Pad Thai

Pad Thai
606 S. Second St.
215-592-1168
Credit cards accepted
Wheelchair-accessible
BYOB

Every country has its national dish. Some nations, such as Italy, France and the United States, are famous for more than one special dish, thanks to regional specialties.

Thailand does boast one national dish. It is pad Thai, a glorious concoction of sautéed rice noodles, tofu or egg, bean sprouts, scallions and a choice of chicken or shrimp. The dish is topped off with chopped peanuts.

Pad Thai, which opened last December on Second Street in Queen Village, is Philadelphia’s newest Thai restaurant, and it’s a winner. Although the owner has a liquor license pending, for now it’s a BYOB. Prices are very moderate and portions are most generous.

On a recent visit, a congenial gentleman dressed in a coat and tie greeted me, my husband Edward and my mom Berthe at the door. We all assumed he was the owner. He showed us to a roomy booth covered with a white tablecloth with a red square napkin placed on top. Ironically, we received flimsy paper napkins.

The front room has a bar and a good-sized dance floor. The dining room walls are painted a cheerful red, with potted plants and trees dotting the room, which boasts a pretty bamboo trim.

A young man took very good care of us. When we arrived at 6 p.m., only one couple was dining at Pad Thai. By the time we left, a few more patrons had arrived.

Our dinner was especially enjoyable because my mom was sampling Thai food for the first time. She found it very tasty.

Ka nom jeb ($5.50) consisted of a bamboo steamer filled with eight shrimp and vegetable dumplings. The big surprise was that two types of dough were used. The filling was stuffed into spinach dough and transparent wonton-type wrappers shaped like shu mei. The dipping sauce was a bit on the sweet side, which we all liked. The dumplings were homemade and quickly disappeared.

Gung kra boyk ($6.95) was a pile of crispy spring rolls, free of grease, filled with shrimp and shiitake mushrooms, which imparted a glorious contrast of tastes and textures. Two rolls were thoughtfully sliced into thirds for easy eating with the fingers. The spring rolls came with a hot and sour dipping sauce.

I’ve always loved summer rolls served in Vietnamese restaurants. Pad Thai’s version ($5.50) was freshly prepared and uncommonly good. The plump rolls were prepared with thin, transparent homemade rice paper wrappers filled with vermicelli, shredded lettuce, fresh mint and shrimp. Sprigs of fresh coriander were included on the serving platter.

Mom didn’t care for the spring rolls; she said they had a "flowery" taste. Coriander is an acquired taste. Still, Edward and I savored these plump beauties with a tamarind plum sauce.

We asked our thoughtful waiter, who changed our silverware with each course and filled our water glasses throughout dinner, to bring out our entrées one at a time. He also brought us clean plates for each course.

Next up was the pad Thai ($11.95), which we ordered with shrimp. We received a good-sized portion of Thai rice noodles brimming with bits of hardboiled egg, bean sprouts, sliced fragrant scallions and four small grilled shrimp, all topped with crunchy chopped peanuts. Now I know why I enjoy pad Thai so much: The combination of flavors is in balance and the textures, especially the chopped peanuts, play off each other in a tasty way.

Nuea pad prig sod ($13.95) was a sizzling platter of thinly sliced tender beef sautéed with fragrant Thai basil, fresh chilies and sautéed onions. The beef dish was in direct contrast with the mild pad Thai. The chilies packed a hot punch while the basil imparted a lovely flavor. The natural pan juices had been reduced to a flavorful gravy. A big bowl of perfectly steamed jasmine rice came with the beef.

We wanted to sample a dish with a green vegetable, and after much discussion we choose gai pad broccoli ($11.50), which was a simple sauté of shrimp with broccoli served in a ginger sauce. Three ingredients added up to perfection. The broccoli was immaculately fresh and bright green. We received at least six large shrimp, still a bit crunchy and not a bit overcooked. Ginger strands the width of violin strings added flavor and texture. We added more rice and enjoyed.

We are fortunate that Philadelphia has an array of Asian restaurants. The foods of India, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Burma can be found in restaurants throughout the city’s multiethnic neighborhoods.

As I was finishing my dinner, I thought about South Second Street in Queen Village. You can enjoy Japanese, Thai, Mexican, Italian, Chinese and Middle Eastern fare all in one block. This says much about the men and women who left their native lands and came to Philadelphia to seek a better life.

Three tips of the toque to Pad Thai.