I'm trying to make the basic thai street noodles (guai tiao...), not even close yet. When you order, they ask you what kind of noodles you want.

What are the spices in those 4 lil' ever-present spice bowls? I think it's sugar in one, naam prik plar (chili fish sauce?) in another, vinegar?? in another, and maybe ground carabao ying-yang in the other.

Anyone know what those 4 spices are, and maybe even how to make those noodles? Googled for awhile, don't really see anything that looks like what everyone is eating on the BKK street.

Thanks much!

The spices bowls contain sugar, prik dong (vinegar with sliced chilli), prik pon (dried chilli powder), and nam pla (fish sauce).

Sometimes you will also get powdered peanuts as well. The taste does depend on the vendors own 'family' guidelines, near our house I have identified one stall that puts 'something' in the stock that makes me piss all night so never eat there again, well not as a noodle soup anyway - taken away 'dry' is fine eaten as a type of boiled Pad Thai. Crushed vegatables and mixed herbs are common in most stocks that I have watched being made. It's all down to taste and what you have available, chicken carcass etc.

Prefer the thin yellow noodles myself.

The spices bowls contain sugar, prik dong (vinegar with sliced chilli), prik pon (dried chilli powder), and nam pla (fish sauce).

Khorpkhun khrap, and to Cuban. Yes, that's exactly it, and I had forgotten the ground peanuts. I'm using basic chicken bouillon (sp?) as the stock. Leaves were expensive and didn't seem to add much, so I forego them. A squirt of Vietnamese red chili sauce (ouch!), and it's almost right.... mmmm