[Review] As local as it gets...Jae Tho Beef Noodles (ร้านเจ๊โต พัทยา)

September 2019 · 3 min read

Traveling back from Pattaya to Bangkok after a short excursion, we made a pit stop to refuel our almost depleted energy at a well-known local Thai noodle restaurant. This humble place is not air-conditioned, doesn't have an entrance door, nor does it have a cue system. It's those that first finds a table, gets served.

Jae Tho Beef Noodle restaurant is the exact picture of a hustle and bustle restaurant, similar to a market. In an open aired area, not only is the noodle store in operation, but there are dessert and other food stands surrounding the restaurants on all three edges of this rectangular "platform" that is a restaurant.

A view from the entrance of the restaurant

Getting your meal, is totally up to your skill on grabbing the waiter's attention, which is next level stuff.

The official dish of the store are as shown on the following menu, priced at 80Baht or 100Baht depending on the size of the bowl. Your dish selection may vary, according to what topping you would like to have on your noodle.

These smaller stalls lined up on the right are other vendors selling food too. These vendors operate separately from the noodle store, but can sell within the premise. Of course the type of food does not cannibalize the noodle stores' menu, whereas the stores sell complementary desserts and other salad (som tum) menus to boost the quality of dishes available in this area. Definitely a good system that works only in Thailand.

The 'other' vendors located on the right

The Noodle

Beef noodles sound like a rather heavy meal, but kid you not, you will want a second bowl after your first hits the bottom of the plate. Beef broth with herbs making the soup into a shade of dark brown, topped with sliced cooked beef and beef balls, and your favorite chewy rice noodles, is all you need. This dish is plain yet complicated in flavor, and a favorite to locals and foreigners alike.

You won't find anyone leaving their bowls until they've slurped down the hot soup, sweating as they calm their tongues from the effect of the chili flakes.

Some of the desserts bought from the stalls, after our beef noodles. Ruam Mit, which is a chilled thai dessert with coconut milk, jackfruit slices, palm seed, and tapioca jelly. And Lod Chong, which is pandan green noodles and coconut milk.