Pad Thai is one of my favourite Thai dishes. There’s a lot going on in what looks like a simple plate – a sweet, sour, slightly sharp sauce, layered wok-fried proteins, and a base of properly cooked noodles and aromatics that carry everything. Get each of those elements right and it becomes something genuinely impressive.
What I love about Pad Thai is that it forces you to build flavour at every stage, whilst still coming together quickly. You’re not just throwing things into a wok, you’re layering. Browning the proteins to create fond, building aromatics on top of that, reducing the sauce until it grips, and then finishing everything together so it eats clean rather than heavy. The combination of chicken, prawns and tofu gives you contrast - fat, sweetness and texture - which makes it far more interesting than relying on just one. The only drawback to this dish is the ingredient sourcing, but once that’s done, the rest is simple.
Now then, let’s get into it.
A few things to know before you start
Noodles: This is where most people go wrong. Variety and preparation method matter. You need dried, flat rice noodles. More on this later.
Heat: Medium-high is your base, but you need to adjust at each stage. Too hot and things burn. Too low things steam, which is even worse. You’re chasing an active sizzle.
Sauce: Taste your tamarind. Some are much sharper than others. You’re aiming for a balance of sweet, salty, sour and umami. Make sure sauce and adjust as needed.
Proteins: Cook proteins in batches. Overcrowding kills colour and you lose that base layer of flavour.
Timing - Once the noodles go in, everything moves quickly. Have everything prepped and within reach.
Serves 2
