This is an authentic Prawn/Shrimp Pad Thai recipe from Spice I Am, a critically acclaimed Thai restaurant. To say it tastes incredible is an understatement!
Also, here is my everyday Pad Thai recipe which is the version I make most often, no trip to the Asian store required. 🙂
The restaurant version I’m sharing is an absolute ripper of a Pad Thai. I can go on and on about how incredible it is because it isn’t mine, so I don’t have to worry about sounding arrogant! It is the Pad Thai recipe of one of Sydney’s hottest Thai restaurants – Spice I Am.
The first time I went, I was blown away by the flavours. Seriously intense Thai, unlike the usual Thai restaurants. It’s phenomenal. And it’s authentic. That’s what I love the most. Spice I Am is unapologetically real. They don’t tone down the spiciness of curries. They don’t “westernise” dishes. They are modernised in the presentation but at the core of it, every dish is cooked the traditional way which is why it’s so different.
It was perhaps a decade ago when I first went and Spice I Am remains as one of my all time favourite Thai restaurants. So I was beyond excited when I spied a Spice I Am cookbook at my brothers’ house. I went to swipe it but he caught me and wouldn’t even let me borrow it. Hmph! So I wrangled my own copy.
I get such a kick out of getting restaurant recipes for signature dishes!! There are so many I want to try but in my excitement to share one with you, I decided to start with Pad Thai.
As you can imagine, after describing how authentic the Spice I Am dishes are, the Pad Thai recipe has more steps than my everyday version. And it has one ingredient that requires a trip to the Asian grocery store – dried tiny baby shrimp. It is the magic ingredient that makes this a real Thai restaurant style version. Yes it is worth the trip and the extra steps to make it! But you can get everything else you need from the supermarket.
It probably sounds like I was hired to talk about this cookbook, but I’m not! This is genuinely a cookbook I am obsessed with. Sujet Saenkham, the genius behind Spice I Am, is a native Thai and his recipes are actual family recipes he learnt from his mother and grandmother. Those are the kind of recipes that really get me excited!! You can get a copy of his cookbook from Bookworld or Booktopia (these are not affiliate links).
Yummy….Pad Thai….I could eat this every day. I swear! – Nagi x
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Shrimp / Prawn Pad Thai (Spice I Am Restaurant Recipe)
Ingredients
- 5 oz / 150 g dried Pad Thai rice noodles (Note 1)
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 12 raw shrimp (prawns), shelled and deveined (Note 2)
- 1 small red shallot , finely sliced (Note 3)
- 3 oz / 80 g firm tofu , cut into small matchsticks
- 1.75 oz / 50 g dried shrimp (Note 4)
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 2 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
- 2 tbsp tamarind puree (Note 5)
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp + chili powder , to taste (Note 6)
- 2 eggs , lightly beaten
- 1.5 oz / 45 g roasted unsalted peanuts , finely ground
- 5 oz / 150 g bean sprouts
- 2 tbsp garlic chives , cut into 3/4" / 2cm lengths
- 1 tsp white sugar
- Lime wedges , to serve
Instructions
- Place the rice noodles in a bowl and cover with lukewarm water and set aside for 1 hour. (Note 7) Drain then set aside.
- Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a wok or large heavy based fry pan over medium heat. Add the prawns and cook until they just change colour. (Note 8) Remove from the wok and set aside.
- Add the shallot and stir fry for 2 minutes. Then add the tofu, dried shrimp, fish sauce, palm sugar and tamarind puree and cook for 1 minute until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the rice noodles, vinegar and 2 tsp chili powder and stir fry for 2 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to low and push the noodles to one side. Add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil into the wok then the egg.
- Push the noodles over the egg and stir, scraping the base of the wok so the egg scrambles and mixes in with the noodles.
- Remove from heat. Add half the peanuts, most of the bean sprouts, garlic chives, prawns and toss gently.
- Transfer to serving platter. Sprinkle with white sugar and remaining peanuts. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side and sprinkled with extra chili powder, if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
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You know, many years ago I used to work in Detroit and we used to go to a Thai restaurant at least once a week and Pad Thai was my choice every single time. It’s absolutely my favorite! Yours looks so authentic, why do you have to live so far away, I’d be over for dinner, like every single time you’d cook something like this!!!
Oh please Jo! You are just as good at cooking – if not better. I didn’t come up with this recipe myself, it’s a restaurant one….make it yourself!! 😉
My favorite ! I’m gonna have this one on rotation at the shack ! Drooling !
YES YOU SHOULD!!! N x
My mom uses dried baby shrimp in her cooking. I have not been able to enjoy her cooking much for many years because she lives 2,500 miles way. I should start using them as they add a deeper flavor profile to the dish. I love pad thai!! This is making me seriously crave some! I love that you gave two different versions. I would jump at a chance to have either one of them right now! Pinning.
Oh, I’m so sad at the thought of that Thao! I bet your mum makes amazing food, knowing you fab your food is 🙂 You must visit her regularly!
Nagi, thank you for the ingredient notes – so helpful. I’m going to try the restaurant version – I’m so curious! Now I just have to track down some dried shrimp!
It’s pretty amazing Marissa! The dried shrimp is the only ingredient you need to hunt down from the Asian store 🙂 And there’s more steps. But totally worth it!!
pad thai is my absolute fav! is it wrong that i like even better cold the next day? LOL! don’t tell anyone
Lindsay! COLD??! No!!! That’s like having cold pizza!!!
Don´t worry, nobody saw that, lol.
I also love pad thai soooo much. Ate it in thailand years ago and it´s so yummy! The restaurant here has a very changing quality (I guess it´s different cooks) which is really sadnoying, because you never know which version you will get. I am getting anxious ordering at all, haha. Cann be so dissapointing.
I went like: YEEESS! When I received your mail with the recipes.
Ha ha, I had to giggle when I saw your comment about how the quality of food changes depending on who is cooking!! I have the same problem with my local cafe re: coffee 😉
Oh, I so love the look of Spice I Am – who could resist a restaurant with a name like that – just who could resist this Pad Thai!
Right?! 🙂 It’s SO good. I’ll take you next time you’re in Sydney!!
Last week I cooked 4 servings of pad Thai for me and myself. :p Today I went to Thai town to get some grocery shopping done and the pad Thai in the Thai food joints were calling to me.. Now almost midnight, I read your post on pad Thai and I still want more pad Thai. I’m pad thaiful. Hmmmm…
Ha! Ai, you sound like me 🙂 When I go into town for Pad Thai, I get take out as well which lasts 2 meals so I end up having Pad Thai 3 times in a row!!!
Pad Thai is one of my favorite Thai food. It’s impossible to find nice Pad Thai here in China (you can only taste ketchup…), so I always prefer to make them at home. I can tell this is an awesome recipe by browsing through the ingredient list. Pinning!
That’s so funny! You would think that other Asian countries would do Asian food well 🙂 Though having said that, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Thai restaurant in Japan….
Nagi, this Pad Thai making me drool, big time! I think, I need to get this book! But first, I will try this recipe! 🙂 thanks for sharing!
Hi Savita, thanks for your kind words!! Hope you do try it, SUPER delish! N x
Loving the two for 1 post 🙂
Will have to have a go at both as Pad Thai is one of my favourites.
I know what you mean about shops! Our closest shop (of any description) is 20 minutes away. Makes it a major blow if you find you don’t have something in the pantry that you thought was there.
WOW!! You’re even more challenged than me when it comes to stores!! 🙂
This looks fantastic. You’ll laugh, I know, when I tell you that John cooked Chicken Pad Thai for me last week when all I could do was moan. It was delicious but it didn’t look like this. 🙂 He needs to take lessons from you.
Moan? You were complaining? I hope not Maureen! You should be appreciative of his efforts!! 🙂 N x
Yes so delicious Nagi. I love Spice I am. I must admit that I dont often order pad thai but promise to try it next time !
I know what you mean! I didn’t try it for ages thinking there were so many other things to try. But I’m so glad I did!! 🙂
This looks amazing!!!!!!!!
Thanks so much Alice! 🙂
Oh myyyy. I love me some Pad Thai. Tried it once and failed. Can’t wait to give this a try. PS – These pictures are gorgeous. Literally making my mouth water over huuuur.
Another friend said their Pad Thai failed too!! I’m trying to figure out how!! 🙂 Thank you for your kind words about the photos, you’re so sweet! N x
Love Pad thai! It’s the favourite way my husband wants me to make noodles at home (although I do add some Chicken to mine)! Now this has made me hungry for pad thai again and I’ll have to make it just to satisfy the rumbling in my tummy 🙂
Ooh! Do you have a recipe on your site? Popping over to check! 🙂
No I don’t Nagi! 🙂 I use a recipe I wrote down from a cooking show on TV. It definitely doesn’t look as pretty as yours though!
I hate shrimp 🙁 But hubs LOVES THEM!!! So I always have to make authentic pad thai sans baby shrimp 🙂 I am SURROUNDED by Asian stores…But there is a gigantic one about 20 minutes away from me that is LITERALLY an Asian Mall. They sell, Korean Skin care and make-Up (not cheap by ANY MEANS), ALL electronics…including fancy toliets that sing to you…and every odd food you can imagine!!! It’s kind of insane in an awesome way…and it’s a total day trip! BTW…I love pad thai passionately 🙂 And one of my very fave things is recreating restaurant classics at home too…Makes you feel accomplished doesn’t it? My blogging career first started on several copycat restaurant recipes 🙂
OMG you have me in hysterics!! I know, the Asian toilets…..insane right! I am so jealous that you are surrounded by Asian stores. You’re SO lucky!! N x
I LOVE pad thai! And at the same time it is the only dish that I have tried to make at home several times and every single one of those times I failed miserably, one time it was so bad I threw the whole thing in the garbage. Can’t wait to try your recipe(s), thank you so much for your detailed instructions and notes, that’s what was missing in the recipes I had used!
Really? How does one fail with Pad Thai?? What was wrong with it? So hard to go wrong with stir fried noodles, even if they don’t come out like they should!! (Seriously, the Spice I Am recipe is totally worth a trip to the Asian store, it is incredible!) N x
Just like lochness or the abominable snowman, I had no clue “dried tiny baby shrimp” existed! I’ve never attempted making Pad Thai – but I have an Asian store about 15 minutes from me (here in Atlanta, if anything is 15 minutes away, it’s close by!) so I might just have to try the restaurant version – though, the easy version sounds incredible too!
You know, I’ve seen it around in the Asian store, I just didn’t know what to use it for!! Since then I’ve been searching and apparently it is incredible to toss into fried rice, it’s like adding a super powered stock 🙂 PS I love your description that 15 minutes away is close by in Atlanta!! I guess that’s the case in a lot of cities in the US. I remember Texas was like that (also it was 15 minutes away at 100km/hour, zooming on freeways!!)
I would definitely try the restaurant version even if I had to drive 20 mins to an Asian grocery store. I actually never heard of Spice I am until you mentioned it but you just made me hooked on it. It sounds really amazing! 🙂
Hey Sue! They’re becoming so famous, I bet they open one up in Brisbane soon! 🙂 I hope they do, I’ve honestly never had Thai like it. It’s SO good!! N x
To be honest, Nagi, as much as I like easy recipes, it doesn’t sound like the restaurant one is all that much more difficult. I think I’d be willing to give it a go. And I’m lucky – I walk past a pretty big Asian supermarket almost every day!
Pad Thai is one of my all-time favourite dishes, so thanks so much for this!
P.S. I am so buying your ecookbook!!! (just had no time for anything this past week 🙁 )
You walk past an Asian supermarket every day? Damn, you ARE lucky, Helen! 🙂
Hey Helen!! Actually, there is only one ingredient you need to get from the Asian store – the dried shrimp. 🙂 So it isn’t all that different really, except he also adds things separately so that you end up with so many more steps in the recipe!! Totally worth it though, when you’re cooking to impress! 🙂