The ORIGINAL Pad Thai at Thipsamai - Bangkok, Thailand

"Superb Pad Thai Wrapped in Egg"

by Thipsamai

Even though it's perhaps the best known Thai dish, pad Thai is relatively young. It was created in the 1930s by nationalist Prime Minister Pleak Phibunsongkhram to help develop a unified national identity for Thailand. At the time, Thailand had many different cultural regions with different types of cuisine, and the prime minister ordered the creation of a national dish that could represent the entire country. Today, the world's very first pad Thai restaurant is still around, and it's the only place to go if you want to get the original taste of the very first pad Thai dish!

Read more: The Secret History of Pad Thai (ผัดไทย): The National Dish of Thailand 

Thipsamai Restaurant was created to preserve the original recipe and taste of classic pad Thai, and is one of the most famous historic restaurants in Thailand.

superb pad Thai wrapped in egg (120 baht)

Like any good pad Thai, the dishes served up at Thipsamai are stir-fried in a smoky wok with lots of oil. Thin rice noodles (not the thick, flat noodles you'll see in more Western-style pad Thai dishes) are soaked in aromatics and lots of sweet and savory sauce, and the whole dish is tossed with big, fat shrimp. The pad Thaiat Thipsamai can be ordered "wrapped in egg", a very traditional way to serve it that you won't see much outside of Thailand. I highly recommend ordering the dish this way! The noodles are wrapped in a paper-thin omelette, which adds body and extra flavor to the dish.

pad thai in Bangkok, thailand
a bite of traditional pad Thai in Bangkok, Thailand

What to order
My recommendation is to order the "superb pad Thai wrapped in egg". This is the original recipe, and probably the most authentic pad Thai taste. There are other options, some cheaper and some more expensive. There is even a vegetarian option served with tofu, but in my opinion, this mid-range dish is the one to order.

If you are feeling like something special, you can splurge for the pad Thai with big tiger prawns, which comes with two monstrous Thai river prawns (500 baht).

Thipsamai is also famous for their orange juice. It's sweet and a little bit tart, and it goes perfectly with the sweet, savory, smokiness of the pad Thai.

inside Thipsamai Restaurant, Bangkok (more seating available in the back)

Thipsamai Restaurant Menu

Thipsamai Restaurant menu
Thipsamai Restaurant menu

Thipsamai Restaurant menuThipsamai Restaurant menu

There is also a window outside of the restaurant where you can order pad Thai or Thipsamai's famous orange juice to-go.

I recommend dining in, though. There's something special about eating in this historic diner-style restaurant in Bangkok's old town. It's all part of the experience to watch the chefs working at their woks while enjoying a glass of that famous orange juice.

Thipsamai Restaurant in Bangkok

Price
💲💲 - the price varies depending on which pad Thai dish you order; a bit pricey but worth the extra baht
pad Thai with shrimp and egg - 75 baht ($2.50)
superb pad Thai wrapped in egg - 120 baht ($4)
pad Thai with big prawns - 400 baht ($12)
pad Thai with tiger prawns - 500 baht ($15)

Location
Thipsamai (ทิพย์สมัย)
Near Wat Saket (Golden Mount Temple) and Wat Suthat (Giant Swing Temple)

Thipsamai is located in Bangkok's "Ghost Gate" neighborhood within just a few minute's walk of Wat Saket (the Temple of the Golden Mount). This is my favorite Buddhist temple in Bangkok, and should be on everyone's list of must-see places.

Wat Saket - Temple of the Golden Mount

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