Many people in Chiang Rai agree that Poh Djai serves the best and most delicious 'khao soj kai' (spelling?) soup in town. It is a Northern Thai dish. A coco nut milk based noodle soup with chicken, and this at Poh Djai for the enormous amount of 25 Baht. And, unique for all 'khao soj kai' places in Chiang Rai, without bones. Spicy, but not too... . It comes with half a lemon and sour vegetables. 'Kepp mo' if you want.

The Thai Chiang Rai locals call it the 'kweetiou Sin La Pin'. 'Noodlesoup artist' with other words. Meant is Chalermchai Kositpipat, the founder and creator of the White Temple, Wat Rong Khun, whose works of art are hanging at the walls of this noodle shop. It was his father, a very pleasant and gentle man, who founded the soup shop. He passed away about three years ago.

I am almost sure that I had my first soup there in 1989 shortly after he founded it. It is situated in the 'farang' bar street, the Yedyod Road, where the farangs mostly go for beer and not for soup. Opposite the staff entrance of the Wang Come Hotel.

The local Thai nickname for the Yedyod Road is 'Thanon Logee' to be translated to something like the Street of Carnal Desires or Lusts. Some years ago there were some gogo-bars and beer-bars with girls. That's why the street got this nick-name.

To-day the street doesn't deserve this name anymore. There are some very fine restaurants, there is Sam's place, the Cat Bar, popular for its jam sessions (he has the instruments and many foreign musicians join in to play).

I still wouldn't recommend ALL bars in this street, but certainly most restaurants.

The place where foreigners spontaneously don't go, is the above mentioned noodle-shop. And that's the one I specially recommend.

Limbo

Do you have a recipe for this ''khao soj kai' (spelling?) soup'? it sounds delicious.