February’s wet and windy exit is hardly the last we’ll see
of chilly weather. Well, fine. The edge of cold and dampness makes hovering
over a bowl of hot noodles and broth just a little more pleasing. Ramen has
lately popped up on more menus to challenge the near noodle monopoly pho had
previously held in our county, but don’t count out the Lao ka piak ($14) at Eureka’s Wok in Wok Out (307 Second St.). You’ll
have to bypass the always excellent curry-spiked kapoon noodles beckoning from the menu and for that I wish you
strength.
Also known as khao
piak sen, its freshly made, hand-cut white noodles composed of rice and
tapioca flour have a soft, chewy thickness to rival Japanese udon. The starch
from those noodles thicken the pale fragrant chicken broth to a lovely
silkiness. Comforting as it is in flavor and texture, it’s no wonder Laos is
packed with stalls selling piak sen from morning to late at night.
The Worasens, owners of the Old Town restaurant, make their
broth with garlic and ginger,
topped with handful of chopped green
onion, crispy fried shallots and thinly sliced poached pork or shreds of
chicken — both are fine choices. A squeeze of lime is a tart counter to the
rich, subtle soup, and the usual additions of sriracha and chili oil are on
offer for customization, along with a small bowl of white sugar. Our server’s
tip about sprinkling a little sweetness into the bowl was solid, and I will
henceforth be consulting her about all my life choices. If nothing else, it’s
an excuse to stop in and ruminate over a steaming bowl of noodles.
This article appears in ‘Breathing Room’.
