Image credit: Katsuya Shimbata/Flickr
If you’re in Bangkok in quest for the best pad Thai, you better not miss Thip Samai on Maha Chai Road. It began its operations in 1965, around the time the dish itself was born.
This local restaurant has a frenetic ambience to it – pedestrians wheezing by, cooks frantically working the wok, dozens of egg trays on display while the glorious smell of pad Thai wafts in the air.
Thip Samai has a simple menu, basically consisting of different kinds of pad Thai and their famous bottled orange juice – delivered fresh from the countryside. Must-tries include the Original pad Thai, Pad Thai sen jan man goong, and Superb pad Thai.
What makes Thip Samai different from the myriad pad Thai restaurants in Bangkok is their choice of sun-dried Chanthaburi rice noodles, which soak up all the flavors of the shrimp and sauces without being too soggy. Their pad Thais have a distinct smoky flavor due to the burning hot charcoals on which they are cooked.
Thip Samai is a great place to have dinner in when you want to have something filling fast and without the frills.
What to order: Original pad Thai, Pad Thai sen jan man goong, Super pad Thai
Price range: 50 to 70 baht ($1.45 to $2.02)
When: 17:00 – 01:00 (Daily)
Where: 313 Maha Chai Road, Samran Rat, Khet Phra Nakhon, Bangkok
How to get there: Take the Khlong Saen Saep canal boat to Phanfa Lilat station. Exit towards Ratchadamnoen and make a left on Maha Chai Road.
