I may have a problem

Phad thai. I can't stop myself from ordering at least once a day. At 30 baht (less than a dollar) at least it's a cheap vice.

We have a favorite restaurant just a few blocks from our apartment that seems to be the favorite of a huge percentage of the university students, because it's almost always packed. And they have a menu in English! Score! (Except, they also have a menu in Thai that is much longer, and I'm trying really hard to figure out what is on it because I totally feel like I'm missing out.)

I swore I would not be the typical tourist. I would learn how to order all the local specialties in Thai, I would branch out and try new dishes every day. I would eat at every restaurant on the street before choosing a favorite.

And then about 10 days ago I found this restaurant, and I had their phad thai, and I realized that all the Thai regulars were also eating it, so it was obviously pretty decent (I mean, I know it's good, but that was the extra validation I needed). And it comes with this delightful dish of bean sprouts, green onions, and lime so you can make it personalized and wonderful. I've been eating it ever since.


You would do it too! I know you would. Those delightfully smooth and sweet noodles with the little morsels of fried egg, and the occasional muted crunch of dried shrimp. The pile of ground peanuts and sliced green onions that comes on the side of your plate just waiting to be all mixed up with the noodles, creating the perfect balance of flavors and textures. Delightful.

Tomorrow, I really will try something new. For lunch. And then for dinner, I'll be back at my usual spot, happily slurping up phad thai.