On occasion, we are lucky to have special visitors come along on tour with us.  A few weeks ago, Steve Dolinsky, the Food Reporter for ABC 7 News in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A., was in Bangkok getting sound bites for his report for PRI’s The World, on unique and tasty dishes in Bangkok.

Our jaunt started out at 10 pm, heading out to the old part of town, to a special spot, an alley that caters to noodle lovers!  A series of shops selling Guay Tiaw or noodles are lined up with the kitchens outdoors in the back alley. Cooks spend their nights over charcoal makeshift stoves whipping up some of the most delicious stir-fried noodles in Bangkok.

Our night of adventure found us standing in the back alley, woks were flaming over the fire as we captured the sounds of sizzling noodles in the background.  We talked with K. Ann, owner of Ann Guay Tiaw Kua Gai, one of the shops that specialize in these stir-fried noodles with chicken. She explained how only the freshest ingredients make her dish stand out and taste delicious.  

It starts with a super hot wok, and ever so quickly, these professional noodle chefs are frying flat rice noodles, chicken, ham, egg and occasionally shrimp and squid together in hot oil.  There is no secret sauce or seasoning used. While cooking, the noodles get nice and crispy and the egg binds all the elements together for a delicious dish. The flavors of the ingredients mix to create a very light, delicate flavor, which is amazingly tasty on its own.  The dish is also served with sauce prik or a tomato-sauce like the spicy condiment.

We highly suggest you try this lesser known noodle dish, cousin to pad-see-ew, sometime soon!  Ann Guay Tiaw Kua Gai is a frequent stop on our Tuk Tuk Urban Odyssey Tour!