20 baht Pad Thai, Chiang Mai

On our previous visits to Chiang Mai we often walked past a neon sign, on both Thapae Rd and Chang Moi Rd's advertising 5 baht Pad Thai ..... This was usually on our way home with a full belly and we never really ventured down the Soi to satisfy our curiosity.

After a pretty long day, flying from Hanoi to Bangkok and then waiting for our connecting flight to Chiang Mai topped off with a rather long wait for a taxi at the airport, we dropped our bags in our room and were on a mission to find some food. We were staying up on Th Thapae Soi 4, and walking out of our Soi going to head somewhere towards to night bazaar... and there it was, all this time later, the same neon yellow sign now advertising 20 baht Pad Thai. Hey, we're up for that, it's still stupidly cheap!

So we wander down the little soi, and it's a pretty busy little place, one girl just working the woks, another packing up banana leaf parcels by the dozen for people on their scooters picking up dinner for entire families. There are still quite a few people sitting inside, so we take a seat. The walls are covered with framed segments of bright yellow that are all scribbled with various names, greetings, well wishes etc. Very high school, very cute!

Within moments there's a plate piled with beansprouts, garlic chives, lime and a few wedges of banana flower... and only a few more moments pass and we have to plates piled with steaming hot pad Thai nestled on a little round of banana leaf.

The noodles are slightly smoky from the woks, with a nice tang from the tamarind sauce. We were both pleasantly surprised with the substance of these noodles .. plenty of egg, dried shrimp, chicken mince and tofu considering the 20 baht price tag. Delicious!

Very pleased we satisfied our curiosity venturing down this little soi, as in turn it satisfied our hunger several times on this trip...

Thapae Soi 3
Chiang Mai
Thailand
Open in the 'noon through 'til the evening