Noodles are big in Bangkok, and at the top of the heap sits yen ta fo, a noodle-dish probably of southern Chinese origin that combines a sweetish red broth, fish balls and morning glory. There are countless restaurants serving this dish, but a new one caught my eye today. It is called Yen Ta Fo Corner, and is located in an small outdoor mall called Palm Street.
We started with a couple unusual appetizers. The first was deep-fried fish skin:
As bizarre as it sounds, this is actually pretty common find in yen ta fo restaurants, however this version was apparently made from salmon skin, and was served with an excellent nam phrik phao, a roasted chili dip--both divergences from the norm. Ironically, I dislike the skin when eating fish in other forms, but kinda like this dish.
This was followed by a variety of fish balls, topped with chinese celery and crispy garlic, and served with a spicy/sour dipping sauce:
They make some pretty good balls here, and the exceedingly detailed notes on the menu testified that they are made from 100% fish with no preservatives or borax! The long ball in the front is known as a "rugby" ball, the darker one behind it is a shrimp ball, and behind that is kiaow plaa, a "fish wonton" filled with ground pork, coriander root, garlic and pepper. The dipping sauce, a combination of tiny fresh chilis, garlic, lime juice and fish sauce, is standard in Thailand, but absolutely delicious.
We then made it to the restaurant's namesake, yen ta fo:
This was somewhat disappointing. The broth was a bit too red and too sweet, the noodles limp and overcooked, and the morning glory on the skimpy side. But again, some pretty good balls.
A view from the top:
Yen Ta Fo Corner
Palm Street Shopping Complex
Located under the Ram Inthra Expressway, about 2 km from Lad Phrao.