Our dark, herbal boat-noodle broth with a whole slow-cooked beef dino rib laid across the bowl.
$29
Where it comes from
Boat noodles were born on Bangkok's canals, ladled from rowboats into small bowls so nothing would spill between boat and bank — a dark, herbal, slow-simmered broth that Thais still argue about by the bowlful. The bowls grew when the boats came ashore; this one grows further. In place of the usual sliced beef and meatballs comes a dino rib: a full short rib cooked for hours until it slides off the bone into the broth. The soup does the rest.
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.