Method
- Make the broth: simmer chicken with water, ginger, halved onion, bruised lemongrass and salt for 60 minutes. Lift out the chicken; cool, debone and shred. Strain the broth.
- Make the noodles: combine rice flour, tapioca starch and salt. Pour boiling water over while stirring. Knead briefly while still warm into a smooth, slightly sticky dough — like Play-Doh.
- Roll the dough into a thick rope, then cut into thumb-sized pieces. Roll each piece between your palms into a thicker noodle, about 8cm long. Khao piak sen are intentionally chunky and uneven.
- Boil the noodles in unsalted water for 4 minutes — they'll float when done. Drain.
- Make the fried garlic: heat 60ml oil in a small pan; add minced garlic and stir constantly for 4 minutes until uniformly pale gold. Lift onto a paper-lined plate. Reserve the garlic-infused oil.
- Bring the broth back to a simmer. Add fish sauce and white pepper. Pile cooked noodles in deep bowls; arrange shredded chicken on top. Ladle hot broth over generously. Top with fried garlic, drizzled garlic oil, sliced spring onion and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and sliced chili.
Common questions
Can Khao Piak Sen be made ahead?
Khao Piak Sen is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 75 minutes.
Is Khao Piak Sen spicy?
Khao Piak Sen as written is mild to mildly warming — the heat comes from aromatics rather than chili. Add fresh sliced chili or chili oil at the end if you'd like to push it spicier.
Is Khao Piak Sen vegetarian or gluten-free?
This recipe is suitable for most diets. If you have specific restrictions, the substitutions section in each ingredient note covers the most common swaps.
How hard is Khao Piak Sen to make at home?
Khao Piak Sen sits at intermediate difficulty — total time about 105 minutes. The ingredients are not unusual but the timing requires attention.
Can Khao Piak Sen be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 4 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
Cultural Note
Khao piak sen — 'wet rice noodles' — is the Lao morning comfort soup. The hand-rolled tapioca-rice noodles are intentionally thick and uneven; mass-produced uniform noodles produce a different, less satisfying dish. The technique is shared with Vietnamese banh canh, which uses similar noodles. Vientiane and Luang Prabang both have specialty khao piak sen shops; the dish is also home cooking. The fried garlic topping is the universal Lao soup garnish, used on khao soi, kuy teav and many others.
