Comments on: Pad Thai: Taste Test

By: Nicola lynde

Nicola lynde — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 19:12:24 +0000

Although I’ve never tried the first two recipes I have attempted a few others out there and the third one. Although I’d agree that the third recipe isn’t super authentic it’s easy and delicious and one my favorite weekday dinners. I also love that it doesnt require oodles of ingredients (a must with a small fridge) Maybe ill try one of the other two for guests or when I’m feeling like a bit more time. Thanks for sharing!

By: Ranjani

Ranjani — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 20:06:47 +0000

Great post Katie! I have only made pad thai once – I used the recipe in “Hot Sour Salty Sweet”. It came out great – tasted like what I know from takeout and was also authentic (at least I assumed it was given the authors’ expertise). I don’t have the recipe typed out but I’ll let you know if I ever blog about it. I definitely recommend the cookbook as well!

By: wiseandwonderfulcookery

wiseandwonderfulcookery — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 23:18:43 +0000

If you do decide to use a recipe that includes oil, definitely try the peanut or sesame oils! They add nutty flavor that isn’t prominent, but still becomes necessary in a lot of dishes like Pad Thai. With the wild variety of oils available these days, dont hesitate to use a kind that brings real flavor to the dish.

By: Giuliano

Giuliano — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 18:16:15 +0000

Hi, I’ve been pursuing the perfect “take out” Pad Thai recipe for a while now. For the sauce, in the past few years I had settle on this one (http://chezpim.com/cook/pad_thai_for_beginners) , which gave me surprisingly good yet inconsistent results (not sure why, most likely my fault). The problem I had with this is that it starts with so much fish sauce that I end up having to use huge amounts of sugar to counter.
Last week I attended a Thai cooking class, and got this recipe that is really close to take out. Here’s the sauce part, give it a try:
-2 cups of water
-1/2 cup tamarind sauce
-1/2 palm sugar
-3 tablespoons of soy sauce
-3 tablespoons of dark (sweet soy sauce)
-3 tablespoons of soy bean paste/sauce
-3 tablespoons of oyster sauce
Mix all together, bring to boil, and simmer uncovered until syrupy. Notice, no heat. You can add to taste later.

By: beautymustbecomesme

beautymustbecomesme — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 07:04:18 +0000

I had read about Pad Thai but haven’t actually tasted, much less eaten one. But after reading your blog, my curiosity was piqued. Thanks for sharing!

By: katieatthekitchendoor

katieatthekitchendoor — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 01:44:43 +0000

Megan, thanks so much for all the tips! I think you’re probably right about the tamarind – it’s quite strong, and a little seems to go a long way. I’m off to check out the Chez Pim link!

By: Megan Determan (@deterchick)

Megan Determan (@deterchick) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 01:22:32 +0000

Katie: My boyfriend and I have had much success with the hints and tricks posted at: http://chezpim.com/cook/pad_thai_for_beginners . We had the most difficulty initially as we used tamarind concentrate to the same extent as tamarind (which required more time to rebalance all the components into a delicious flavor). Based on what your comments are above, I believe you probably made the same mistake with the first two recipes you tried (too much tamarind overbalancing). Really, the sauce once prepped to your favorite flavor profile keeps deliciously in the fridge. Oh, and I would suggest putting in the tofu and frying it nice and crispy too!

By: Veronika

Veronika — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:42:00 +0000

I think I am going to bribe Thai Sweet Basil for their recipe- it is the most wonderful pad thai in the world. If you find something that comes close to it please let me know

By: Mallory

Mallory — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 11:44:54 +0000

Thanks for doing the leg work! I will have to give this a shot (or all 3!) … I have a package of pad thai noodles staring at me from my pantry.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 05:37:43 +0000

I’m totally with you! Takeout pad thai is awesome. It’s its own thing, totally separate (I assume) from anything authentic! And that’s ok – it’s authentically takeout-y. On behalf of the internet, we appreciate your research.