The Best Pad Thai Is Average By Design (2.39)

This week we take a closer look at why Thailand's national
dish -- pad thai -- isn't actually very representative of Thai
food. But first, an innovative way to get out of a traffic ticket
in Thailand when it happens to you. Evo tested. Evo
approved.

Before we get started with the meat of the show, we have to
tell you the story of Evo getting ticketed for a traffic offense
he really didn't commit. Which meant he lost his license and had
to then go argue his case in person at some some tiny cop-shop in
the far northwestern corner of Bangkok. And by "argue", we mean
smile, stay friendly, and then don't go away until the police
officer gets sick of the whole situation, leading him to tear up
the ticket and hand over the license. (Note: The Bangkok Podcast
does not endorse this behavior. Drive safely, please!)
But that's not what we're talking about today. Instead,
we're covering the classic, quintessential dish that everyone has
to have when they visit Bangkok -- pad thai. Only... what if it's
not all it's cracked up to be? To get to the bottom of this, Evo
put on his investigative journalist hat once again and looked
into the national -- or perhaps
ultra-national -- dish of Thailand.
Some fascinating things you'll learn about this dish when
you listen to this episode of the Bangkok Podcast:



It's not ancient and came about from a nation-wide
competition


It was designed to showcase Thailand's entrance to the
western world


It's either the most un-Thai Thai food or the
most-representative-of-Thai-culture Thai food, depending on
your perspective


A dozen or so dishes that are much tastier (and spicier!)
than pad thai (we recommend laab moo)


The best Dairy Queen Blizzard you can't get in your home
country


How to make your grandmother shudder by putting sugar in
her beef stew. Unless she's Thai.


How two farang think you should apply the best spices
from the kruang prung collection the next time you visit
Thailand (or your local Thai food joint)


The easiest way you can show your support for our show
(and get cool stuff) via Patreon.

Love, Loathe, or Leave

Middle aged men in Thailand have a natural, built in air
conditioner that the two of us really need to get behind. You
might have heard of "buddha belly", but I don't think you mean
the same thing. How do we feel about these large dudes and their
makeshift midriff? Listen this episode and find out.
 
Want More Bangkok Podcast In Your Life?

If it's your first time experiencing The Bangkok Podcast,
you really should get our show downloading to your phone
automatically every week. If you use iOS, it's a breeze to
listen via Apple Podcasts. Android users are
be able get the show any number of
ways. And for bonus points, leave us a review on
those platforms or however you listen to the show.
We'd love to hear from you, either on the
contact form on our website or through a comment or
message on our Facebook page. You can
Tweet to the show @bangkokpodcast or
follow Greg's tweets of snarky Bangkok
goodness. Evo chronicles his Bangkok
adventures on Instagram from time to time, if that's
your thing. And as mentioned, we now have a LINE
account! Yep. Just for the Bangkok Podcast. Join us
over there, too! See you next time on The Bangkok
Podcast!


(Direct download .mp3)