Follow the Lane: Pak Soii Joins Level 1

Christchurch’s central city keeps finding new reasons to linger, and Level 1 just added another. Pak Soii opened in July, bringing two strands of Thai street food to the floor: the beef and pork bone broths of Bangkok’s boat noodle stalls, and the charcoal-grilled plates of the south, cooked here the way they’re cooked at home.

The name comes from the Thai for the mouth of the lane, the point where a side street breaks from the main road and the food worth going out of your way for usually starts — a handful of stools, one pot going since morning, a family working the same four dishes for thirty years.

Broths are simmered for eight hours or more, starting before the doors open. The Bangkok Boat Noodle carries a beef and pork bone broth taken through that slow morning cook, finished with a touch of coconut milk, and served with pork, beef or New Zealand wagyu. The Khao Soi, northern Thailand’s golden curry noodle soup, layers soft egg noodles under a tangle of crisp ones, brightened with pickled greens and lime. The Pak Soii Ocean Dry Noodles toss prawns, squid and scallops through the kitchen’s own signature sauce, with a second spoonful of sauce added at the pass.

Look, too, for the Pork Bacho, minced pork worked by hand until it has real bite, folded into both the tom yum and the clear broth. Off the grill, Hat Yai Fried Chicken arrives piled high with fried shallots and served with two dipping sauces, one for heat and one to balance it, alongside charcoal-grilled Moo Ping pork skewers and Thai meatball skewers, both sized for sharing over sticky rice. On the side sits the Jaew Khee Ka, a hand-pounded Isan chilli sauce of roasted chilli, garlic, shallots and fermented fish, small enough to add to any order and hard to stop reaching for once it lands on the table.

Everything is made to order, so a bowl takes a minute to arrive. Spice level, noodle style and protein are all yours to direct, and the team will talk you through the options, pork liver included or left out on request. The full menu and online ordering are both on their website, with new additions and specials posted to Instagram at @paksoiieatery.

Pak Soii is open Monday to Saturday, 11am until 8pm, and Sunday, 11am until 7.30pm, Level 1 of The Crossing (see our first floor store map here). It’s dine-in, with a call ahead recommended for larger groups, and an easy addition to an afternoon in the central city, whether it ends up being the reason for the visit or the discovery you make along the way.