The Chicken or the Egg? A Hidden Crispy Fried Noodle Gem in Bangkok
Tucked away in a quiet back street of the Pom Prap Sattru Phai district of Bangkok (the district with the highest population density and home to the ‘Golden Mount’), Kuay Tiew Kua Kai Keng Jae Ngim – now that’s a mouthful – is a no-fuss, fried noodle shop serving up a textural mammoth of flavor. This restaurant was also recommended to me by my Bangkok eating guru (another big thank you once again) and didn’t disappoint.
I was a bit of a hot mess when I stumbled into Kuay Tiew Kua Kai Keng Jae Ngim. I had already walked about 15 miles for the day (just under 25 km), was in a slight rush to catch a Thai kickboxing match at Rajadamnern Muay Thai Stadium, and was making a case for being the sweatiest man in Bangkok. It calmed me down. Settled my mind, stomach, and heart.
I felt like Robert Downey Jr. when he spoke about how Burger King turned his life around – except this was the opposite of a ‘disgusting Whopper’ as he put it – this was pure, fried, crunchy bliss combined with rich, runny, gooeyness. Some might call it a ‘perfect bite’. Here’s everything I love about Kuay Tiew Kua Kai Keng Jae Ngim.
A Quick Kuay Tiew Primer & the Deets
Website, Address, & Details: https://www.facebook.com/KuakaiOfficial/
Location: 105, 4 Luang Rd, Wat Thepsirin, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok 10100, Thailand
First, let’s dig into exactly what the heck ‘kuay tiew’ (aka ‘kway teow’) is. Kuay tiew is a flat rice noodle of Southern Chinese origin that is stir-fried at high heat (typically over a wok). If you are in Malaysia or Singapore, you are going to hear the words ‘kuay tiew’ left and right, as it was a popular dish for Chinese laborers abroad in Southeast Asia.
Because it is traditionally cooked on high heat, there is often a certain smokiness to the noodles, which serves as a nice contrast to the melty pork fat or lard that it is cooked in. This is not the healthiest dish by far but every once and a while, I’ll be hit with the ‘Holy Ghost of Kuay Tiew’ and find myself rushing to the nearest Malaysian and/or Singaporean restaurant for my fix.
Now, onto finding this place. Kuay Tiew Kua Kai Keng Jae Ngim can be a bit unassuming when you first roll up, as it is located off of several side streets and the inside of the shop is somewhat obfuscated by a giant outdoor cart equipped with a wok.
Look for a red sign at the top of a doorway with Thai lettering. The inside is reminiscent of a traditional Thai-Chinese living room, the walls adorned with red, gold-lettered Chinese banners of prosperity, newspaper write-ups and snaps with Thai celebrities, a random flatscreen TV in one corner, and a knee-high shrine with candles. The seats, colorful plastic tools, the tables, silver cafeteria-style four-seats, the wok, something the Witches of Macbeth would chant ‘Double, double toil and trouble’ over.
One Bowl, Two Bowl, Three Bowl, Floor…
I arrived at the shop drenched in sweat, knowing I had barely left myself any time to sit down and eat before the 7 PM gladiatorial match at Rajadamnern Muay Thai Stadium (which I highly recommend going to). I had every intention of snagging a quick bowl and heading off on my merry way to watch modern-day gladiators duke it out.
I was a bit disoriented and unable to read Thai, so I held up one finger for one serving. Out came a golden, slightly charred, pillow of noodles over a bed of (iceberg?) lettuce. The outside crunch and slightly smoky/charcoal flavor of the ‘shell’, the inner softness of the noodle, the formidable chunks of juicy chicken – it does not get better than this. Or does it?
After getting my first bowl in me and collecting my thoughts, I determined that it was only fitting I got a second bowl – this time with a runny, sunny-side-up egg. This was the right move. Oh boy, this was one thousand percent the right move.
Texturally, this completed the dish. Already extremely flavorful by itself, the fried kway teow (noodles) cooked over charcoal was softened up slightly with the runny egg yolk and turned up a notch with their provided sweet sauce.
Unsolicited Pale Ale Travel Side Note: I don’t know why but I felt like throwing this in. I was at the tail end of a battle with strep throat when I ventured to Kuay Tiew Kua Kai Keng Jae Ngim, and picked up this minty, cooling take on a Red Bull I had no idea was even a thing. When in Rome…
Bangkok Noodle Dangerous
If you are in Bangkok, Thailand and looking to get off the beaten path a bit and explore a hidden gem, I cannot recommend this place enough. My personal noodle compass expanded several-fold after visiting Kuay Tiew Kua Kai Keng Jae Ngim and I now understand why kway teow (kuay tiew) was my ex-girlfriend’s favorite meal.
If you have any favorite fried noodle haunts in Bangkok, I’d love to hear from you. I will inevitably be back for either a visa run (should I do Saigon for another extended period of time) or for a rigorous teeth cleaning.
With some restaurant write-ups going forward, I am going to stick with a shorter format, focusing on providing better pictures, fewer anecdotes, and more actionable advice. Let me know your thoughts in the comments or if you prefer the longer pieces I’ve been publishing!
Eat well,
Big Body
Big Body is a voracious lov…eater, a cowardly fighter, and a self-proclaimed curry goat BBQ-eating champion (don’t forget the donkey milk) who likes Stoicism, baseball, and writing in the third person. Having worked for himself for the last 7 years, he isn’t particularly successful but he does still drink ice-cold Sapporo draft beers with the best of them and knows his way around a Dai Pai Dong or two. He is based in Hong Kong but you can still find him in Saigon, Osaka, and Vienna for extended periods.