Mahanakhon Noodle Bar

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Real Deal Thai Food in Lakeview

As the year comes to a close we’re going to start seeing lots of end of the year food lists listing the best new open openings and the saddest closings and so forth. Today’s post is a crossing of an opening and a closing. One of the year’s saddest closings had to be Sticky Rice on Western. The popular Northern Thai restaurant closed their doors after pushing the city’s Thai food scene forward for more than 20 years. It’s a tough loss for fellow fans of bold Thai flavors but thanks to places like Sticky Rice the Thai food options in Chicago have never been better. Enter Mahanakhon Noodle Bar.

Recently Opened in in Lakeview

Mahanakhon Noodle Bar caught my attention as soon as I learned of its opening this past summer. It’s pretty easy to tell what type of customer base a Thai restaurant is aiming for by looking at the menu and the menu at Mahanakhon was clearly geared towards the local Thai community. As the name suggests there’s an entire section of Thai style noodle soups including two of my absolute favorites - Boat Noodles and Khao Soi as well as lesser known offerings. There’s also a “Chefs Special” section which lists some interesting items including grilled giant river prawns in a seafood sauce - they were out when I tried to order them. The first time I came here was a hot day so the soups weren’t calling my name the same way as an order of cold noodles. I tried the Yum Woon Sen (glass noodles salad) and was captivated by the fresh and funky flavors. Perfect paired with an ice cold beer on a 90+ degree day. It’s made up of a delicious medley of shrimp, minced pork, snow mushrooms, tomato, shallot, celery, carrot, scallion, chili, sugar, pickle garlic, fish sauce, lime juice. 

Yum Woon Sen

I’ve been obsessing over Thailand’s unofficial national dish of late. Pad Krapao or Phat kaphrao is a super popular dish consisting of spicy stir-fried minced meat and Thai basil. Chicken is the most common protein used but both pork and beef are also common. I decided I wanted to play around with it in my own kitchen but first I had to try a handful of versions around town including the Ka Prow Moo at Mahanakhon.  They use stir-fried minced pork, homemade sauce, chopped garlic, and chili with Thai hot basil served over rice and topped with crispy sunny side up egg. It’s a delicious mix of savory, spicy, and has a slightly sweet at the very end of each bite. Not only does it have great flavor but it’s neither too dry nor too wet so I would say it’s in the running for the best Phat kaphrao in town.  

Ka Prow Moo 

I waited a bit for the weather to get cold before trying their most popular items such as the Boat Noodles and the Khao Soi. Each of these beloved noodle soups represent Thailand’s two biggest cities in Bangkok (boat noodles) and Chiang Mai (Khao Soi) respectively. On my trip to Thailand back in 2018 I fell in love with both of these dishes and they’ve since found their way onto more Thai menus in Chicago and beyond but rarely are they on the same menu and it’s even rarer to find a restaurant where they’re equally delicious. I’m not sure which one I prefer but that’s a good thing as they both hit the spot. Boat Noodles got their name because they were once served from boats roaming Bangkok's canals. Backers of Boat Noodles love their savory rich broth and it’s beautiful dark hue which comes from a bit of pork blood added to the beef broth along with bits of tender beef, stewed beef shank, crispy pork rinds and Thai style meatballs which are dense but loaded with flavor from the broth they soak up. You have to go to Bangkok to get real deal Boat Noodles but nonetheless the version served here brought me back to Boat Noodle Alley which is a well known canal just north of the iconic Victory Monument where you’ll find Thailand’s best boat noodle vendors. 

Boat Noodles at Mahanakhon Noodle Bar

Khao Soi is just as craveable. It's found all over Thailand but comes from the northern part where it’s made with non local ingredients like coconut milk and wheat noodles as influenced by Burmese and Chinese cuisines. Mahanakhon serves a "Khao Soi Nuer Toon" which means beef shank is the protein used as opposed to the more traditional chicken leg. I actually preferred it with beef when I was in Thailand and the sliced shank they use is firm but tender in that it’s easily broken apart with a fork or chopsticks. This bowl hits all the high notes of a good bowl of Khao Soi as it’s rich and creamy with a subtle but soothing spice profile along with that classic contrast of both crunchy and regular boiled noodles. An immediate contender for the best bowl of Khao Soi in Chicagoland right now. 

Khao Soi Nuer Toon at Mahanakhon Noodle Bar

On my most recent visit I was with company that wanted something comforting on a cold day so I knew just what to get. On each one of my previous visits I saw a hot pot like dish filled with all sorts of stewed beef meat at a few tables each time. Clearly the Mor Fai Nuer Toon was a popular menu item and the friendly waiter confirmed it to me when I asked about it on my previous visit. He insisted I try it next time and that time was now. It’s described on the menu as “house recipe herb beef broth served with sliced beef, stewed striped shank beefs, stewed tender beefs, beef balls, bean sprouts, scallion, Chinese celery, fried garlic and cilantro” and it comes with a jasmine rice. Well if that sounds good to you I can 100% confirm it is. I loved all the different cuts of beef, each with its own texture. The tendon was terrific if you like that sort of stuff while the stewed beef was as tender as it can get without disintegrating completely. The herby broth was filled with flavor including star anise, cilantro, soy sauce and beef fat. At $25 it’s meant to share but one could easily enjoy this with by themselves with leftovers to boot. Mahanakhon Noodle Bar is named after a mixed use skyscraper in Bangkok and it’s a fitting name for a place that’s further raising the bar on Thai food in Chicago. Sky’s the limit.

Mor Fai Nuer Toon

Mahanakhon Noodle Bar
2907 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 975-3333
Website