Pad Thai (ผัดไทย); Beloved Stir-Fried Noodles

Special Pad Thai

Pad Thai is one of the most well-known dishes in the world and has a long history. Due to its widespread popularity, it has lost its uniqueness, and most places struggle to balance the flavours well, usually making it too sweet. This street stall in Chinatown, located at the end of Thanon Mangkon, does not make the typical Pad Thai. They use slightly thinner noodles and a more savoury and slightly spicy sauce. The noodles are dryer but have a high-quality wok fried flavour (wok hei); the shrimps are sweet and fresh, and my biggest complaint is that the portion size is tiny. I usually need at least two to be full. The lime lifts the dish, and every bite is unbelievably good and addicting. They fry it made to order and will wrap it in banana leaf if you want to take it home. I suggest eating it there as it is still fresh and less oily. This unpretentious simple version of Pad Thai is the only version I enjoy eating.