If you've spent as much time eating noodles as we have, you probably have wondered what it's like to put fusilli in your kuay tiew. If so, you're in luck because 1000 Zen has done those edible experiments for you already, saving you trial and error and a possible bad stomach. 1000 Zen -- a play on the Thai word sen, or "thread" in English -- lets customers choose what to put in their bowls, with multiple options of noodles, toppings and soups. After the success of its first branch in Ari, a second opened in the Sathon area two months ago. We stopped by to play god with noodle dishes. The shop looks like a café on the outside and tries to make up for its small space with floor-to-ceiling windows and mirrored walls. But during lunchtime, customers will literally be rubbing shoulders.
1000 Zen
Fusion
Mon-Sat, 10:30am–8:30pm
Between Naradhiwas-Rajanagarindra
Soi 5 and 7, BTS Chong Nonsi or BRT Sathon
080-965-1000
fb.com/1000ZenAree
The Menu
For B65-75, you can mix and match different ingredients to create your very own bowl of noodles. Choose one of 16 types of noodle (including Italian pasta), three from 18 toppings and either stewed pork or tom yum chicken soup. There are so many palatable possibilities, although ordering is made easy with checklist forms, which are available on every table.
We threw caution to the wind with our first order -- and it paid off. The result is a dish we would like to call Oink Oink Oink (B75), since we chose three pork toppings to go with fusilli and stewed pork soup. The Italian pasta surprisingly goes great with the aromatic broth. The crispy pork belly, or moo krob, is audibly crunchy and bursts with juice and flavour when you sink your teeth into it. Pork balls with seaweed are juicy, with some crunch, while the pork liver is tender and slightly bitter.
Moo krob choo chee.
In case you don't trust your culinary instincts, the restaurant also offers a list of pre-selected fusion noodle dishes. Labelled very spicy is Kuay-jap tum sap (B85). The rolled noodles are thick but soft. Crunchy fried wonton flakes soften as they absorb the flavour of the spicy and sour soup.
Penne yentafoh tom yum (B85) is Italy meeting China in a bowl. Give it a good mix before digging in, making sure the sweet and sour sauce touches everything. The choice of penne is clever, because the pasta's hollow centre holds the tasty sauce. The dish contains many flavours and textures, from the blood curd to tender pieces of pork, crunchy squid and dried shrimp.
Spaghetti served with grilled chicken.
Another bilateral bowl is Spaghetti served with grilled chicken (B85). The slender pasta threads are topped with tender and tasty chicken, dressed in sweet and salty sauce. The chicken is cooked to our liking, with a slight pinkish glow in the middle.
There are also a handful of rice dishes on offer. We picked the Moo krob choo chee (B85), which impresses with crunchy pork and aromatic red curry. The yolk of half a soft-boiled egg on the side isn't as runny as we like, though.
Insider Tip
"Oink Oink Oink".
Phudit "Note" Sathit co-owns 1000 Zen with seven of his friends. The mix-and-match concept came about while they discussed what type of noodle shop they wanted to open and, in a spur of moment decision, thought, "Why not all the noodles they like under one roof?" For every B200 you spend, you'll receive a voucher redeemable for a 20% discount during dinnertime (from 4pm) only. Add the shop's Line account (1000zen) to your friend list and you'll get to add an additional topping to your mix-and-match noodle for free.
Value & Verdict
Pricing is pretty reasonable, especially in this day and age, when your khao gaeng at the office canteen or food court starts from B40. 1000 Zen isn't a place to take a date to, obviously, but it's perfect for a quick, tasty and affordable meal. Office folks in the area and kuay tiew fans should definitely stop by.
Kuay-jap tum sap.
