Pad Thai · ผัดไทย
If you cannot decide what to eat on your first night in Thailand, try pad Thai. It is rice noodles stir-fried with egg and tofu in a sweet and sour tamarind sauce. Crunchy beansprouts and nutty peanuts add several textures to a single plate. Squeeze over the lime that comes on the side and the sourness really lifts.
Sour tamarind meets sweet and salty notes. Soft noodles, then the crunch of beansprouts and the richness of peanuts as you chew. Where dried chilli flakes are served on the side, you can add as much as you like.
If you cannot eat prawns, ask whether dried shrimp is also in the dish and the sauce.
Pad Thai is Thailand’s best-known stir-fried noodle dish. It is easy to find in Bangkok, but it is not a local speciality eaten only there. If Thai food is new to you, start with pad Thai, then try a noodle dish with broth, such as khao soi, for your next meal.
No. The main ingredient depends on the menu. But even when you cannot see any prawns, dried shrimp is sometimes used in the seasoning, so if you cannot eat prawns, ask about both the main ingredient and the seasonings.
No. It is a signature dish eaten in many Thai cities. On a trip to Bangkok it makes a good first meal for getting used to Thai food.
If you would like to read more about the food and the regions behind it, these sources are worth a look. Ingredients and cooking methods can vary from one cook to the next.
Sharing image credit: Iudexvivorum · CC0
