the khao soi that changed my life
grab the spoon and journal
This winter - or rather, what should have been my long winter in the American Mountain States – was one of deep change in my forty years, with the end of a certain era.
Un-winter, unraveling, unwinding.
Renewal, reflection, and recognizing I could and would, move past, all the shock and regrets. Getting closer.
Meeting the people and curries that would, and could, impact the what, how, and big why, of all I knew about my life.
That continuous mantra of Eat / Read / Cope*: that I can quickly say simulatenouly soft and hard-launched with two-and-a-half months in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Time and place is funny.
And bowl by bowl, all the Khao Sois that changed me, along the way.
How so? It gets as complex as the curry itself.
There’s the foodie in me…the unexpected return traveler to Thailand…the crushed lady on an extended hiatus…and the longtime vegetarian-now twenty-something-year vegan.
That jess/this jess, vividly recalls the flavor of that one bowl I surprised myself by eating every last bite of (for once). Maybe 2015? It was at a small Buddhist “jay” spot located on an edge of the Old City. Can’t say I remember which direction. Can’t say I found it again this time. Signs in Thai. Yellow flags beckoning.
The eatery was cozy, casual, intimidating, yet welcoming. This bowl was experienced during the second to last day of a short, two week trip. It felt longer then. I went again the very next day. The second bowl continued to hit the spot, savoring every last mouthful. Isn’t it always almost too late when you find what you did - or did not - know what you were looking for? What you really wanted? Letting something that wasn’t even on the end-of-trip “check-list” surprise and delight you. Ah, that’s this scone in reflection.
This time around, I made Chiang Mai my new home in a broken time. For a while. It let me, slowly be, this new me.
Every single day felt full. Every week felt fleeting, yet comfortable.
Are you familiar with Khao Soi?
“Khao soi ข้าวซอย is a northern Thai noodle soup that uses wheat-based egg noodles and is served in a coconut milk curry broth. It's typically made with chicken or beef, and the bowl is topped with crispy deep fried noodles.”
“The exact origin of khao soi is debated, but the prevalent theory seems to be that it came into northern Thailand via Chinese-Muslim immigrants from the Yunnan region, which is why khao soi is not usually made with pork; despite the fact that pork is the most common meat in Thailand.”
— Cookbook Author Pai Chongchitnant, ‘Hot Thai Kitchen’,
It’s an eclectic dish with an eclectic history.
It can easily be considered the most iconic dish out of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, the second largest city in the kingdom. If you mention “Chiang Mai” to anyone who’s gone with an appetite - let alone a foodie traveler who’s seen more than their chili-spiked share of food tour tik toks/and/or now legendary and life-changing Anthony Bourdon episodes - they will insist you eat Khao Soi. It won’t even be a question. You will find yourself with a growing list of “must eat” spots from the roadside, to the Michelin, to mall food courts, to vegetarian institutions and combinations of the above.
Stains, be darned. Scratch that, laundry is easy, and another part of life. A routine of ease. Literal and figurative freshness.
Ah, stains. Studied, tackled, washed away with care and time.
Stains = Worth it.
From the first spoonful of this complex, creamy curry that wanders in hue from gold to brown, maroon to crimson, and turmeric-dosed & sunny, you’re in. You sip the base, and keep diving.
Squeezing lime, considering the flavors, and then stirring in the tart, chewy uhm ubm mmmummm pickled mustard greens to up the acidic vibe. That was code for umami, btw : )
Next, having more tasty fun by folding in the crispy curls of fried noodles on top.(as applicable in vegan takes), the complement of fresh herbs - yes, cilantro aka “pak chee” in Thai - and yes, I go there, and commit to a shiny bite of raw shallots. More of that uhm ubm mummm I went for above.
Perhaps, perhaps, some more chili paste because your taste buds have been learning to long for more by this point. Thinking about a move from spoon to fork, to bigger spoon, and digging into the protein - often tofu and gluten and/or soya chickin’ where I go - and in the case of Ming Kwan in the Old City, the melt-in-your-spiced-mouth potatoes and carrots that almost give it a Massaman sway.
At this point, yes, it splashes on my shirt again, and yes, I keep refilling my water, and now, yes, oh, where did it all go?
During my first, fortunate visits to Chiang Mai over a decade ago, I can recall counting the number of well-labeled vegetarian Khao Soi options (the one without surprise bits of chicken in the base) on less than one hand. Duh, I tried all that I could, the most well known in the omg-we-love-thailand-have-you-heard-of-happy-cow-are-you-going-to-elephant-nature-park then-blogger circles was at longtime Aum, which has since moved to a new location and very much still features a popular, can be ordered vegan, mushroom-starring Khao Soi. Back then, I went to almost every single vegetarian restaurant within the immediate metro area within the span of three weeks. Shout out to the Khun Churn buffet. Nowadays, HappyCow’s vegetarian-and-vegan specific listings in CM tops 100 establishments ! ! !
Another one that comes to mind was dramatically topped with a cloudy nest of fried rice noodle vermicelli, standing in for the classic egg noodles on top. This was at Taste of Heaven’s former location, which is now Pure Vegan Heaven, and truthfully, my return visit in these past months + years later, made me question time, places, memories and the standards of quality of popular tourist spots (a pattern). No, I didn’t order Khao Soi. Maybe that was the problem. Maybe not.
Stories and sconin’ for another day.
There were oh, so many more bowls this time around, and darling, they were garnished. No sad vegan options. Easier to order.
The noodle were largely just-cooked-enough wheat, with that just-right, slightly soft chew, as they’re either under-cooked and warmed (boiled, hot!) or simply cooked to order.
In contrast to a decade plus ago, I visited only one restaurant (twice, no, three times) that veered from the sorta contemporary wheat-noodle-base, and that was the legitimately ‘fun’ glass noodle take at Garden to Table. In other words, fun still equals slurpy, and a requisite bib. No complaints, and bonus points for always-farm fresh vegetables !
Oh, look, I did go food writer again there.
‘Cause, why yes, these scone archives continue as my own culinary-centric memoirs. Life, food, life, etc.
Despite my vaguely referenced woes & consequent big life changes & uh, another dose of I-NEED-soup travelin’ laryngitis after New Year’s that did dull my ability to taste & eat for a while there, I continue to experience those bites of lemongrass + lime leaves, teary-eyed curries, fresh markets and a fascinating, growing series of Thai, Laotian & Burmese salads that make me think on multiple levels.
Which brings me back to my current adventures…The day was December 3rd. I sat down to a bowl of Khao Soi on my first full day after a proper night’s sleep in Chiang Mai, less than 48 hours after arriving in Thailand. From then on, I proceeded to order it at least once a week. A staple and star in the city, and in this solo-sorta-traveler’s life.
Khao Soi (with broccoli!) was my inaugural lunch at V. Napaphud Vegetarian, and part of my somber “last night” dinner at Shan food favorite, Jay Mai Jumjay.
Every bowl, every afternoon or evening, was a little different. Or a lot different.
Even those from the vegetarian buffets with massive, sometimes not-so-endless pots of goodness.
Chiang Mai “soul food”, no matter what. And yeah, I needed that.
Each experience was a meal and memory in one.
Those stains. Where I parked my bike.
What else I had done that day, and what had brought me to that lunch spot.
Was I sweatier than usual? Was my lipstick okay?
Had my sister already savored a Khao Soi from her own list, elsewhere?
(a pattern, those 2 weeks of sibling time)
Those days I wanted even more chili.
The colors. The rotating proteins.
The arriving too late in the afternoon and pivoting to the buffet, or dumpling soup, or perhaps, Yen Ta Fo (Thai pink noodle soup).
That strange day my soup was…..cold. Say what. Okay, kha.
The happenstance of vegetables & savory mushrooms.
The adornment + crunch of the crispy noodles, tucked in.
Getting to know the noodles.
The near contemplation of a second bowl.
The chance chats.
The day I biked to 29 Coffties for a late KS lunch after a session with my precious summerry tattoo.
And ah, that memorable time an elderly French man snobbily called me a “queen” for parking my bicycle askew by an entrance of another popular vegetarian mainstay. What a kind creature to yell at a stranger. Le sigh.
Moving on.
Come nightfall, I’d sit down with my journal, and think back on my day. My wandering, my thoughts, my meals.
Now, I’m spending my last two days in Bangkok, after two weeks far west, volunteering at a dog sanctuary & learning more Thai language & making new friends in Western Thailand.
I realize, this has been what I didn’t know I needed.
So many levels of surreal yet everyday satisfaction.
Amazing food, special people, and charming places, produce, things, and all those rides around the city, looking left, right, back, forward.
Pinching myself, wiping my brow, tucking in my DIY napkin bib, and reflecting how literally & emotionally far I didn’t know I could come. And shall continue to.
For the first time in a while, I have some little and big ideas on what to do next. Ish. <3
In non-conclusion, thanks for reading & supporting this scone turnin’ & eating & reading & coping her dang way through SE Asia.
To be absolutely continued.
References + Relevant Links of the Khao Soi inclined:
Khao Soi: Thai Curry Noodle Soup: recipe + history, Hot Thai Kitchen
Khao Soi History: From Yunnan through Myanmar to Thailand, Foodicles
learn about Jay Vegetarianism in Thailand, Keeley the Kitchen
Thai Vegan Festival and Delicious ‘Jae’ Food (อาหารเจ) at “Ming Kwan Vegetarian”, eatingthaifood {related, it’s sweet hearing people drop his name in restaurants, and that make me flash back to my sister using his recs a decade plus ago, and then seeing his youtube playing at the Thai restaurant in Cody, Wyoming last year !}
Vegan + Vegetarian listings in Chiang Mai, Thailand HappyCow {pssst, here’s my happycow profile, @jdfunks}
→ → → @scone.archives on Insta + @scone on sub’scrap “notes” for more regular “storytelling” & updates from SE Asia
![[clockwise from L to R] 1) the cold yet tasty bowl at Ming Kwan - Suthep 2) lovely bowl at Garden to Table, where my sister proclaimed her beef KS the "best yet" 3) Ming Kwan - Old City, a habit 4) my sister's bowl at Khao Soi Manee 2 (I think)](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3144f4ec-29c1-4f92-98bb-7027a2a434cc_4032x2268.jpeg)
![[clockwise from L to R] 1) the cold yet tasty bowl at Ming Kwan - Suthep 2) lovely bowl at Garden to Table, where my sister proclaimed her beef KS the "best yet" 3) Ming Kwan - Old City, a habit 4) my sister's bowl at Khao Soi Manee 2 (I think)](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0e98d4ee-d469-4dcf-a689-4f9616a50900_4032x2268.jpeg)
![[clockwise from L to R] 1) the cold yet tasty bowl at Ming Kwan - Suthep 2) lovely bowl at Garden to Table, where my sister proclaimed her beef KS the "best yet" 3) Ming Kwan - Old City, a habit 4) my sister's bowl at Khao Soi Manee 2 (I think)](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd848080f-7400-4eb1-8e8a-3789ec7c5eea_2268x4032.jpeg)
![[clockwise from L to R] 1) the cold yet tasty bowl at Ming Kwan - Suthep 2) lovely bowl at Garden to Table, where my sister proclaimed her beef KS the "best yet" 3) Ming Kwan - Old City, a habit 4) my sister's bowl at Khao Soi Manee 2 (I think)](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7164b5-e665-4cd0-845e-61327b067961_4032x2268.jpeg)
[clockwise from L to R] 1) the cold yet tasty bowl at Ming Kwan - Suthep 2) lovely bowl at Garden to Table, where my sister proclaimed her beef KS the "best yet" 3) Ming Kwan - Old City, a habit 4) my sister's bowl at Khao Soi Manee 2 (I think) Where my Khao Soi fans at? What food helps *your* heart?
![[clockwise from L to R] 1) the cold yet tasty bowl at Ming Kwan - Suthep 2) lovely bowl at Garden to Table, where my sister proclaimed her beef KS the "best yet" 3) Ming Kwan - Old City, a habit 4) my sister's bowl at Khao Soi Manee 2 (I think)](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3144f4ec-29c1-4f92-98bb-7027a2a434cc_4032x2268.jpeg)
![[clockwise from L to R] 1) the cold yet tasty bowl at Ming Kwan - Suthep 2) lovely bowl at Garden to Table, where my sister proclaimed her beef KS the "best yet" 3) Ming Kwan - Old City, a habit 4) my sister's bowl at Khao Soi Manee 2 (I think)](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0e98d4ee-d469-4dcf-a689-4f9616a50900_4032x2268.jpeg)
![[clockwise from L to R] 1) the cold yet tasty bowl at Ming Kwan - Suthep 2) lovely bowl at Garden to Table, where my sister proclaimed her beef KS the "best yet" 3) Ming Kwan - Old City, a habit 4) my sister's bowl at Khao Soi Manee 2 (I think)](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd848080f-7400-4eb1-8e8a-3789ec7c5eea_2268x4032.jpeg)
![[clockwise from L to R] 1) the cold yet tasty bowl at Ming Kwan - Suthep 2) lovely bowl at Garden to Table, where my sister proclaimed her beef KS the "best yet" 3) Ming Kwan - Old City, a habit 4) my sister's bowl at Khao Soi Manee 2 (I think)](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7164b5-e665-4cd0-845e-61327b067961_4032x2268.jpeg)
‘Til we meet again, Chiang Mai <3
*P.S. Proper kudos to author Elizabeth Gilbert for phrase to twist, and all the eons of woman who’ve long come before & after these explorative, healing footsteps of exploring ‘parts unknown’, with a heavy heart.
Oh my gosh, I am so happy for you on this journey. By the way, So Thai in Anchorage makes a very good khao soi, if you're ever back north
I've wanted to try khao soi since you first talked about it so many years ago and I still never have! Every time I see it on a menu it hae onions that I can't eat. Love this recap and reflection, Jess!