Odean
724-726 Charoen Krung Rd (near Wat Traimit), Chinatown, Bangkok

Before going to Bangkok I did some fairly extensive research on places to eat. I found Odean while I was browsing through photos on Instagram- one of the foodies I follow had posted a photo of their crab noodles, and even though I have never met this guy in person, I knew I could trust his taste based on his other food experiences in Singapore.

We were at the flower market so just jumped into a cab and asked the driver to go to Wat Traimit. It can be very difficult getting to places by cab, even with Google Maps, because most of the drivers don’t speak English.

It was around 2pm so it was actually quite empty. They had a display of bright red crab claws out front, and it got me very excited… It was nice to discover that they have an air conditioned section! My friend ordered the regular crab and wanton noodles, and being the glutton that I am, I ordered the crab and wanton noodles with claws (you can choose the size, which is represented by price). I sort of regret this decision because the regular crab and wanton noodles seemed plenty. The option I chose cost US$9 (300 baht), which is super expensive by Thai standards!!! If I get to go back, I would definitely get the regular (I think that was 60 baht). I asked for mine dry, with soup on the side. We also ordered shrimp dumplings (I was imaging har gaw but it was like shumai) and Kang Kong.

The noodles were perfectly cooked and had a great bounce. The soup was so flavorful but I’m fairly certain they don’t add any MSG. It was delicate and light but bursting with crab aroma. The wantons were nice and plump, and the crab meat was sweet and succulent.

I definitely would like to go back and here and order the regular crab and wanton noodles so I can feel like I’m getting a better deal. It definitely was worth US$9 to me, but seeing as I could get crab and wanton noodles for less than US$2 at other locations (even though of lesser quality), I just felt like I was getting ripped off a little. But as I said, their crab noodle soup is very refined and the quality of their crab meat very high, and I’m sure their noodles are priced fairly.