Phad Thai
Phad Thai is a very common Thai dish made from noodles, egg, chili, tofu, normally some shrimp, maybe some chicken, plus onion, fish sauce, nuts, lime... ingredients can vary. You can order Phad Thai in 10 different places and get 10 different tasting meals depending on the amount and variety of sauces added, the size and type of noodles used, type of meat added and so on... Phad Thai can be bland sometimes or it can be spicy, it can be dry or saucy. You get a lot of variety out of one dish! If bought from a street stall or roadside restaurant you're normally only going to be paying 20 - 30 Baht for your lunch - it's a cheap dish to make and thus a popular lunch all over Thailand, nearly as popular as Noodle Soup.
Close to where I work in Karon Beach, on the back road near the Baan Karon hotel, there's one of the most popular little lunchtime restaurants I have ever seen in Phuket. Every day workers in the local area flock here for lunch, and the most popular dish is Phad Thai. The restaurant does not really have a name except "the Phad Thai restaurant". They also do noodle soup with chicken or beef, a good Phad Gapraow with beef, a popular fried rice with crab. The menu is expanding - when I first ate here a couple of years ago they had only Phad Thai or Noodles and beef stew.
• Location on Google Earth


It's only a little place but it can be packed at lunchtime. You can get Phad Thai to eat there or take away - the take away is wrapped in a banana leaf. The cooking is all done by one guy, with others helping to serve noodle soup - you can see the huge bowls full of chicken and beef below - these are ladled over the noodles. The Phad Thai is cooked with quite a bit of chili, and you have extra bowls of chili sauce, prik nam pla and dried chili on the table in case it's not spicy enough for you.


I ate my Phad Thai in the restaurant today. Bear in mind that by Western standards this is not really a "restaurant" - a collection of tables in the dirt by the road outside someones house... but this is real local eating here in Phuket. If you want to mingle with the people, get on the back roads and get some Phad Thai right here! I tend to get food from here at least once a week as it's so cheap and close to work.... oh and very tasty!

UPDATE - August 2009 - the place has been tarted up with a concrete floor and nicer tables, but still the same food and same price (40 Baht). Just before the Baan Karon Resort on the way from Karon to Kata on Patak Road. It's not a big obvious restaurant, folks, just a small local place. Do try to find it!
Jamie's Phuket - The Real Phuket!
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Comments on "Phad Thai"
This is torturing me! I wish I was in Thailand right now.
I love Thai food. Seeing those pictures makes me want to go there! Argh :)
And I bet the food in your "bistro" ain't a patch on the Phad Thai at this little restaurant :)
Hi Jamie,
We're coming to Phuket next week for our holiday and I LOVE Pad Thai and want to try some real local version - can you give me the address for this cafe - or how to get there from our resort - we'll be at the Merlin Beach Resort.
Cheers,
Sue from Australia
Well, its on the back road behind Karon Beach - check the Google Earth link on the page. Worth coming from Merlin Beach resort...? Well, it's probably 10km and not so easy to find. Better if you stop by Sunrise Divers in Karon first and I can show you.
Jamie
Hi Jamie,
As I told you earlier, I'm coming to Phuket on the 22nd September. Reading your blog makes me feel more comfortable in going ahead with my trip, despite the current circumstances. :) Just wondering how do I get to this Phad Thai restaurant if I'm staying in Kamala Beach? Is it very far away and what forms of transportation should I take? Thank you!
Well, witch, yes it's a long hike from Kamala, as this place is on the back road of Karon/Kata. If you rent a motorbike you can find it, but as I said to Sue, call in at Sunrise Divers in Karon first so I can explain... Is it worth a ride from Kamala? Up to you, la.
:)
Hi Jamie,
We found your Phad Thai today! We took the tuktuk to Baan Karon, wandered about for a few minutes, and I recognized it from your pictures! It was MOST EXCELLENT, definitely the most flavorful Phad Thai I have experienced! Thanks for the recommendation! We'll have pictures when we get home. Tomorrow, off to Ton Sai. =)
Jamie, mind to give me ur contact? I be there on this Songkran and hope to taste the Pad thai here... Thanks. My email is tankianyong@gmail.com
tried and tested...easily the best phad thai ever!
Hi Jamie,
Your blog has given me alot insight about Phuket and I enjoy reading it. I will be visiting Phuket on the 16 Jul and hope to try the Phad Thai that you have mentioned. Can I bother you to show me where it is located if I stop by sunrise divers at Karon?
Thanks
Sure, stop by and I can show you, it's a 5 minute walk up the road.
Great, I'll see you in two days between 11am to 1pm. Hopefully, the rain would have subsided a little.
Hi Jamie, really love your blog as it's really insightful and helped me a lot during my honeymoon earlier this month.
Went to search for the Phad Thai and spent 2 hrs searching for it on the first day and gave up. Can find the signboard and place as listed on your blog. Tried again another day and found it opposite Baan Karon Resort. They have renovated!!!! But it was worth it as I really love Phad Thai. Maybe you can update the photos of the shop. Cheers.
Hi lostinphuket,
Well, the location has not changed, just before Baan Karon on the left side when heading from Karon to Kata. There is a Google Earth link on this page too. The blog page was written quite a while ago.. do remember this is a blog and unfortunately I don't do it full time, so if a restaurant changes it's tables and chairs I don't always have time to update. Certainly should update this one, will do sometime soon.
Didn't have any problems finding the restaurant. We stayed in Karon for a couple nights, then went to Lanta Island, and then came back and stayed at Surin Beach. We didn't realize it was actually so close to our Karon hotel, but we drove all the way down south for this restaurant. :-)
The Phad Thai was really good, but the shrimp was a bit too small.
Thanks Jamie.
Had lunch there today and yes it is the best Pad Thai we have ever had. We will be going back again next week before we head home. 'Believe and hype and follow your nose'
Looking forward to checking out Lakeside and Chili Restaurants also.
It was nice meeting you today.
Thanks Paddy
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