Khao Soi

Khao soi is not a central Thai dish. It came into the north with Chinese Muslim traders - the Haw, who moved caravans between Yunnan and Burma and Siam - and the Thai version took a coconut curry direction that the Burmese and Yunnanese ones do not have, arriving at soft egg noodles in a rich curry broth with chicken or beef on the bone, topped with a nest of the same noodles deep fried until crisp. What comes alongside is not optional: pickled mustard greens, sliced shallot, lime and a spoonful of roasted chilli paste, which are stirred in to cut the fat and adjust the dish to taste. Eating it without them misses the point. The Muslim quarter around Charoenprathet in Chiang Mai holds several of the long-standing shops, and there are well-known places across the city. It is a lunch dish; most khao soi shops sell out and close in the early afternoon.

What you actually see

• The two noodles - soft in the broth, crisp fried on top.
• The coconut curry - the Thai direction the dish took from its Yunnanese origin.
• The accompaniments - pickled greens, shallot, lime and chilli paste, all stirred in.
• The Muslim quarter shops - the long-standing places around Charoenprathet.

When to go

Any time of year; it is a lunch dish and most shops sell out and close by early afternoon. An hour.

Honest expectations

Shops close early - arriving at three often means missing it. It is rich and the portion is heavier than it looks. Beef versions are common in Muslim shops; chicken elsewhere. The accompaniments matter and should be used.

Nearby

The Chiang Mai Muslim quarter around Charoenprathet; shops across the north.