Your Pad or Mine?

I can’t help it, but every time I go to a Thai restaurant I end up having Pad Thai.  I used to think the popular noodle dish wasn’t really Thai food but a Western concept like Chicken Tika Masala.  And then I went to Thailand and had the best Pad Thai from a street vendor for only 30p. 

30p.

I also learned to make the dish during a cooking class in Chiang Mai.  The chef showed us how to roll it up in the egg like a big stuffed omelette. Rice noodles, egg, tamarind, fish sauce, sweet chilli, soy sauce, peanuts.  Those are the basics, but I’m constantly amazed by how such a simple recipe can turn up in so many different ways.

So it’s my first time at the curiously-named Boys in Chiswick, and I’m with Debbie.  She’s like my big sister, and as usual, we are talking about…boys: Debbie’s husband, four-year-old son and what dating was like before the invention of texting.

The menu is varied and modern.  I giggle at the “Boys platter,” a shareable starter.  I didn’t try it, nor did I go for the spicy fishcakes that almost nudged me away from my usual.  Turns out the Pad Thai at Boys won me over, and it’s now head-to-head with the one from Reun Thai over in Hammersmith.  Both come with big fat prawns and just enough sauce to keep the noodles nimble and the tongue tickled.

They’re both so good, I could send a text.

Boys is at 95 Chiswick High Road, W4 2EF
Reun Thai is at 100 Fulham Palace Road, W6 9PL

Comments

[Norris Hall]

Heres a good site for Thai cooking
www.thaifoodtonight.com
It's got about 30 recipes each one with a cooking video to go along. Free too

[Jess]

Thanks, Norris. The video for pad thai is great though much more complicated than I usually make -- I'll leave that to the Thai chefs!

[johanna]

i'll take it from the expert! i also often order pad thai, it's the best way to judge a restaurant by far! unfortunately, i have been disappointed many times, so i am glad to know of a good one - and so close to me, too! thanks for that..

[kristina]

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