The Best Pad Thai

Written By Chef Jess Faulkner

-Authentic Pad Thai Ingredients-

-For the Sauce-

3 ½  Tbsp Coconut Palm Sugar (balled or granulated)

5 Tbsp water

2 ½  tbsp Thai tamarind concentrate 

2 tbsp fish sauce


-For the Pad Thai-

4 oz medium dry rice noodles (soaked in room temp water for 1 hour)

2 tbsp (or more) medium sized dried shrimp (chopped)

5 cloves garlic (chopped)

¼ cup shallots (chopped)

4 oz firm tofu (cut into small cubes)

3 tbsp sweet preserved daikon radish (chopped)

Dried chili flakes or red Thai chilies (finely chopped) (optional)

4 tbsp vegetable oil

10 - 12 medium shrimp (traditionally with tails on)

2 eggs

2 ½ cup bean sprouts

7 - 10 stalks garlic chives (cut into 2” pieces)

⅓ cup roasted peanuts (chopped)

1 lime (cut into squeezable slices)


(Garnish with chili fakes, roasted peanuts, bean sprouts, garlic chives, and lime wedge).

-Authentic Pad Thai Instructions- 

  1. Soak Medium sized rice noodles for one hour in room temperature water. 

  2. Caramelize the palm sugar (on low heat in a pot)

    1. Should darken in color just a bit.

  3. Add water to stop the caramelization process. 

    1. This will make the palm sugar harden right away. No worries, as you continue to cook this sauce on a low heat, it will dissolve.

  4. Add in the fish sauce

  5. Add in the tamarind 

  6. Continue to cook at low heat until the palm sugar has dissolved.

  7.  Cut noodles in half with scissors (I find it easiest to do this while they are soft and still in the bowl they are soaking in)

  8. Add oil to the wok.

  9. Sear shrimp first (traditionally tails on) 

  10. Remove shrimp and put into a separate bowl to be added later

  11. Add more oil to the wok.

  12. Set wok to medium

  13. Add in the shallots, garlic, tofu, chilies, and dried shrimp and quickly cook.

  14. Turn up the heat to high and add in the noodles and briefly cook. 

  15. Add in the sauce.

  16. Toss until the noodles have absorbed the sauce.

    1. Make sure you also let your noodles sit in the wok so they can develop a smokey flavor. All this entails is letting your noodles sit in your hot wok for about a minute each time WITHOUT stirring it. This helps you develop something called ‘Wok Char’ which is super essential for those smokey noodles.  

  17. Add some more oil into your work and then move noodles to the side and add in two eggs, breaking the yokes.

  18. Push noodles over the eggs and let sit for about 30 seconds so the eggs can cook. 

  19. Toss the noodles and break up the eggs.

  20. Add in all of your veggies and proteins (bean sprouts, garlic chives, and shrimp)

  21. Toss while cooking, making sure veggies tenderize just a bit.

  22. Plate your dish, making sure you get the bits and pieces.

  23. Add lime slice to your plate

  24. Add bean sprouts and garlic chives to the side. 

  25. Top with the shrimp and then peanuts

  26. When ready to eat, squeeze the lime, and toss.

Chef Jess Faulkner