On the “boat noodle” street, customers line up all the way under the bridge

Boat noodles (Guay Tiew Reua) is a typical Thai dish. In addition to Thai fried rice noodles, hot and sour noodles, seafood hot pot, and boat noodles are also must-try delicacies when visiting the Golden Temple. In Bangkok, tourists tell each other about a place near the Victory Monument where tourists line up all day long.

An alley beside the canal on Ratchawithi Road, near the BTS Victory Monument station, is home to two of Bangkok’s most famous boat noodle restaurants: Baan Kuay Tiew Ruathong and Payak Noodle Boat. Baan Kuay Tiew Ruathong is more famous and is often introduced in tourist guides and video reviews on social networks. Tourists always have to queue for a long time, sometimes even hours, to get a number. People line up from the restaurant door to the foot of the overpass hundreds of meters away.

For tourists who don’t have much time, you can go to the restaurant opposite Payak Noodle Boat. This restaurant is also big and crowded, but rarely has a long queue like Baan Kuay Tiew Ruathang, so there are usually seats available. Local tourists also frequent this restaurant.

The menus at both restaurants are almost identical, and the table and chair layouts and kitchens are similar. As soon as diners step into the restaurant, they can immediately see the chefs’ preparation counter. Further inside, the dining area is very spacious, with views of the canal on one side.

The restaurant is always packed with customers and the staff is always busy. The chef rinses the bowl with boiling water, then blanches the noodles, shakes off the water, and pours the broth and ingredients into the bowl. All the movements are skillful and “automatically fast”. Many diners find it very interesting and take photos of the chefs’ skillful cooking process.

Boat noodles is a traditional Thai dish. It is so named because in the past, the noodles were sold on boats and boats in Bangkok’s canals, rivers and floating markets. Today, it is no longer sold on boats, but locals and diners are still used to using this name.

Because of the processing, boiling, pouring soup, and eating on the river, the noodle bowls are often small in size, which is convenient for delivery and eating. Diners always order several bowls at the same time because the portion is small and not filling enough. However, this also helps diners try multiple flavors of noodles at the same time.

Traditional boat noodles have a dark brown broth. The broth is carefully prepared, stewed with pork and beef bones, with pig or beef blood added, and mixed with salt and spices to make it slightly sticky. Each bowl comes with a little more vegetables, a few pieces of pork and a beef ball.

Tom Yum noodles are the second most popular among diners for their easy-to-eat spicy and sour taste, coupled with shrimp rolls, minced meat and bean sprouts.

Some noodle bowls come in multiple variations, like big pho, red soup, and sour, to help alleviate boredom.

Each small bowl costs only 16 baht (about 11,000 VND), while a large bowl is 50 baht (35,000 VND). In addition, guests can order additional toppings.

The most popular cooling drink is longan water, which has a cool, refreshing taste and is especially suitable for drinking on hot summer days or after eating spicy dishes.

On every table were trays of the dessert, Khanom thuai. This is a popular dish made from rice flour, coconut milk and sugar. It gets its name from the small ceramic cups used to cook and serve the dessert in a special way, called thuai talai (“talai” bowls).

Both restaurants are located on the banks of the canal, reminiscent of the ancient origins of boat noodles.