Oh Noodle Lady Where Art Thou
by Max Feist
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Thailand is beautiful; the people, the food, the culture, but the city is heavily populated. And as a 6ft, white, bearded and tattooed man, I stuck out like a sore thumb. Sometimes, people would recognize you as a tourist and want to drink, talk or take photos with you. Sometimes when people marked you as a tourist, they would either want to talk only about money or take photos of you. Those locals that take you to hidden gems or share the closely held secrets of their city with you, turn cookie-cutter trips into the uniquely formed memories that you savor forever.
I stepped off the sky train into the humid city. The smells came in waves of food and filth as I walked to my hostel. The backpacker’s ghetto of Khaosan Road is a great place for cheap accommodation for a young traveler. If you take the time to research, you can find some amazing hostels and meet travelers from all around the world, but be wary, you get what you pay for in Asia. After check in and a short rest I’m ready for adventure! I’m just two blocks over from Khaosan Road so that’s where I’m heading first.
One walk up and down the street and anyone could tell it’s just a giant tourist trap. Not really my scene but I’m starving and the smell of charcoal grills and woks is just too much to pass up. I spot a wooden cart with a chalkboard sign and an old woman tossing noodles in a wok. The line is short, Pad Thai is calling my name. I prefer to eat at food carts or stalls when in Asia. Generally, the food is fresher than restaurants because they have to get everything fresh in the morning and usually don’t go home until they sell out. Not to mention you get to watch as they cook! As I get to the front of the line the sign reads “Pad Thai: chicken / shrimp / both” in English and Thai. Both is the obvious choice for me. With the speed and precision of a seasoned Chef, the old woman is putting a steaming bamboo plate of noodles in my hands in just moments and gestures me to move to the side of the cart where she has limes, peanuts and extra chili.
Standing behind and off to the side, I begin to eat and watch as she cooks. She’s done this a million times, maybe even two million. With the rhythmic tossing of the wok, she measures with her heart and practiced hands as sauces and ingredients fly into the wok. I’m halfway done with my noodles; I’ve been in Thailand for only a few hours and it dawns on me that these are the best damn noodles I’ve ever had. Well, so far at least. With my belly full, and confident I would see this woman again, I set off to explore the area around my Hostel.
I never did see the old women or her wood cart again. I had three more days in Bangkok before moving on. Every day, morning and evening, I walked up and down Khaosan Road hoping to get another taste of those noodles. I don’t want you to think I didn’t try other places - I was eating at least 6 (small) meals a day. I was constantly trying to find the next best damn noodles I’ve ever had. I ate at Trip Advisors Top Pad Thai Restaurant, where the line stretched down and around the corner. I ate every color of curry they had. Locals took me to their favorite spots and I had some amazing meals and times I’ll never forget. But still, nothing compared to the old woman and her wooden cart.
Check out the first article in the Culinary Adventures to the Max: Part 1 -One Night in Melbourne
Check out the first article in the Culinary Adventures to the Max: Part 3 -Gotta Risk it for the Brisket
Chef Max Feist - From hole in the wall to fine dining, Dish pit to head Chef I’ve worked it all over the last 14 years in the service industry. The love of food took me half way around the world and back. These are the Culinary Adventures to the Max
