Sometimes something happens that you just can’t get out of your head.
It could be someone you meet or a place you visit, or even something that seems so much more mundane like a food you eat. But for whatever reason it speaks to you.
Last year on our trip to Thailand, Mike and I fell in love with the weekend market in Phuket (scroll down toward the bottom of this post for pictures of it). So much that we went back the very next day.
The food at the local market was delicious, unbelievably cheap, and the perfect way to get to sample a variety of authentic Thai fare. My favorite dish there (and undoubtedly the best noodles I’ve ever had) was this. And since then, those noodles have pervaded my thoughts.
Noodle Vendor at the Local Market in Phuket, Thailand Last Summer
The lady making the noodles asked us what kind of noodles we wanted; we chose the egg noodles on the far right in the photo above. After that she asked us if we wanted meat (we chose chicken), and then she worked her magic. She added a few veggies (not many at all, truth be told…I definitely remember bean sprouts and scallions, but I don’t think anything else), and a sweet/spicy/salty/umami soy sauce that was all kinds of wonderful. Her noodles also had egg (which I didn’t add to my noodles here, but go ahead and do it for extra protein!) and crushed peanut on top.
Isn’t this elephant salt and pepper shaker set adorable? The lady I bought them from in Thailand told me that elephants symbolize luck and fortune in Thai culture.
It’s impossible for me to describe those noodles we had in Thailand. Suffice to say, they were exquisite in a messy-food-but-its-so-good-who-cares-if-you-have-noodles-on-your-face kind of way.
This Thai-Inspired Soy Sauce Noodles with Vegetables and Chicken is my answer to her masterpiece noodle dish. I upped the veggies (come on, it’s me…of course I did), but my main concern was keeping the integrity of her sauce intact. Flavor-wise, I did a pretty good job of it. The one difference I noted was that her noodles were saucier than mine; there’s an easy fix for that (go a bit heavy-handed on all the liquids in the recipe), but with high-sodium components like soy sauce, oyster sauce, and fish sauce, I kept this dish a bit lighter on the sauce so the sodium level here isn’t quite so through the roof. (By all means though, do what you have to do and up the sauce if need be! I promise I’m not judging…and don’t tempt me because I may just join you. ;) )
This recipe is a great way to use leftover or rotisserie chicken, but just about any protein would be good; steak and shrimp are fabulous, and tofu would also be tasty.
So the next time you’re in the mood for Thai, I highly recommend this dish. It brought me back to our time in Thailand.
- 2-3 cloves garlic, grated or crushed
- 1 tablespoon fresh-grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- ½ to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
- ½ lb (250 g) thin Asian egg noodles (or any noodles you like, cooked to al dente)
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil
- ¾ lb (340 g) thinly sliced green cabbage
- 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 medium-large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- ¾ lb (340 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked (you can use leftover or rotisserie chicken)
- 2 scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons peanuts, finely chopped
- Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
- Fresh lime wedges, for squeezing on top
- Whisk together all ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
- If you’re using thin Asian egg noodles, bring a medium-large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, salt the water and then add the noodles. Cook until they’re al dente, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain immediately.
- Heat the sesame oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage, onion, and red bell pepper and cook (uncovered) until tender, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir the sauce, chicken, and noodles into the vegetables and cook until everything is warm, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Serve with any garnishes you like.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
delicious!!! Thai food is awesome! So simple, yet so good!!
I love all the flavors in the dish and it looks delicious!
This looks great! Did you use dark toasted sesame oil or just regular light sesame oil? 3 tablespoons seems like a lot for the toasted variety since it has such a strong flavor. Thanks.
Jennie, I used light sesame oil, but if you want a little bit of the toasted flavor, you could try 2 tablespoons light sesame oil and 1 tablespoon toasted. I think that’s what I’ll do next time! :)
I love all things Thai!! I would love to go there someday!
Sounds like an amazing trip. My in-laws live in Singapore and we keep saying we are going to stop over in Thailand but have yet to do it. I adore all of Thai food. We will be trying your recipe very soon.
Oh my goodness, the market, the travel, the amazing dish – I totally have Thai envy now! I have to add this one to my recipe and travel bucket list!
How could you NOT fall in love with a market like that? This dish sounds amazing, like something I could eat weekly and not tire of it. And I think I need a pair of those salt and pepper shakers, they are fantastic!
GORGEOUS…just GORGEOUS. I love that you upped the veggies in it; what better way to get your veggies than in a dish as tasty and pretty as this? I would have loved to have tried that dish but yours looks so delicious that I’m not even sad that I missed out.
I miss Thailand so much! It’s been six years since I visited, and I wish I can go there for a foodie trip soon! Fruit smoothies in Thailand are awesome, by the way!
Love this noodle dish that was inspired by your travels!
I’m jealous of your time in Thailand – definitely a place on my bucket list. And, yes! Those elephant S&P shakers are adorable. And this dish, wow. I love Thai food flavors and it looks to me like you’ve put together something wonderful.
So now, not only do I HAVE to go to Thailand…but I must make these noodles! Veg-style of course.
A beautiful recipe. Thank you.