Rung Rueang

The perpetual queue of hungry punters snaking from Rung Rueang’s kitchen is the first hint. If not that, then the string of red Michelin Bib Gourmand stickers—one for every year since 2018 —makes it abundantly clear: despite its spartan, steel-and-fluorescent-light looks, this noodle shop has a serious reputation.

Tucked down a leafy Sukhumvit side street, Rung Ruang has been ladling out steaming bowls of tom yum pork noodles since 1965. After the original proprietor passed away, a family feud split the restaurant in two. Both factions continue to serve the same time-honored recipe under the same name, but the “left-side” shop is widely considered the better of the two.

There’s a picture menu for the uninitiated, though most regulars know exactly what they’re here for. Rung Rueang’s tom yum soup with generous clusters of soft minced pork is bright, sour, spicy, and a touch of sweet, perfectly balancing hints of lemongrass, makrut lime, and chile to punch through the tropical heat.

Customization is part of the ritual: choose your bowl size, noodle type (from flat sen yai rice noodles to bouncy ba mee egg noodles), and toppings. Minced pork comes standard, but you can opt for slices of pork, pork balls, fish cake, or go all in with a mix that includes crispy fried fish skin and pork entrails. Then, select your soup base: the classic tom yum, the rich pork broth, or a “dry” version in which the tom yum flavors are reduced to a slick, punchy sauce coating the noodles. Once served, tweak your bowl with ground peanuts for crunch, sugar to temper the heat, or a dusting of chile flakes to kick it back up.