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I was wandering around the streets of Chiang Rai on a typical hot and humid day in Thailand’s wet season. I had spent the morning exploring the temples and markets of the city, and now my stomach was telling me that I was ready for lunch, and midday isn’t a time to be sightseeing in this part of the world. As it was the low season, I usually found myself alone among the locals, so there wasn’t much else to do but take notice of how they do things. Midday is a time to get out of the heat and relax for a while.

Looking for a street stall or a little restaurant with some shade (and preferably a fan), I found myself near the central bus station – a hive of activity throughout the day. Behind the bus station are a whole range of street stalls and basic restaurants, so I knew that this would be the place to fill my belly. I browsed and smelled my way along the small street, and finally decided on a little restaurant that had a few locals sitting and eating in it, and most importantly, it had a fan.

The lady who ran the restaurant couldn’t speak a word of English, so I just said “Pad see ew?”, more as a question rather than an actual order. She nodded and scuffled back behind her little cooking bench and started chopping away, while I sat down at a table not knowing exactly what I was going to get.

A few minutes later she came out carrying a plate of noodles that smelled absolutely divine, and I wasted no time in picking up my chopsticks and shoveling the thick noodles into my mouth. I was delighted to find the best pad see ew that I had ever tasted, and savoring every mouthful, I completely cleaned the entire plate.

Pad see ew in Chiang Rai, Thailand

My delicious pad see ew

The next day I returned to my now favourite restaurant, and as I was enjoying my tasty pad see ew, an orange robed monk came into the restaurant to seek shelter from the heat and a place to sit down to have his drink. To my surprise the monk spoke excellent English, and what followed was a half hour conversation about travel and Thailand.

I ate at this restaurant three times during my time in Chiang Rai, and it remains one of my best memories from my trip. It’s funny how a simple plate of food can become such a strong travel memory.

 

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