Café Isan, a Thai street food and tea bar restaurant, is serving up a traditional, limited-time-only menu item – pink noodles.
The JLT Cluster B-based outlet is launching a series of limited-time dishes – kicking off with pink noodles, a nostalgic dish mostly found on carts at school gates across the country.
Partner and Co-Owner Chef New says: “Pink noodles are as old-fashioned as it gets. A truly well-loved dish, popular throughout the entire nation, I remember buying pink noodles (หมี่ชมพู ใครเกิดทันขอเสียงหน่อยจ้าา) for 2 baht (0.24 fils) from the cart outside the school gates. I loved them so much, as did all my friends and family. In those days, two baht would get you a plastic bag of plain pink noodles, with no veg or egg, just a pinch of spring onion on the top!”
The award-winning self-taught chef has always been about bringing the authentic taste of home to Dubai, and she is now keen to share one of her favourite childhood food experiences with guests old and new – so these pink noodles are on the Specials Menu for a limited time only.
Chef New has given the bright pink rice vermicelli the Café Isan touch – diners can order them with their choice of protein – meat or seafood – with a veggie/vegan version also available. The noodles are naturally gluten-free.
The majority of Café Isan’s dishes and flavours come from north-eastern Thailand – the Isan region – with Chef New aiming to reflect the warmth of the region’s food, people, and culture.