The Ultimate Boss Bowl of Khao Soi in Thailand

I hear it constantly: one of the things everybody loves most about Thailand is the food.

I'm a bit of a picky eater, myself, but there are certain dishes in Thailand that I have really grown to love over the years. I agree - you just can't go wrong with a simple spicy pad kra pao - "holy basil." To me, it's the basic Thai food starter meal. It's soft white rice, meat (usually minced pork or grilled chicken), some garlic, chillies, and basil. Different restaurants use different sauces (fish, soy, whatever) for their own flavor, and the best restaurants throw a runny fried egg on top. It's simple and it's delicious. I get it and I will never argue its deliciousness.

Here's the thing though: Thai food being delicious is only half of why we love it so much... The other half is just as important: the presentation.

That classic Thai spirit of the grandma wearing makeup so thick that it looks like it was applied with a broom while selling plastic bags full of Thai tea. The young guys in Chatachuk selling coconuts with wigs and coconut bras while screaming into a megaphone and dancing like lunatics. Spiderman in full costume selling ice cream cups from a boat in Khao Sok National Park. The busty women serving roadside snacks in stretched bikinis. Thai presentation is so often what makes a food experience in Thailand just as special as the taste.

This is EXACTLY the case of what I have dubbed the ultimate boss bowl of khao soi located in Mueang Phrae.

First, a quick heads up to those unfamiliar, khao soi is an extremely popular northern Thai curry noodle soup - most famously associated with Chiang Mai. Of course there are variances but the basic recipe is this: egg noodles in a rich coconut milk curry broth, usually with chicken or beef, topped with crispy fried noodles. Served with lime, pickled mustard greens, shallots, and chili oil.

If you haven't had it before, I can't describe to you how the flavors explode in your mouth. It is one of my favorite foods on earth out of all of my travels. It's really a must-try!

Anyway, back to the topic at hand, my Thai friend and I were visiting the beautiful small city of Phrae a few months ago and, just like every other day, I was craving khao soi. I found a restaurant that served it and we walked there for lunch.

A small restaurant that was mostly outdoor with old slabs of wood for tables and a kitchen which was open-air and uncovered from the world. It didn't strike us as a particularly busy restaurant and certainly was NOT a restaurant for tourists.

We sat and looked at the menu (which was written in Thai) and I laughed as I asked my friend why there was one item that was much more expensive than the others - wouldn't it be funny if it were a huge bowl of khao soi? My friend looked back at me and said something like "It really is an extra large bowl of khao soi! Six bowls in one!" We looked each other and knew instantly that we were going to order it.

Our first indication that we'd bit off more than we could chew (literally?) was when the staff brought out a huge serving dish with a mound of crispy fried egg noodles (mee krob) which go on top of the bowl of khao soi to give it a nice crunch. The plate was so huge we couldn't believe our eyes.

The staff brought out the bucket of khao soi next and it was so hilariously big that the poor little waitress seemed to barely be able to carry the weight of it. She sloshed it onto our table with a chuckle and then went back to the kitchen.

It turns out that this totally unsuspecting restaurant in the sleepy town of Phrae serves one MEGA bowl of khao soi which is equal to six regular bowls for absolutely no reason, and that enormous bowl sat staring us in the face on our table.

My friend and I were laughing so hard that we couldn't even eat it. The bowl was enormous. We had selected chicken and pork and it honestly felt like there was an entire animal inside of the bowl.

We shared it and ate as much as we possibly could but couldn't even come close to finishing it.

As I write this and add photos, I now realize that, as is so often the case, our phone cameras can only rarely capture the absurdity and beauty of life around us. The photos do no justice for this enormous bowl of khao soi.

The staff told us that the mega bowl is not often ordered - sometimes just amongst school kids who share the meal together and had a bit of a laugh with us as we tried to power through it.

For anyone who's curious, the bowl cost something like 300 baht - about $9.24 of the best money I've ever spent.

Most of my Thai friends would tell me there's nothing much to do when visiting Phrae province but I'm telling you, with delicious food and exquisite presentation... Experiencing the ultimate boss bowl of khao soi in Phrae is worth making a pit stop for!

In case you want a follow up - yes, we were sick of khao soi after eating this much and we took a ONE day rest from khao soi before having some more!