The Best Pad Thai in Bangkok
The Thipsamai is not a cozy restaurant. Stainless steel tables, white tiles and cold fluorescent lights don’t encourage guests to linger for an after-meal drink. But it doesn’t seem to matter. People come here for one reason and one reason only – to eat the best Pad Thai in town. And they come in droves.
The night we went, the smallish restaurant was so busy, it overflowed onto the sidewalk. A volcanic collection of sooty woks sent rivers of sparks streaming into the surrounding tables sending patrons running for their lives. But they kept creeping back for more good food.
We found a table away from the radiating heat of the cooking station and started flipping through the menu. The choice was easy as there were only a few different dishes being offered. We went with “Superb Pad Thai” for 60 Baht ($2), which most people seemed to be eating.
The mouth-watering prawn Pad Thai came artfully wrapped in a paper-thin omelette. Once the egg mantle was broken, we topped it with bean sprouts, spring onions, cilantro, chili powder, lime and peanuts. Slightly sweet and enjoyably spicy, the noodle dish really lives up to its reputation.
Apparently, Thipsamai’s Pad Thai is special because it is cooked over high heat to keep the noodles firm and give the dish an extra smoky aroma. I’m sure there’s more to the recipe than that, but whatever they do, it works!
The Thipsamai restaurant not only offers scrumptious food, but they also have great drinks. Try their fresh 100 percent orange juice and their delicious coconut icy.
Location
The restaurant is located on 313 Th Maha Chai, not far from Wat Saket in Banglamphu. There’s no English signboard, just follow the crowds and the smell of freshly cooked Pad Thai.
View on Google Maps
Oh yum, once again. It’s a really artful presentation to serve the dish wrapped up in the omelette, instead of chopping up the scrambled egg and stirring it into the noodles.
I like to make Pad Thai at home, but I rarely feel satisfied with the whole consistency. It’s hard to pre-cook the noodles “just enough”, rinse them to keep from getting sticky, and then to stir the whole thing up to get the complete, even coating of sauce and vegetables. Probably my pan isn’t gigantic enough to really vigorously toss everything together.
We went back to Thipsamai Restaurant again with our friends Lisa and Garrett. Just in the short period of time between our first and second visit, the price for the “Superb Pad Thai” had increased by 10 Baht and is now 70 Baht. 🙁