Stir-fried rice noodles with shrimp or chicken, peanuts and a lime squeeze — iconic and available on nearly every street corner.
Pad thai combines soft rice noodles with tamarind paste, fish sauce, eggs and your choice of protein, finished with crushed peanuts and fresh lime.
Any street food stall and almost every restaurant has pad thai — quality and price vary wildly, but a good plate from a stall costs 40–60 THB ($1–2 USD).
Ask for it without MSG if you prefer (mai sai msg) and request lime and extra peanuts on the side so you can adjust as you eat.
Widely considered Bangkok's most famous pad thai institution, near the Golden Mount — expect a queue, especially in the evening, but the egg-wrapped version is a genuine step up from the average stall.
Widely available — ask for "pad thai jay" (no meat, no fish sauce, no egg in strict versions) and most stalls will accommodate, though fish sauce is the default so confirm if strictly vegetarian.