For Thai people, fried rice noodles are as common a home-cooked dish as Taiwan’s oyster vermicelli; they can be found in floating markets, traditional markets, night markets, supermarket food courts, and even hotel buffets. The basic version is served in a sour and spicy broth, but at this year’s Thai Noodle Festival in Taipei, fried rice noodles will be transformed into rice spring rolls and snacks, with crispy appearances that delight both the palate and the eyes.
The “All About Noodles: Thai Noodle Festival,” bursting with sour and spicy aromas, will be held enthusiastically at SOGO Department Store’s Zhongxiao Branch from April 9 to April 18. This year, drawing inspiration from the noodles traditionally eaten during Thailand’s Songkran water festival, the festival showcases the diverse noodle ingredients of Thai cuisine—including rice noodles, fried rice noodles (also called "ji tiao"), egg noodles, rice vermicelli, and Thai instant noodles—as its theme. With various broths and cooking techniques, it offers Taiwanese visitors insight into the eating habits of both ordinary Thai people and the royal court, even demonstrating how simple Thai instant noodles can be turned into a salad.
This time, Thai-Dutch Thai Cuisine has selected 12 types of noodles, including Thailand’s most famous beef noodle soup from floating markets, Bangkok street-style four-color noodles highly recommended by the Thai ambassador, nutrient-packed chicken egg noodles from Chiang Mai, not-quite-noodles rice spring rolls, fried rice vermicelli snacks, Thai sour and spicy instant noodle salad, as well as an elegant royal noodle set and smooth, cool coconut-flavored noodles perfect for spring and summer—showcasing the wide variety of noodle dishes. During the Thai Noodle Festival, a Thai-style tableside service is also offered: when you order green papaya salad, staff will demonstrate making it on the spot and incorporate the star of the event—noodles—for a refreshing twist.
In addition to limited-edition noodles available for tasting, the event features daily free cooking demonstrations by Thai chefs. There are also flower cart stalls offering imported Thai goods such as frozen durians, mangosteens, dried durian snacks, ice cream, and cream puffs, showcasing the many faces of the “king of fruits.” A Thai Noodle Buffet is also available during the event, and everyone who visits gets a complimentary Thai-imported elephant lucky keychain (limited to 30 per day). The authentic plating and ingredients make you feel like you're on the streets of Bangkok. Additionally, during the noodle festival, customers spending over 999 NT dollars will have a chance to win one of over 300 prizes, including round-trip Bangkok flight tickets, Thai bronze soup pot sets, Bangkok bags, imported Thai handicrafts, Thai-Dutch meal vouchers, and discount coupons.
2010 All About Noodles: Thai Noodle Season
Event period: April 9 to April 18
Venue: 11F, SOGO Zhongxiao Branch, Thai-Dutch Restaurant / Plaza Entrance
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