Ama

Beef noodle soup is a dish many westerners associate with Vietnamese, Korean and northern Chinese cuisines. But the dish is also eaten widely in Thailand, and can be found in Chinatowns all over the country.

Rowena and Kate Chansiri (Ickle Coffee) wanted to build a restaurant around the sisters’ maternal grandmother (Ama) and her famous beef noodle soup, their ama passed away when their mum was 16 – and the official recipe was never written down. Ama’s hero is based on their mum’s memories of flavour and making the soup as a child. Picture a bowl of sliced beef brisket, beef balls and greens with a choice of egg, rice or glass noodles and dark broth ladled over the top.

The entire menu is a showcase of the diversity of Thai-Chinese dishes – from salapao (steamed buns) to a chicken noodle soup with spiced broth. For dessert? An outstanding mor gang flan, made with caramelised molasses and a shot of Ickle espresso.

The sisters looked at their mother’s childhood photos and tried to emulate the look and feel of her family home, with lots of dark, matte wood and green tiles, red lanterns and gold. Porcelain vases from various family members also decorate the shop.