Much more than noodles at Thai Noodle King Thai Noodle King 9, MingYi St. (04) 2325-6786 Hours:11 am-2:30 pm, 5-9 pm

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--By Douglas Habecker, Translated by CrystalKuo

If there's any problem that Thai Noodle King restaurant is having to deal with, it is probably the threat of outgrowing its name. Starting four years ago as a simple eatery selling only Thai noodles on JingMing 1st Street, the Thai Noodle King's good reputation and popularity among diners led owner Mr. Li to open a second Thai restaurant over a year ago on MingYi Street, behind Sogo Department Store.

The newer outlet is an attractive little establishment appropriately decorated with Thai silks, photos and handicrafts. During weekday lunches, it continues to offer a unique selection of tasty, filling, chewy Thai noodles (NT$70) that cannot be found anywhere else. Prepared in various styles, these include Yunnanese Rice Noodles, Vietnamese Rice Noodles with Beef, Coconut Milk Rice Noodles Soup, and Sour and Spicy Rice Noodles Soup--especially popular with female patrons. The fragrant Fried Rice Noodles with Oyster Sauce is available at all times.

Unlike the original Thai Noodle King, however, this restaurant focuses on providing an extensive menu of very good, reasonably-priced Thai dishes. Mr. Li, a native of Chiang Rai in northern Thailand, stresses that the flavors of his noodles and other dishes are authentically Thai, largely due to the use of "nampla" Thai fermented fish sauce in proper measures and fresh (versus canned) ingredients.

Many diners gravitate towards favorites, like Green Curry Chicken with Coconut Milk (NT$180), Fried Chicken with Coconut Sauce (NT$150) or Thai Spring Rolls. Or the Green Papaya Salad, which stands out for its extra crunchiness and refreshing lemony flavor. However, the owner has won many customers with other choices, like Roasted Pork Neck in Thai Style (NT$150), Roasted Beef Balls in Thai Style (NT$80), Deep-Fried Ribs (NT$180), Dried Beef, Seafood Salad, and Fried Crab with Curry (NT$250), which he learned from a famed Thai restaurant and prepares with fresh crabs, fried in curry and coconut milk.
Despite already-low prices, the restaurant also offers an unbeatable two-person NT$299 daily lunch/dinner deal that includes two main courses, a soup, two desserts and two bowls of rice. The perfect accompaniment to any meal is a tall, creamy glass of Thai-Style Ice Tea (NT$40) or a cold Singha Beer (NT$60).

There's little doubt that Taichung diners who check out this enjoyable dining spot quickly learn that there's a whole lot more to Thai Noodle King than just noodles.