Kuay Tiaw Pet Pa Low at Thai Avenue [Pics]

Shortly after returning from Los Angeles I had Sanamluang Café's kũay tĩaw pèt pa low, or "rice noodles with duck stew,"* on the brain. So much so, in fact, that I began to fear it would get the best of me: I could not recall any establishments in Chicago which served this dish, nor could I manage to get any of the establishments that I frequent to make it for me.

And, then--like some kind of apparition in the desert of my mind--it appeared on the Thai menu placard at Thai Avenue ...


aha!


kũay tĩaw pèt pa low

While kũay tĩaw pèt pa low is a classic in the Thai culinary repetoire, it actually derives from a Chinese cooking technique which involves slowly braising fatty cuts of meat in a mixture of good stock, thick, sweetened soy sauce, and a blend of dried and fresh aromatic spices. The principal player in this formulation is star anise, which lends pa low its distinctive flavour and aroma.

Was Thai Avenue's version of this dish good? Well, I suppose that it did the trick. For the time being, at least, my craving has been satisfied.

Was it what I was loooking for? Sadly, it was not. But, given the particular constraints that are placed on a kitchen such as this, I do not hesitate in recommending it to you. The broth had decent structure, the duck was fairly flavourful, and the water spinach and bean sprouts lent good textural contrast.

A little bit of chile vinegar and crushed chile powder should manage to offset any overt sweetness that you may encounter.

Here is my translation of the Thai Language Menu placard pictured above:

SIDE ONE

01. kûy châi thâwt - nêung : chive dumplings (fried or steamed)
02. kao-lao ehn tûun : light beef stew with beef tendon, brisket, and liver
03. néua - mũu tàet dìaw : fried “jerky” beef or pork served with a tangy dipping sauce
04. néua náam tòk : “waterfall” beef // grilled beef salad with roasted rice powder
05. lâap kài – mũu : minced meat salad with chicken or pork
06. yam plaa mèuk : spicy and tangy squid salad
07. yam plaa dùk fuu : fried, shredded Catfish salad with chile
08. yam wún sên : mung bean noodle salad with minced chicken and shrimp
09. phla kûng : shrimp and lemongrass salad
10. sêua ráwng hâi : “Crying Tiger” // grilled beef filet with a sweet, savoury dipping sauce
11. khài yát sài : omelette with stir-fried minced pork and vegetables
12. yam khaw mũu yâang : grilled pork neck salad
13. sùkîi-yaki (náam – hâeng) : mung bean noodles with c/o/m (“wet” or “dry”)
14. lâap nẽua : spicy Northern Thai-style minced meat salad

SIDE TWO

01. kũay jáp : rich pork and pork offal soup with “rice flake” noodles
02. kũay tĩaw pèt pa low : star anise-braised duck stew with rice noodles
03. kao-lao lûuk chín : light soup broth with meat balls
04. nãem khlûk** : spicy deep-fried rice with Northern Thai-style "pressed ham"
05. khaw mũu yâang : grilled pork neck strips with a savoury sauce
06. sômtam thai – puu : papaya salad with dried shrimp and peanuts, or with salty crab
07. mũu náam tòk : “waterfall” pork // grilled pork salad with roasted rice powder
08. kài thâwt : Thai-style fried chicken served with a spicy dipping sauce
09. súp nàw mái : Isaan-style pickled bamboo shoot salad with roasted rice powder
10. mũu pîng : grilled pork skewers served with a dipping sauce
11. sâi kràwk isãan : grilled Isaan-style pork and rice sausage, served with accoutrements
12. khâo man kài : “Hainan” chicken // poached chicken breast with stock-infused rice
13. khâo khãa mũu : braised pork hock served with rice
14. khâo khlûk kà-pì : shrimp paste-seasoned rice served with pork and sliced omelette
15. khâo sawy kài : Chiang Mai-style curry with egg noodles and chicken

555/DDD, Press Rat Bizzles.

Erik M.

Thai Avenue
4949 N. Broadway
773.878.2222


* Sanamluang Café prepares a stunning version of this classic Thai dish. For more details, click here.

** This dish is alternately known as, "nãem khâo thâwt." I have discussed this dish, and Spoon Thai's version thereof, here.

ORIGINAL POST EDITED TO INSERT PHOTO LINKS.

Erik M. wrote:555/DDD, Press Rat Bizzles.

Is this part of the menu translation?

The dish looks delicious. I'll note that when it comes to Chinese cuisine, the technique in question is often called red cooking.

Erik, re your menu translation, is there an easy way for non-Thai speakers to tell side one from side two, other than counting for the one with 14 entries vs. the one with 15?



Edited to fix embarrasing typo.

LAZ wrote:

Erik M. wrote:555/DDD, Press Rat Bizzles.

Is this part of the menu translation?

For someone I have only known to wear entirely black clothing, you sure do have a sense of humour.

LAZ wrote:Eric, re your menu translation, is there an easy way for non-Thai speakers to tell side one from side two, other than counting for the one with 14 entries vs. the one with 15?

I indicated kũay tĩaw pèt pa low in the first picture above. And, as the headers are exactly the same--front and back--I consider my work to be complete.

Erik-with-a-"k" M.

Erik M. wrote:For someone I have only known to wear entirely black clothing, you sure do have a sense of humour.

Erik,

Since when did a preference for black clothing preclude a sense of humor.

Enjoy,
Gary

I do wear other other colors, but typically not when I'm likely to spill food on them.

I guess the "sense of humour" escapes me. What is the meaning of "555/DDD, Press Rat Bizzles"?

555? You must not speak Thai.

DDD? "Do Your Own Due Diligence."

P.R.B.? Well, that is my pejorative term for those in the press (amongst others) who would misappropriate my work.

The translations that I provide are, after all, my work: I take claim for them, as well as responsibility for any and all inaccuracies they might contain.

E.M.

LTH,

For those who may not have noticed, Erik has hyperlinked much of his Thai Avenue menu translation to pictures of individual dishes.

Very cool!

Enjoy,
Gary

I needed to find an old blog post today, and while there, found this report of an old dinner at Thai Avenue. It's amazing how some of these things get lost in the thousands of great meals we have all had in the last year or so, but as this meal shows, it's probably time to hook up another "eat fire" affair.

Rob

Nam Priks Served to Us at Thai Avenue
(photo courtesy of GWiv)

G Wiv wrote:

Erik M. wrote:For someone I have only known to wear entirely black clothing, you sure do have a sense of humour.

Erik,

Since when did a preference for black clothing preclude a sense of humor. :wink: :)

Enjoy,
Gary

Answer: Since not before Brother Theodore, anyway.