PROSE POETRY
Pad Thai
More flavours from Thailand
Here in Thailand, Pad Thai is a very popular fried noodle dish,
served up in restaurants or more so as a famous
street food dish first experienced by many in the
backpackers haven the Kao San Rd Bangkok.
Vendors entice and excite the traveller with their swift
cooking skills delivering delicious Asian flavours
from their roadside carts, same as a noodle cart
where you will find the end of the night revelers,
a bit like a burger van in the west.
Wok-fried, yes a wok and a wok only, chicken or prawns
with chopped small red onion, smells excellent.
Throw in an egg and scramble it,
add rehydrated rice noodles,(do make sure
The noodles are soaked for 10 minutes beforehand
otherwise…
oh, I’ve seen it done, what a mess!)
Be sure to pull up the noodles while cooking to get plenty of air between them, or else you will end up with an undesirable clump
that is unfriendly to both fork or chopsticks!
It also looks like the noodles have been retrieved from the floor.
Now add tofu,(ugh, topoo more like)
tamarind sauce, fish sauce, a little sugar, and
lots and lots of garlic, with more garlic on top.
If you are not a fan of garlic; step away from the stove,
I repeat, step away from the stove and get out of the kitchen!
Sidetracked, apologies, yes I am passionate about garlic,
which is not an authentic ingredient in Pad Thai.
You get what I mean, though, right? Can’t believe it’s not in meself.
When happy your goal has been accomplished throw in bean sprouts and chives for a final mix.
Serve piping hot with crushed peanuts, a wedge of lime, and dried chillies on the side. All measures are up to you, cook with feeling man.
Cardinal sin? Adding tomato ketchup to give colour to the noodles?
which, unfortunately, many Thai restaurant cooks believe westerners like.
Red noodles? Some expert travellers like this sweet unedible flavour believing it to be an authentic Pad Thai taste. Please…
The top photo is of a special Pad Thai my wife Kgung made for me, hence the extra garlic on the side added to the garlic already in the Pad Thai. Thai’s go by their nicknames, Kung means prawn.
James G Brennan 2021.
Dedicated to Suzanne V. Tanner & Paroma Sen who love a bit of food poetry?Also Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 (she/her/她)
Thank you as always, GB Rogut for giving my words a platform. 🙏
Thank you all for reading and your precious time. Always. J. 🙏✨
