Last Wednesday, I took my last midterm ever. Ever, ever, ever! But even though midterms are over, work doesn't seem to stop :( I jumped right back into my regular class schedule and now I have a 4,000 word essay due tonight. Not to mention, I have graduation pictures this week and a major presentation on Tuesday. Just the thought of it all makes me wanna hide under the covers. All work and no play makes Isabelle a dull girl @.@ I need to get out of my house... 

So I hopped on a bus and headed west! There's this Taiwanese place I've been meaning to try in Yeonnam, so I called out my Taiwanese friend Mingni to go with! We already made plans to see the new Avengers movie later that night so why not throw in dinner and call it a date! But that restaurant was tiny and packed. Hmm.. I guess better luck time. We didn't really want to wait for a table, so I suggested the Thai restaurant I passed by on the way over. 

What caught my eye was the sign that said Tuk Tuk Noodle Thai. Hey~~ I've heard about this place! They say it's the best Thai restaurant in all of Seoul! Mingni and I walked right in where we were instantly hit by the smell of Thai spices and fish sauce. The white and pastel lilac walls paired with the steel tables and plastic chairs reminded me of the cantinas you'd find on the side of the road in any SE Asian country, does that make sense..? It got me real excited real fast. I couldn't wait to order a steaming bowl of Tom Yum and a plate of my favorite Pad Kra Pao Gai.

That explains their menu which had neither of what I was looking for. I just put my faith in our waitress, who I believe is Thai herself, and crossed my fingers. By the way, the entire kitchen staff is Thai too!

10 minutes later, the goods rolled in. Soi Spring Rolls (omg what are these magical things and where have they been all my life), Beef Noodle Soup (holy crap so much flavor), and the Papaya Salad (spicy, addicting and mouth-scalding)

Soi Spring Roll

Seriously, I have no idea how I've come this far in life without trying these before. They come out hot and fresh out of the fryer and are stuffed with prawn meat and veggies and something magical (crack, I'm assuming). Would make excellent drunk food.

Beef Noodle Soup

You get the option of thin or thick noodles. We went with thin this time, but I would recommend going with the thick. The thin noodles just weren't very satisfying and I don't think they absorb the broth as much as I wish they had. There is so much unbelievable flavor in the soup my tastebuds had an absolute fiesta. 

Papaya Salad

I grew up eating papaya fruit, and I can't tell which part of the papaya they used for this salad. It definitely wasn't sweet, in fact it was the total opposite, so I don't think it's the meat.. They mix in a ton of Thai chilis so it's tongue-numbingly hot. Eat too much at once and your mouth will start to get little cuts and scalds. Yup, it's that spicy.

The overall atmosphere is really...chill. I'm sorry for the lack of a more sophisticated word. There's an open kitchen, outdoor seating, excellent spring rolls, and Thai pop songs blasting from the speakers. I think Soi Yeonnam is definitely a summer time must-go, when the weather perfect and you're just itching from some Thai beer. 추천!