Until I wrote this review, I had visited this place about 4-5 times since last November. On my way to the Rijksmuseum from Weesperplein, I randomly noticed the "World Famous Pink Noodles" sign on their glass wall. Intrigued, I decided to look up the place and was pleasantly surprised to find an impressive 4.9 rating on Google Maps.
Indeed, their menu features a few unconventional items. While Yentafo, the famous Thai Pink Noodles, has been starting to appear on a few places' menus, it remains relatively low-key and not very common yet in Amsterdam. This restaurant proudly considers Yentafo as their signature dish, alongside other interesting noodle options listed on the menu.
The very first noodle dish I tried at this restaurant was the Beef Noodle Soup. While the most famous beef noodle soup in Southeast Asia is undoubtedly Vietnamese Pho, Bangkok offers a plethora of amazing beef noodle options, including the renowned Wat Dong Moon Lek noodles and Wattana Panich, known for its 50-year beef broth recipe at Ekkamai. Slightly sweet and flavored with cinnamon and star anise, the beef noodle soup at NK Noodles was a decent meal. However, I personally prefer the options available at Phu Thai Thai Takeaway, as they offer a wider variety of Beef Noodle Soup dishes.
The other day, I decided to try their Chicken Noodle Soup. Flavored with cinnamon and star anise, the taste was somewhat similar to the Beef Noodle Soup, but with a lighter touch. The chicken noodles were expertly cooked and had a distinct aroma. After tasting Muslim-Thai halal chicken noodles at a lovely street stall in front of the Indonesia Mosque at Phloen Chit in Bangkok, which only cost 50 Baht, I developed a real appreciation for this dish. The chicken noodle soup at NK Noodles reminded me of the flavors I experienced in Bangkok, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
That day, I went with a couple of friends, and we decided to try the classic Pad Thai and Phad Si Ew. Both dishes received high praise from my friends, who described them as top-notch in Amsterdam. One of my friends, who typically only orders Phad Si Ew for Thai noodles, remarked that this was the best version he had found. Another friend ordered his favorite cashew nut chicken and also proclaimed it to be the best he had discovered in Amsterdam.
That day, I went with a couple of friends, and we decided to try the classic Pad Thai and Phad Si Ew. Both dishes received high praise from my friends, who described them as top-notch in Amsterdam. One of my friends, who typically only orders Phad Si Ew for Thai noodles, remarked that this was the best version he had found. Another friend ordered his favorite cashew nut chicken and also proclaimed it to be the best he had discovered in Amsterdam.
Today, I visited the restaurant specifically to try their signature Pink Noodles. While I had Yentafo at Phu Thai Thai Takeaway before, I must admit that I found other noodles there to be better. However, upon tasting the Yentafo at this place, I could understand why they consider it their signature dish.
Filled with abundant ingredients such as squid, fish balls, coagulated blood, morning glory, and hed kao (white mushrooms), the fermented bean paste gives the distinctive pink color to the broth, adding a lightly sweet flavor to the soup. In Thai cuisine, there are actually two types of pink noodles. Yentafo is super famous and needs no introduction, but there is another type of pink noodles from Hakka cuisine, which derive their color from red yeast rice. You can find Hakka restaurants serving these noodles around Sampheng Market Yaowarat in the Chinatown area, such as Yok Hua or Biang Ki Pochana.
While all of their noodles are excellent, this dish stood out as the best for me. It perfectly balanced all the flavors – sweet, sourness, saltiness, and spiciness – bringing together the essence of Thai cuisine. The ingredients were cooked with superb technique, resulting in great texture as well. For more details, please check the YouTube video below.
Choosing between Phu Thai Thai Take Away and NK Noodles is a difficult task for me. However, it's a blessing to have these Thai restaurants in Amsterdam.
NK Thai Noodles
Weteringschans 187 DH, 1017 XE Amsterdam
+31 020 777 0154
Thans for Reading
Comments
Post a Comment