Entree Kibbles: Jeh O Chula - More Than Just Tom Yum Noodles near Chulalongkorn University @ Bangkok [Thailand]

Sunday, April 09, 2023

Jeh O Chula - More Than Just Tom Yum Noodles near Chulalongkorn University @ Bangkok [Thailand]

Never had I start my blog post with a video but that's what I am going to do to set the content right; I heard about the queue at Jeh O Chula and the video showed how bad it was even though the restaurant had only opened for business 15 minutes before.

My Thai friend actually went at about 3.00 pm to secure the above; queue number 70 for five persons at 5.15 pm. However, the sight that greeted us was chaotic; some were crowding to secure queue numbers, others were queuing for their numbers to be called.

So the first thing to do; make a beeline for the counter and let her have the number of persons that would be dining at Jeh O Chula so that you can secure the queue number. Do be mindful that the timing is only a rough gauge.

After which, you can loiter around until the timing you are assigned to; and then wait for the above gentleman to broadcast your queue number. Please note that it could be a few queue numbers; mine had like ten queue numbers.

According to my Thai friend, who studied at Chulalongkorn University; this restaurant had been around for a long time and it was already famous among students, especially at late nights since it operates till midnight.

Now that it had been awarded the highly acclaimed Michelin Bib Gourmand, interest among tourists had spiked although not to the extent of Jay Fai, where queue can stretch for more than four hours!

We only got into the air-conditioned restaurant at 5.35 pm; meaning a wait of 20 minutes. Nothing much about the decoration; quite a typical Thai style family dining establishment.

Leaving it to our Thai friend, Ben, to order since he had been to Jeh O Chula numerous times and would know the recommendations! So grateful for his presence for the trip as he brought us to a few eateries, which I wouldn't have visited on my own.

Mama Tom Yum Noodles - the above picture would usually be the one that popped up when you search for Jeh O Chula and I must admit it was darn tempting! Ben mentioned that when he was a student, this would only be served later at night.

We got two types; the Mama Tom Yum Noodles (Seafood) as above and also Mama Tom Yum Noodles (Mixed). Given we were great instant noodles fans, I had thought the servings were be perfect for us.

Turned out to be too much for us! The broth was insanely good with an intensely shiok tom yum flavor that were both sour and spicy! However, it did feel like we could have easily made it at home with quality ingredients (with separated egg yolks), and maybe an extra dollop of tom yum sauce.

Shrimp Cake - this is something I would order whenever I see it on the menu of a Thai restaurant and this was quite worth it at just S$4.00 plus for seven large pieces.

Served piping hot, this was nice! The insides tasted like my favorite prawn paste from Haidilao! Do dip the cake into the saucer of plum sauce for that additional (delicious) layer of sweet sourness!

Quick Fried Morning Glory - fresh and crunchy, this was necessary as roughage for my mom who adheres to the principle of needing to have vegetables for her meals.

Pork Omelette - costing just 50 baht, this was super worth it as there were so much eggs! Only thing is that taste-wise, nothing that particularly stood out.

Soft boiled Cockles - well, I have literally no affection for this shellfish. The order came from my mom, who is a fan, and has been craving for them. She gave the bloodied stuff the thumbs-up!

Crispy Fried Pork - chopped into large chunks for better satisfaction, this was juicy and topped with a crunchy crust that sounded so perfectly. Seasoning wise, a bit on the salty spectrum and I would need the accompanying black sauce for the sweetness to dilute the saltiness. p.s. could get cloying, advised to share with others.

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Before and after! As depicted in the second photo, we couldn't finish the instant noodles despite the best of our efforts, and I was actually famished. As a whole, while I would love to return to Jeh O Chula, what I had so far didn't entice a motivation that's great enough for me to queue for it.

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