Pad Thai is like the grilled cheese sandwich of Thailand. Everyone eats it, and there a lot of variations on the same theme, especially depending on which region of Thailand you visit. The Americanized version of Pad Thai is pretty much rice noodles, shrimp, small bits of pork or tofu, sometimes egg, and various flavors found in most Thai dishes like scallions, garlic, fish sauce and lime. We have two restaurants nearby that serve this dish. One is a bistro style joint where everything is prepared and plated as if it were for a food magazine cover photo. Our favorite Pad Thai, however, is at this all-you-can-eat seafood place that is run by a Thai family. They have a selection of Thai food on their menu, and whenever you order, you see the grandmother leave her drink station and disappear into the kitchen to prepare your food. That is how you know it's going to be good! It doesn't matter what culture you're from, if grandma's cooking, it's good eating. My wife says that the hole-in-the-wall version that is cooked by grandma is the closest to the real thing she has found here in the states. She was staying in Chiang Mai (in northern Thailand), so this recipe, also from the book Step by Step: Thai Cooking, shares some of the same qualities. Of course, without a Thai grandmother's loving touch, it's not quite perfect, but it works for when we feel like eating in.
