Noodles are ubiquitous across all of Thailand, but they often take slightly different forms depending on where in the country you are. I was surprised to find quite a few different kinds of noodles on my recent trip up north. Of course, there's the famous khao soi:
and khanom jeen:
Paa Pong, the restaurant above, is in Lampang and is only open Saturday and Sunday. You can easily identify the shop by the long row of bubbling curries, which are served over the fresh rice noodles.
Paa Pong (Google Maps link) 125 Th Talat Kao, Lampang 085 706 7748 7am-10pm, Sat-Sun
But there are also some relatively unknown noodle dishes up north. The bowl at the top of this post is from Kamphaeng Phet. They make their own bamee, wheat noodles at this restaurant, which were slightly thinner and firmer than those elsewhere. The dish combines several types of pork and is served with par-boiled sliced green beans and bean sprouts on the side. The 'dry' (served without broth) version was excellent, and included just enough oily broth to moisten the noodles.
Bamee Chakangrao (Google Maps link) Th Ratchadamnoen, Kamphaeng Phet 8:30am-3pm In Phitsaunlok, there are a few noodle restaurants known for their seating, rather than their food:
Known has kuaytiaw hoy khaa ('hanging leg' noodles), you sit on the floor with your feet hanging over the edge, all the while looking over the Nan River. The noodles aren't too exceptional, but it actually was a fun way to sit and eat. One of the better restaurants (but not the one shown above) was:
Rim Nan (Google Maps link) 5/4 Th Phaya Sua, Phitsanulok 081 379 3172 9am-4pm
Sukhothai is known for its noodles that, like those of Kamphaeng Phet, combine several variations on pork, including an optional pork crackling topping:
as well a slightly sweet broth with more par-boiled sliced green beans and ground peanuts. Sukhothai noodles are usually, but not always, served with rice, rather than wheat noodles.
Jay Hae, the popular restaurant where I had the above bowl, also fries the noodles in the form of 'old fashioned' phat thai:
Jay Hae (Google Maps link) Th Jarot Withithong, Sukhothai 05 561 1901 7am-4pm