Comfort by the ladle — wok-charred noodles under a silky, peppery gravy, a gift from Teochew Bangkok.
$16
Where it comes from
Rad na — roughly, 'poured over' — arrived with Teochew immigrants from China's Chaoshan coast, whose shophouses taught Bangkok the pleasure of gravy. The wide noodles are charred first for smokiness, then blanketed in a sauce built on fermented soybean, thickened to silk and studded with Chinese broccoli. It is Thailand's great rainy-day dish: the one you order when dinner should feel like a warm blanket.
Not sure how to judge a plate like this? Read our field guide to the best Thai food in Orange County — five signs of a real Thai kitchen, and what to order once you’re in one.
