MUST EAT PAD THAI!!! Don’t you just love this dish that even in your own country, you keep looking for it? Pad Thai is like the national noodle dish of Thailand and if can’t decide what noodle to eat, most likely you will end up with Pad Thai.
It is a street food dish made from stir-fried rice noodles with egg, tofu, prawns, bean sprouts, peanuts, shallots and the main thing to give it the flavour is tamarind juice / sauce. This is an extremely delicious dish that is sweet, tangy and spicy.
You can find Pad Thai at every corner of Bangkok but my recommendations below are popular Pad Thai places among both tourists and locals. I tried many Pad Thais around Bangkok, even in Pratunam, but sadly, it’s not delicious at all. These shops sell only Pad Thai and nothing else, so they are really specialised in this dish. If you don’t eat Pad Thai, there is nothing else for you to eat there. Presenting to you the Best Pad Thai / Must Eat Pad Thai in Bangkok!!! The Pad Thai to die LIVE for!
1. Thip Samai Pad Thai
If you google for Pad Thai in Bangkok, almost every single blog is about Thip Samai. I have been here many times since 20 years ago and I know why it’s so popular. Thip Samai is touted the Best Pad Thai in Bangkok by both foreigners and locals and they have come a long way since its opening in 1966 (close to 50 years of history). There are many variations of Pad Thai here and the most popular is “The Superb Pad Thai” with prawns wrapped in omelette. I must say that during my recent trips here, the standard is not consistent. But still, any of them will still be better than the ones you find in Singapore. Another reason I find myself coming back here because of their Orange Juice with lots of chunky pulp. To get here, please tell the taxi driver “Pratu Phi Pad Thai”. They will give you a blur face if you say Thip Samai.
Opens: (NIGHT TIME) Daily, 5:30pm ”“ 1:30am
Area: Phra Nakhon
Address: 313 Maha Chai Road, Samran Rat, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok
2) Pad Thai Sala Daeng
I call this the Hidden Pad Thai because if you don’t explore around or don’t work around Sala Daeng, you will never enter this shop. Located in a 100 year old Thai house, there is no signboard, no photos, no newspaper cuttings and is extremely simple. BUT they serve extremely delicious Pad Thai. It’s not exactly easy finding this place but after reading my full post on this place, you should have no problem after watching the directional video.
Opens: (DAY TIME) Mon to Fri – 9:30am to 2:00pm
Area: Sala Daeng
Address: 47 Sala Daeng Soi 2, Silom, Bangkok
3. Sawasdee Pad Thai
Sawasdee Pad Thai is located in Ratchawat, a not so convenient part of Bangkok and is currently not known to tourists. If you ask a local, they will probably know because Sawasdee Pad Thai have been around for 40 years! Being a foodie hunting for the best food in Bangkok, I definitely had to get here no matter what. I’m glad I did because the Pad Thai here is so good, the portion is just right so that you can continue eating other things later. They are also famous for Pan-Fried Mussels (Hoy Tod), it’s so crispy and good!
Opens: (DAY TIME) Daily, 9:30am – 3:30pm
Area: Ratchawat
Address: 955/11 Ratchawat market, Nakornchaisri Road, Banglok
4) Pad Thai Ekkamai
This is the youngest establishment (opened in 2011) among the rest. I like to call this the modern and beautiful Pad Thai. They know how to make Pad Thai look beautiful and being different from the rest by marketing their Pad Thai with Tiger Prawns. They actually call it Pad Thai Fusion. You see when you pair these together it becomes a very instagram worthy picture. Not surprising because the owner is young too! And this place has been attracting many celebrities too. I hope to see one when I return soon. When delicious food is beautiful, it will definitely fly very far!
Area: Ekkamai
Ekkamai between Soi 17 & 19
Opens: Tuesdays to Sunday, 5pm – 12am (Closes at 3am on Fri & Sat)
Coming up with this list makes me want to eat Pad Thai now! I wanted to come up with 5 but I could really only find 4 super good ones. If you have any to recommend, feel free to comment below. I hope you enjoy the Aroi Mak Mak Pad Thais that I have just recommended. :)
