There’s nothing basic about ‘guay tiew’ at old-school noodle joint Doo Dee

COCONUTS HOT SPOT — Doo Dee should be added to our ever-shrinking list of easy-on-the-pocket restaurants in the Siam area.

Your favorite noodle joint from when you were a kid, “Doo Dee,” is still alive and well, even if you haven’t been to the old-school Siam Square location in a while. In fact, Doo Dee isn’t just surviving; it’s expanding.

In addition to the staple shop-house branch in Siam Square, you can also find Doo Dee at its new branch located on the fifth floor of Siam Square One. For those Gen X and Gen Y peeps, having grown up going to cram school classes nearby, revisiting Doo Dee will bring back tons of fond memories.

The huge fish tanks, old-school tables and chairs and tedious but extremely functional order-it-yourself food lists are just like you remember, the new Doo Dee branch worked hard to keeps these signature items intact. Of course, the most important thing also remains: the food is pretty much the same, if not better, now.

What spectacular noodles does Doo Dee have to offer? Well, it’s not one particular item; it’s a long, long list of many items under the umbrella concept of “heavily dressed noodles.”

The menu is a list of about 50 different combinations of sauces, meats and veggies — all featuring noodles. The basic noodles are simple, but the dressings and toppings will overwhelm first-timers. The list includes fish balls, meatballs, every possible kind of pork, many kinds of dumplings, veggies and several kinds of fancy fried stuff. In Thai, each of these pre-designed dishes is playfully titled with funny army-related jargon — most of which also indicate how spicy the dish will be. For example, noodles with names like “explosive” or “bomb” will be so spicy they will destroy your mouth.

The menu also specifies the spiciness level with a number from 0.5 to three.

Not so spice-tolerant? Tell them (at least twice) to go easy on that chili they are so generous with.

Not so impressed by the listed items? Act like a pro and make your own combo out of the available options.

To name just a few, I have had the following four dishes:

First was a basic combo of BBQ pork, minced pork, fish balls and fish fritters over glass noodles. It was also topped with a crispy fried dumpling sheet that was made even better with the addition of the crispy fish skin chips that sit in a basket on Doo Dee’s tabletops. This bowl is priced at THB69 and the spiciness is marked at 0.5, which is the least spicy you can get (unless you specifically asked for clear soup with absolutely no chili at all).

Up next was a level-one spicy bowl, which was a more exciting combination of glass noodles, seaweed, dried shrimp, fried prawns, fish balls, and minced pork. It had a little bit of meat and a little bit of seafood flavor. The photo should give an idea of how “explosive” level 1 could be to a sensitive tongue. If that’s absolutely intolerable, try one of the fried appetizers (THB80) to keep the meal enjoyable.

My third recommendation was a more gimmicky one. Served under a large kale leaf was a nice portion of thick rice noodles and thin rice noodles mixed together with tangy tom yum broth (THB69). It was topped with minced pork, BBQ pork, dried shrimp, fish balls and could also be enhanced with an extra portion fish skin chips, if you feel like it.

Last but not least, Doo Dee serves up a fancy egg noodle bowl soaked in tom yum sauce and sweet chili paste with a fried egg on top (THB79). Clearly it’s perfect for egg lovers, as well as for chili lovers. The color may look a little harsh but believe it or not, it really wasn’t that bad.

Honestly, there is a good chance you’ll be sweating and crying trying out these noodles for the first time. Afterwards, though, a voice inside will keep telling you to go back for more. Thanks to the reasonable price tags, you don’t have to save up or think twice before making a return visit.   

 

FIND IT:

Doo Dee

Siam Square One

Tel: 02-255-9999

Hours: 10am – 10pm

 

 



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