This is a question I’ve been asked for several times from my foreigner friends. The fact, that “Pad Thai” is the signature dish, most well-known out of other Thai foods. Every Thai restaurant must include it in their menus and as much being most popular dish being ordered from dinners.

I often laugh and throw the answer that NO, Pad Thai is not a staple dish that we cook to eat in household.  Pad Thai is commonly sold and served in street food stalls and restaurants.

In Thailand, you can find many roadside food stalls or restaurants that are specialised in cooking Pad Thai and only serve it as a signature dish, or perhaps sell with some other noodle dishes such as Pad See Ew.

I noticed that Pad Thai being served in most restaurants in Australia has slightly more in color and flavour than originated Pad Thai. And I was so skeptical to find out why, so I tried to observe how it was cooked when I was working part-time in a Thai restaurant (It’s a must do when Thai students come to Australia!)

The secret is “tomato sauce”, to make the dish more appealing to Australians; tomato sauce is being added in most of Pad Thai.

However, my Australian friends do prefer the authentic taste Pad Thai where they had tried on their Thailand visits, especially the way it is being served from street stalls. Real taste, real made, real Thai street food style!

-Samantha Torsuwan