkokians were introduced to kuaytiaw khua kai. Unlike most vendors who scramble the egg with the noodles, here the egg is wrapped around the noodles in the form of a thin omelet. The dish is then topped with tiny bits of deep-fried dough, providing it with a satisfying crunchy element.
Chula Soi 20 (Talat Suan Luang). Tel: +66 (0)81 899 2173. Open daily, 3-11 p.m. Price: 35 baht/plate.
Making kuaytiaw khua kai in Talat Mai, a market alleyway in Bangkok’s Chinatown.
Talat Mai
This longstanding vendor, located in the market alleyway known as Talat Mai (also known as Trok Itsaranuphap), fries his kuaytiaw khua kai on a flat brass wok over coals, using little more than a spoon to mix the ingredients. This unique cooking method and the use of garlic oil results in a bowl that’s deliciously rich and smoky.
Corner Thanon Yaowarat & Soi 6 (Trok Itsaranuphap). Open sporadically, 6-10 p.m. Price: 30 baht/plate.
http://www.cnngo.com/
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