Yok Fah | Chiang Mai

The first time I went to Yok Fa and ordered Phat See Ew in their homage to the 40's interior, I was quietly impressed. The Wok-Hei to steal a Penang Kuey Teow term, was present and dangerous. I recommended it to many a friend and received varying degrees of positive feedback. My most recent review came in the form of a rather unimpressed report, one that I took seriously.

Andy Ricker kept raving about it in numerous articles he wrote. I had to try it again.

Back in Chiang Mai with a hole in my stomach to fill, I headed down and ordered a plate sitting as far away from other humans as possible. The food came and it looked less kissed by heat and more sat on by warm elephants.

The noodles were a rather greasy affair, and everything ate oily. It had none of the love and fire that I remembered from 2018, and I began to doubt my own memory, and existence.

I chalked it down to the death of another legendary place, shook the dust off my Birkenstocks, and wandered into the old town avoiding elephant pants and motioning parents.