Los Angeles Thai Restaurants

Pad Thai is a dish of stir-fried rice noodles with eggs, fish sauce , tamarind juice, red chilli pepper, plus any combination of bean sprouts, shrimp, chicken, or tofu, garnished with crushed peanuts and coriander. It is normally served with a piece of lime, the juice of which can be added along with Thai condiments. Pad Thai is one of Thailand’s national dishes.

Two different styles of Pad Thai have evolved: the version most often found in the streets of Thailand, which is relatively dry and light, and the version that seems dominant in many restaurants in the West, which is heavier and may be covered in red oil.

Though the dish had been known in various forms for centuries – it is thought to have been brought to the ancient Thai capital of Ayuthaya by Vietnamese traders – it was first made popular as a national dish by Luang Phibunsongkhram when he was prime minister during the 1930s and 1940s, partly as an element of his campaign for Thai nationalism and centralization, and partly for a campaign to reduce rice consumption in Thailand. The Thai economy at this time was heavily dependent on rice exports; Phibunsongkhram hoped to increase the amount available for export by launching a campaign to educate the poor in the production of rice noodles, as well as in the preparation of these noodles with other ingredients to sell in small cafes and from street carts.

During the recession following World War II, the post-war government of Field Marshall Pibul, desperate in its efforts to revive the Thai economy, looked for ways to stem the massive tide of unemployment. Among the occupations the government aggressively promoted to give the populace a way to earn a living was the production of rice noodles and the operation of noodle shops. Detailed instructions on how to make the noodles and recipes were printed and distributed around the country. From these efforts, rice noodles became firmly rooted in the country and have since become a widespread staple food.

You can find authentic Thai Fried rice on many Thai Restaurants in Los Angeles.

Khao Pad is a variety of Fried rice that is prepared in the style of central Thai cuisine. In Thai khao is rice and pad means of or relating to being stir-fried. One of the ways the dish differs from Chinese fried rice is that it is prepared with Thai Jasmine rice instead of regular long-grain rice. It normally contains a meat (chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, and crab are all common), egg, onions, and tomatoes. Green onions, coriander, and fried garlic are then mixed in. However, each individual place varies as it is a ubiquitous dish. Then seasonings are poured in, including soy sauce, sugar, salt, possibly some chili sauce, and the ubiquitous nam pla (fish sauce). These are stirred in, and then the dish is plated and served with accompaniments like cucumber slices, tomato slices, lime and sprigs of green onion.

Other dishes include Coconut Fried Rice (Khao Pad Maprao), and Pineapple Fried Rice (Khao Pad Saparod). Khao Op Saparod is a fancier fried rice pineapple dish with raisins and nuts and almost always comes served inside a cutout pineapple
You can find authentic Thai Fried rice on many Thai restaurants in Los Angeles