There’s a lot of Pad Thai out there, but really great Pad Thai is hard to come by. Good Pad Thai will have a slight sweetness but is balanced with tanginess. The real deal will have Tamarind Paste, which is found in your local Asian Markets. (My recipe doesn’t include this). My version is more of a dish inspired by all the versions of pad thai I’ve tried. I’ve made many versions of Pad Thai, and mine is loosely based on Mark Bittman’s version. But, I always come back to using a little bit of peanut butter in my recipe along with chopped peanuts. It adds just enough of that creaminess without being overwhelming or too sweet. But it balances out the tanginess of the vinegar and pungency of the fish sauce. It’s a hodgepodge of things I have learned from all the failed Pad Thai I’ve made over the years. Hopefully my version is one you’ll keep coming back to!
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