What Pad Thai is
Pad Thai is a stir-fried rice-noodle dish and the most widely recognised Thai dish outside Thailand. Flat rice noodles are cooked fast in a very hot wok with egg, then finished with bean sprouts and green onion so they keep their snap, and served with ground peanuts and a wedge of lime to adjust at the table.
What separates a good one from an ordinary one is the balance of sour, salty and sweet, and the texture of the noodle — cooked through but never soft. It is a fast dish by nature, which is why it is made to order rather than held.
How we make it
Ours is on the menu as “Phad Thai” at $16.95: Thai rice noodles with egg, green onion, ground peanuts and bean sprouts. It comes with your choice of chicken, tofu or vegetables, with beef, prawn or seafood available for a small addition.
Two versions sit on the Chef's Special list for anyone who wants it richer — one topped with crabmeat, one with deep-fried soft-shell crab.
Spice is set when you order: mild, medium, hot or spicy.
On the menu
- Phad Thai$16.95
- Phad Thai Crab$23.95
- Phad Thai Softshell Crab$23.95
Questions we get asked
- I don't see Pad Thai on the menu — do you have it?
- We do. It is printed on our menu as “Phad Thai”, in the Noodles section. Same dish, different transliteration — Thai has no single official English spelling, and Phad Thai is the one we print.
- What is the difference between Pad Thai and Pad See Ew?
- Pad Thai uses thin rice noodles and is tangy and nutty, finished with bean sprouts, green onion and ground peanuts. Pad See Ew — on our menu as Phad See Eiw — uses wide rice noodles with tender broccoli and egg in a darker, sweeter, savoury sauce, with no peanuts and no sourness. If you want bright and nutty, order Pad Thai; if you want mellow and smoky, order Pad See Ew.
- Can I get Pad Thai vegetarian or vegan?
- You can order it with tofu or vegetables instead of meat. We cannot label it vegan or vegetarian for you, because Thai cooking commonly uses fish sauce, oyster sauce and shrimp, and we have not certified individual dishes. Tell us when you order or call (425) 967-6531 and we will tell you exactly what goes into it.
- Is Pad Thai spicy?
- Not by default. It is a balanced sweet-sour noodle dish rather than a chilli one. We cook to four spice levels — mild, medium, hot and spicy — so it is entirely up to you.
- Can I order Pad Thai for takeout in Lynnwood?
- Yes. You can order online for pickup, or call (425) 967-6531. We are at 2902 164th St SW #C4, Lynnwood, WA 98087, open from 11AM daily.