Spell it as you want- Pad Krapao, Pad Kha Prow, Phat Kra Phrao. But cooking it- that’s a different story. Pad Krapao is a miraculous dish- something simple yet perfectly balanced, a fine-tuned creation that must be made with every component aligned in harmony…and as it’s the single most popular dish in Thailand, it’s a test every chef must pass before earning a place in Bangkok’s culinary scene.
In this video, we set out to uncover the origins of the dish, the genesis of the category that brought it to creation, and to find the very best versions on Bangkok’s busy streets. It’s a quest that brings us from humble lunch counters to Michelin restaurants, and from Mark Wiens’ fiery lair to the great Chef Gaa’s stall at Khlong Toei. And eventually, it brings us to our old friends in the Khlong Toei slum, who join us to taste test the very best Pad Krapao the city has to offer.
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0:00 – Introduction
1:45 – The Benchmark Pad Krapao
4:15 – History Part 1: When it Started
5:56 – Working Class Pad Krapao
8:36 – History Part 2: Why it Started
11:33 – The Elegance of the Dish
14:19 – Holy Basil
15:39 – Comparing Basils
16:31 – Balance
19:21 – Mark Wiens, Agent of Chaos
22:02 – Other Highlights
23:20 – Return to Khlong Toei
24:57 – Every Dish, Everywhere, All at Once
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Video Credits:
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27 Comments
Krapao grow like weed here, u can able to find it not too hard, it resemble italian basil but more smell
also one of the best is in sukumvit 29 its always full even before launch hour on working day, go on saturnday
kaw man kai (cooked chicken rice) is much faster than pad krapao
I'm Thai. It's Pad Ka-prao, not Kra-pao.
The real name of this dish is actually Pad Kaprao.(ผัดกะเพรา)
But since Thais normally dont pronounce the 'r' in complex consonant(kr-,khr-,tr-,thr-,pr-,phr- etc.) so the common pronounciation of the food name is 'Pad Kapao'.(ผัดกะเพา)
And when we try to write the name, most of us know we have letter 'r' somewhere in its name but cant really remember where exactly, so someone write it as 'Pad k'R'apao' (ผัดก'ร'ะเพา) and it became popular oversea somehow😂
Pad Thai was never truly the Thai National dish. I know a lot of Thais who don't like Pad Thai ( I don't like it ) but I have never heard a Thai say that they didn't like Pad Krapao. The fried egg on top really helps make the dish and they are brilliant at cooking fried eggs, ie. crispy on the bottom but never undercooked on top. The top can't be undercooked when you are dropping an egg in 375 degree F plus oil. I wish Farang breakfast joints here cooked fried eggs this way.. In all the decades of eating 'Farang' breakfasts here I have never had the fried eggs cooked properly. They always come sunny-side up and undercooked.
It's actually Pad Kaprao, not Pad Krapao. Common misspelling
now Westerners know our secret.
Pad Grapow for lunch. With a bottle of Chang. Nearly every day.
In my knowledge from my grandma and aunts, the cumin leaves and dry chilli should be added too (she used to serve in a palace).
In the beef version, the cumin leaf is used instead of the holy basil leaf (kra phao).
Thank you for the amazing and informative content! May i know where can I find Chef Gaa, pleaseI
As Thai I would said that individual mom's Pad Krapao is the best version of Pad Krapao no matter what
Growing up I never liked phat krapao because it was too spicy. Still dislike it to this day. I also hate pad thai for the opposite reason.
Best Thai dish ever no cap!
It comes to personal. Dry, juicy, with egg, duck egg, centuy egg, or just pure pad kra pao, with choice of meat or vegan . Extra spicy or none-spicy ….etc. it’s all personal preference. You can’t find the best pad kra pao coz it’s everywhere base on your taste.
Even you are a Thai and ask your grandma about history of Pad Krapao. you will not get this much information like this. great video. i'm also curious about this.
I ate this every day 😂
Krapao is like Udon or Ramen. While Sushi is National food, but not every one can eat it every day. Much like Tum yum kung or Pad thai those national food is not every day food. While i studied abroad in Japan, I wake up and went to nearby Udon shop for Kitsune Udon and hardly eat Sushi and even made Krapao from time to time. In thailand, Well Krapao and Guay Tiao (a noodle) is everyday food. But since i moved to Chiang Mai, i hardly eat Krapao. In Chiang Mai (Northern Thailand) Krapao is 3rd place to Kao Soi and Grilled pork with sticky rice. in Southern Thailand also have it own 1st place every day food like Kao mok kai. in Central Thailand Krapao is more ubiquitous.
Pad Krapao is not just a food, it is the people, it is the culture, it is the spirit of all Thai.
I agree 💯 that it's a great test of a restaurant if they cook Pad Krapao well or not.
I'm Thai, and of course, born and raised with this lovely dish. This is by far one of the most amazing videos about this ordinary dish! Got a lot of perspectives from high class to blue collar. It is truly THE national dish. Thank you for your vid!
Personally, I like it with light spice, but no basil would be a sin.
To me the two strongest candidates for Thai national dish are pad kaprao and khai jiew (Thai omelette).
The pad kapao is best with jasmine rice,but most places use normal white rice unless you go to restaurants ,because jasmine rice is more expensive.
Just found your channel with the sriracha episode, seems like for whatever reason the algorithm has just decided to spontaneously notice you given some other comments. I actually love how you seem to include other food youtubers in Thailand like Mark here and Steph in previous videos. Poor Chris never got to say anything though…
Admittedly, I really enjoy your documentary on food history. Perhaps, not as quite same as Max Miller's Tasting history format. Nevertheless, your presentation very informative in detailed historical explanation with vigorous research on a particular topic. Of course, when you are dealing with historical perspectives, the interpretation with mindful respect to historiography neutrality is required. In my opinion, your team is doing good jobs in researching and presentation. Keep up the good work! While Mark Wiens Your Tube videos are very popular, his shows, at times, can be very boring. SOS concept, if you will. Your endeavoring toward historical facts regarding to the food evolutions from various cultures is commendable! BTW, I have lived very close your neck of the woods, Fairfax, Virginia, thriving community with diversity! I missed Peruvian chicken from Fairfax VA. Interestingly enough, there is a Peruvian Chicken place owned by a Thai person. The place is very closed by Eden Center/ Seven Corners. Her place is very popular among Peruvian customers. Majority of her staff are Peruvians, of course! Perhaps, when you have an opportunity to visit Virginia, you should check out the food scene in Fairfax.
As you said in the video, there are so many different ways of making pad krapao in Thailand! IMO the best pad krapao is the one that you grow up eating lol no other pad krapao places can beat my mom’s cooking 😂
When I was studying college in thailand I basically ate pad kaprao everyday lmao.
So cheap. So delicious.
when i was in malaysia, this thai dish is my favorite food lol
Your commentary would hold even more value if you knew how to pronounce the words accurately. Use a Thai commentator.