Chicago’s Thai restaurants have all kinds of specialties, whether that’s the curries at In-On Thai or the Isan favorites at Tuk Tuk Thai Isan Street Food. At Mahanakhon Noodle Bar, a family-owned spot that opened last May, the focus is Thai noodles. The menu lists more than a dozen types, which you could explore over many visits, but there are two particular standouts.

On your first visit, get the khao soi nuer toon, a northern Thai coconut curry noodle soup. This textbook version, loaded with slices of tender beef shank, is rich and creamy with subtle spices and features that classic contrast between soft egg noodles and crunchy ones. It’s an instant contender for the best in town. On your next visit, order the boat noodles, a bowl of rich, savory beef broth (that beautiful dark hue is from pork blood) with stewed beef shank and beef meatballs. It brought me back to Bangkok’s Boat Noodle Alley, the famous canal that’s home to Thailand’s best boat noodle vendors.

You can round out your order with a starter like som tum (papaya salad) or instead opt for rice dishes like ka prow, Thailand’s unofficial national dish. Made with minced pork stir-fried with Thai basil and topped with a fried egg, it starts out sweet and ends spicy — and proves that this restaurant isn’t just a one-trick pony.