Noodle soup consisting of rice noodles with tasty stock and meat toppings known as Guay Tiew is a popular street food in Thailand. You can find Guay Tiew being served all day long along the streets and local markets. Do you know how to order noodles in Thailand? Our guide will teach you!
We’re assuming that you want to know how to order more complicated noodles the way locals do in Thai Language.
Thai Noodle Types
Firstly, and this is very important, choose the type of your noodles.
There are many types of Thai noodles:
- Sen Yai (th: เส้นใหญ่) - Wide Rice Noodles
- Sen Lek (th: เส้นเล็ก) - Narrow Rice Noodles
- Sen Mhee (th: เส้นหมี่) - Thin and Round Rice Noodles
- Bah Mhee (th: บะหมี่) - Yellow Noodles made of wheat and eggs (Egg Noodles)
- Woon Sen (th: วุ้นเส้น) - Glass Noodles or Mung Bean Noodles
- Mama (th: มาม่า) - Instant Noodles
Thai Noodle Broth
Next, choose the type of your broth:
- Nam Sai (th: น้ำใส) - Clear noodle soup
- Tom Yum (th: ต้มยำ) - Spicy and sour soup with chili paste, lime juice, chili powder, sugar, fish sauce and crushed peanuts added
- Nam Tok (th: น้ำตก) - Cow or pig blood is added to the soup to thicken it
- Yen Ta Fo (th: เย็นตาโฟ) - Pink Noodle Soup served with fish balls or fried fish rolls, fried tofu, squid, morning glory and fried dumplings
- Guay Tiew Ruea (th: ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ) - Noodles with beef or pork in brown broth
Thai Noodle Meat
Now, choose your meat:
- Moo (th: หมู) - Pork
- Moo Sab (th: หมูสับ) - Minced Pork
- Moo Daeng (th: หมูแดง) - Roasted Pork
- Gai (th: ไก่) – Chicken
- Bped (th: เป็ด) – Duck
- Neua (th: เนื้อ) - Beef
- Neua Sod (th: เนื้อสด) – Sliced Beef
- Neua Peuay (th: เนื้อเปื่อย) – Braised Beef
- Lookchin (th: ลูกชิ้น) - Meatballs
- Lookchin Pla (th: ลูกชิ้นปลา) - Fish balls
- Giew (th: เกี๊ยว) - Dumplings stuffed with ground meat
Let’s order Thai noodles!
If you want to eat wide rice noodles with pork and brown soup, you should order “sen yai nam tok moo” (th: เส้นใหญ่น้ำตกหมู). It’s that simple.
Vegetables
Almost all noodles come up with bean sprouts, Chinese parsley and roasted garlic.
Noodle Seasonings
There are 4 seasonings you can add to your noodles by yourself:
- Fish sauce
- Sugar
- Vinegar and sliced chilies
- Dried red chili flakes
Tips
If you want dry noodles, just say "Hang" such as Bah Mhee Moo Daeng Hang, which is dry egg noodles with roasted pork. Normally dry noodles will come with another bowl of soup.
Usually if you order just Yen Ta Fo, it will be served with Sen Yai but you can choose another type of noodles.
They don’t serve tom yam in beef noodle soup.
If you don’t want something in your noodle soup, just say “mai” such as “Mai Phak” means no vegetable and “Mai Phed” means not spicy.
Let’s go through the basics of the many types of noodles served in Thailand that you can order. Discover the variety of Thai Noodle Soups.
And do not miss these Thai stir-fried noodle dishes.
