Initially, I was planning on prefacing this much-anticipated recipe with a brief historical overview of Thai boat noodles (kuai-tiao ruea ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ) as well as some personal anecdotes. But considering the length of the recipe, I felt that if I was to have any chance of keeping the word count of this post below 100K, I needed to keep the fun subject of Thai boat noodles for another occasion.
For now let’s talk about this recipe that comes from this new cookbook, Pok Pok: Food and Stories from the Streets, Homes, and Roadside Restaurants of Thailand written by Chef Andy Ricker together with JJ Goode and photographed by Austin Bush.
But, first, a warning of sorts: Thai street noodles aren’t particularly difficult to make; they just require a lot of ingredients, both single and composite (assuming your goal is to make Thai street noodles exactly the professional way, not the easy, homespun way). Boat noodles, especially this particular type which has come to define the genre, require quite a bit of time and the right ingredients. [Perhaps I should tell you that Bangkokians don’t usually make this at home. If you grew up in a household where your mom came home on a weeknight after a long commute and said, “Go wash up, dear, and come down at 7 — I’m making boat noodles for dinner,” then I’d like to meet your mom so I can prostrate myself before her in reverence.] But if you live outside Thailand where you can’t find great boat noodles, this recipe will serve you well.