MAJOR MAMA

The 50-year-old Ran Jeh O (5:30pm-1am, 113 Charat Mueang Road, Pathumwan, fb.com/RanCeXow) is one busy Chinese shophouse restaurant. What draws a new crowd to this old name is its unique offering called Mama Oho Naruam (B800). This giant pot of instant noodles in tom yum soup is served with various toppings and meant for four to six people.

The dish started out as a late-night treat Hia Gao, the third-generation owner, made for his staff. After going viral on Instagram, it was included on the restaurant’s 150-plus-item menu. It’s not a simple matter of emptying tom yum flavouring out of its packet into boiling water, though. This tom yum soup is the real deal. It’s tantalisingly spicy and sour, just as it should be, and the toppings — chunky steamed crabmeat, juicy minced pork balls, sizeable shrimps and crispy pork with a delicious layer of fat — are also delicious.

Ask for milder taste if you can’t take too much spiciness. The dish is so popular that Asian tourists have visited the restaurant just to try it. The catch is that it can be ordered from 11pm only. Placing your order over the phone before arriving is always good idea.