Yesterday, my buddy Gary and I had lunch at a fairly famous (and in the Michelin Guide mentioned) restaurant called North on Sukhumvit Soi 33 in Bangkok. It was Gary who recommended their Khao Soi Chicken — a dish that, at 300 THB during lunch service, feels almost underpriced for what you get. Almost.

I’d enjoyed a few good meals up in Chiang Mai, the spiritual home of the dish, but none of them came close to what the chefs at North cooked up for us yesterday. The moment I poured in all the accompaniments — the crispy dried noodles, the sliced shallots, the pickled vegetables, and the extra broth — a much wider spectrum of flavors and aromas opened up. I am not a foodie, but I do have a sensitive palette that can detect and discern nuances in textures and flavors.

The spice level of my Khao So was perfectly calibrated: present but never overwhelming. The chicken was tender, juicy, and fully infused with the coconut curry it had been simmered in. Each bite had layers – the aromatics from the curry, the tang from the pickles, the crunch from the noodles – all merging into something complex yet familiar and, above all, incredibly comforting.

It was one of those rare dishes where every element earns its place and nothing feels accidental. One spoonful in, and I understood immediately why Gary suggested North. Their Khao Soi is on a completely different level.