EAT: DODEE PAIDANG, MELBOURNE CBD

Lovers of Thai and spice alike will have no doubt heard of DoDee Paidang and their authentic Thai street food menu that features their signature DoDee Tom Yum noodles. The noodle bowls are super cheap, and punters can opt for a spice level that best suits their taste buds. Or for some, push the boundaries and go straight for the hottest option that will burn their taste buds right off. As a scientist, I will admit that this is not quite scientifically feasible, BUT it’s how I imagine tasting something labelled as ‘Volcanic hot’ or ‘Supernova hot’ must feel like…

I checked out the CBD eatery last year and while this meant that I could finally tick the ‘visit Dodee Paidang’ from my list of places to dine at, the same could not be said about the ‘try the Dodee noodles’ box. Silly me saw the tom turd platter on the menu, and decided to order that instead. The platter comes with your pick of som tum served with deep fried school prawns, pork rind crackers, deep fried pork rolls, chicken wings, fried fish, boiled egg, rice vermicelli noodle and an assortment of fresh greens. Best for sharing given the variety of bites AND the generous quantity of food. And while I did escape the spice experience from the DoDee noodles, the som tum did actually pack quite a bit of heat.