kuay teow ruah

This is real Thai food. Thai people's food. "Thai people don't eat Pad Thai" says Chutima, my roommate. They eat Kuay Teow Ruah, right from a street vendor for no more than 40 baht. I get it at a Thai restaurant near my apartment, TK Thai, for a whopping $7.95, excluding tax and tip. I've tried it at two other restaurants, House of Siam and Thai Lemongrass, but TK makes the best. (Albeit rumor has it they use MSG, according to a disgruntled ex-cook.) The thin rice noodles, bean sprouts, Chinese broccoli, scallions, cilantro, meatballs (ingredients unknown), and pieces of beef soak up the thick broth. For added flavor, crushed red pepper, vinegar, and fish sauce are provided to season to your liking. You could compare it to the Vietnamese noodle, pho, but it has a richer, deeper flavor, and undoubtedly more expensive. That is why I only eat it on cold, rainy days; the hot soup, spiced with the perfect amount of kick and punch, hits the spot, right here and right there. kkyah~! Until next time the weatherman calls for precipitation. Besides, I think I've had my month's quota of monosodium glutamate.