Piak Sen Weather
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.
Follow the Trompo
Whatever I crave or plan when I walk up to a taco truck so often goes out the order window when I catch sight of a trompo. All that spice-reddened al pastor sizzling and dripping on a vertical spit is nearly impossible to pass up. And in the nighttime glow of the Tacos Don Paco truck, the trompo turns like a lighthouse beacon leading me across a darkened parking lot toward happiness.
Owner Jose Escobar, who hails from Mexico City, says he’s partial to the al pastor himself, as well as the alambres. “Maybe everything,” he says.
While the street tacos and quesabirria are popular among regulars, the alambres with pork al pastor are a shrewd move (three for $14). Pull your eyes from the mesmerizing trompo and watch Escobar in the window, tossing the meat with onions and peppers on the flat-top grill before blanketing it all with cheese and sweeping it into a trio of lightly browned flour tortillas to be topped with cilantro and onion. The result is the promise fajitas make but never truly fulfill.
The birria ramen is another strong contender, too ($13). The consommé, cooked for hours and heavy with shredded beef, is a fine match for packaged ramen noodles, brightened by cilantro, chopped onion and radish slices. This is the fusion we’re looking for, and it can be found Tuesday through Thursday at 2020 Main St. in Fortuna, and Friday through Sunday at 4 Fourth St. in Eureka.
(Pro tip: The folks at Tacos Don Paco are happy to put your takeout in a container from home if you want to skip the disposables. If you’re picking up the birria ramen, that’s going to require a 4-cup container.)
Share your tips about What’s Good with Jennifer Fumiko Cahill (she/her), arts and features editor at the Journal. Reach her at (707) 442-1400, extension 320, or jennifer@northcoastjournal.com. Follow her on Bluesky @jfumikocahill.bsky.social.
This article appears in There’s a Fish Market Splashing into Eureka.
