History

Thai boat noodles (kuay teow ruea) originated as a floating-market dish in the central-Thai Ayutthaya region, sold in small portions from boats. LA's Thai Town on Hollywood Boulevard adopted the dish in the 1980s as the Thai-immigrant restaurant corridor took shape. The small-bowl serving format and the dark, spiced broth are the canonical Thai Town reference, with Jitlada, Anajak Thai and Noodle ST the LA pilgrimage stops.

Common allergens: Gluten, Soy, Egg

Make it at home

Yield 6Hands-on 45 minTotal 4 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • For the broth: 2kg beef bones, 1kg beef shin in chunks, 4L water
  • 1 large onion halved, 4 garlic cloves, 4cm ginger sliced
  • 2 cinnamon sticks, 4 star anise, 8 black peppercorns, 4 cloves, 2 black cardamom pods
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons palm sugar
  • 1 tablespoon white pepper
  • 150ml fresh pig's blood (the canonical thickener; substitute 2 tablespoons cocoa powder dissolved in 100ml hot broth for an approximation)
  • 200g rice noodles (sen lek, narrow flat rice noodles), soaked in warm water 30 minutes
  • 300g beef balls (luuk chin neua), halved
  • 300g raw beef sirloin, sliced paper-thin against the grain
  • 300g cooked beef shin (from the broth), sliced thin
  • 300g pickled mustard greens
  • Garnishes: handful bean sprouts blanched, fresh morning glory (or watercress) blanched, sliced spring onion, cilantro, fried garlic in oil, crushed roasted peanuts, dried Thai chilli flakes, lime wedges
  • Thai bird's-eye chilli in vinegar at the table

Method

  1. Cover the beef bones and shin with cold water, bring to a boil 10 minutes, drain, rinse.
  2. Return to a clean pot with 4L fresh water, onion, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, star anise, peppercorns, cloves and cardamom.
  3. Simmer 3 hours skimming the foam. Lift the shin out at the 2-hour mark, slice and reserve.
  4. Strain the broth into a clean pot. Add fish sauce, dark soy, palm sugar and white pepper. Taste and adjust.
  5. Just before serving, whisk the blood vigorously to prevent clotting and ladle a cup of hot broth into the blood. Whisk well, then stir into the pot off the heat. Do not boil after this.
  6. Cook the rice noodles in boiling water 30 seconds, drain. Divide between 6 small bowls.
  7. Top each bowl with halved beef balls, slices of raw beef and slices of cooked shin.
  8. Ladle the very hot broth over to cook the raw beef.
  9. Garnish with bean sprouts, morning glory, spring onion, cilantro, fried garlic, peanuts and chilli flakes.
  10. Serve with lime wedges and chilli vinegar on the side. Eat with chopsticks and a soup spoon, two bowls per person minimum.

Tip from the editors. Small-bowl serving is the dish; two bowls minimum per person is the Thai Town norm. The blood thickens the broth; without it the bowl tastes lighter.

Where to eat thai town boat noodles

Thai Town boat noodles in Los Angeles

Jitlada ★ 4.4

Southern Thai$$thai-town

Jitlada in East Hollywood, Los Angeles has been LA's southern Thai room since the 1980s. Owner Jazz Singsanong runs the dining room front of house.

Signature: Crispy morning glory salad, Southern Thai curry

Order: Crispy morning glory salad and the kua kling fried curry, ordered Thai-hot.

Tip: Ask for the green Southern Thai menu, not the laminated one.

5233 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027 Book →

Anajak Thai ★ 4.5

Modern Thai$$$san-fernando-valley

Justin Pichetrungsi's Anajak Thai in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, runs his family's 1981 strip-mall Thai room as a James Beard 2023 Best Chef West winner.

Signature: Thai Taco Tuesday, Coconut curry

Order: On Tuesday, the Thai-taco menu. On other nights, the kao soi.

Tip: Justin Pichetrungsi's Thai Taco Tuesday menu sells out by 19:00; arrive at 17:00 sharp to get on the list.

14704 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 Book →

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