Kuay Teow Tom Yum
ก๋วยเตี๋ยวต้มยำ
Kuay Teow Tom Yum is a hot and sour noodle soup combining the aromatic broth of tom yum with rice noodles — intensely fragrant with lemongrass, kaffir lime, and galangal.
Cultural Origin
Kuay Teow Tom Yum is a Central Thai noodle soup that fuses the Chinese-Thai rice-noodle tradition with the sour-spicy flavor profile of tom yum. It became popular in mid-20th-century Bangkok noodle shops as vendors began layering lime, chili, peanut, and sugar over clear pork broth to create the distinctive sweet-sour-spicy 'tom yum' bowl.
Allergens & Sensitivities
Key Ingredients
- rice noodles
- lemongrass
- kaffir lime leaves
- galangal
- fish sauce
Taste profile
- Salty
- fish sauce, soy, shrimp paste
- Sweet
- palm sugar, coconut
- Sour
- lime, tamarind, fermentation
- Umami
- dried shrimp, fermented pastes, stock
Sharper and more aromatic than a standard noodle soup — lemongrass, galangal and lime give it a bright sourness that sits alongside the heat rather than behind it, closer in character to tom yum soup than to a typical noodle broth.
How Kuay Teow Tom Yum Is Made
- 1
Aromatic base
Lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves are simmered in a clear pork or chicken stock to infuse the broth before anything else is added, the same aromatic base used for tom yum soup.
- 2
Souring and heat
Lime juice and chilli paste are added toward the end rather than simmered for a long time, keeping the sourness and heat bright rather than muted.
- 3
Noodle choice
Rice noodles, egg noodles, thin vermicelli or glass noodles can all be used, since the dish is really about the broth and the noodle type is a matter of preference.
- 4
Protein
Minced pork, pork balls or occasionally seafood are added to the hot broth, cooking through quickly given how thin they are cut or shaped.
- 5
Finishing
Crushed peanuts, dried chilli flakes and a squeeze of extra lime are added at the table, since the intensity of sourness and heat varies a lot by diner.
When It’s Eaten
Ordered as a fuller, more intense alternative to a plain noodle soup, typically for lunch, and generally by diners who already like tom yum's sour-spicy flavour rather than as a first introduction to Thai noodle soup.
How to Order It
- เส้นใหญ่
- sen yai
- wide rice noodles
- ไม่ใส่ถั่วลิสง
- mai sai thua lisong
- no peanuts
- ขอน้ำมะนาวเพิ่ม
- kor nam manao perm
- extra lime juice, please
What people get wrong
Assuming it is a mild soup because it says 'kuay teow' rather than 'tom yum' — the sourness and heat are closer to full tom yum soup than to a standard noodle broth, so it comes as a surprise to diners expecting something gentle.
Where to Try It
Street noodle stalls and Thai noodle shops throughout the country.
Tips
- This is a meal in a bowl — the tom yum broth is far more aromatic and complex than standard noodle soup bases.