Dishes
Pad thai
泰式炒河粉
Also called: Thai fried noodles · phat thai
Thai stir-fried rice noodles with egg, tofu and tamarind, balancing sour, sweet, salty and hot.
What it is
Flat rice noodles wok-fried with egg and firm tofu, seasoned with tamarind, fish sauce, dried shrimp, garlic and shallots, sometimes with palm sugar and chilli. Bean sprouts and garlic chives add crunch, and shrimp or other seafood may go in.
Where it comes from
Stir-fried rice noodles reached Thailand from China centuries ago, but pad thai itself is a 20th-century dish. One common account links it to rice shortages around the Second World War, when Plaek Phibunsongkhram's government reportedly promoted noodles. Historian Mark Padoongpatt dates it to the 1930s and sees the name as part of nation-building, while food writer Kasma Loha-unchit suggests Thai Chinese cooks created it. The origin is still debated.
How it is made
Rice noodles are stir-fried in a wok with egg and tofu and seasoned with tamarind, fish sauce and the other sauce ingredients. Vegetarian versions swap fish sauce for soy sauce and leave out the shrimp.
How to eat it
Squeeze over lime and add chilli, roasted peanuts and fresh bean sprouts from the side plate to taste. At Thai Yuan, Michelin inspectors suggest a green papaya salad and a Thai coffee with it.
In Kaohsiung
Thai Yuan in Kaohsiung, opened in 2020 under the name Pad Thai, is listed by Michelin for its mildly spicy, tangy version.
Where to eat it in Kaohsiung
Sources