Can happiness be sold as a noodle dish? If you ask us, yes, yes it can be. In fact, it doesn't take much. Some peanuts. Some veges. Some chicken and Tofu. Voila, you've got Pad Thai.
But, not just any Pad Thai will do. Hidden in the heart of New Zealand's biggest city is a little gem that seves up the best Pad Thai we've ever had! Unfortunately, as we're not well versed in Thai, we can't tell you the name as the menu, the display, and the name are all written in Thai. What we can tell you is where it's at, but please, let's keep this between us, huh?
If you go down near the end of queen street, keep your eyes to the shop names above you're head and eventually you'll come across a small red and white sign that reads "Authentic Asian Food Court". Turn in and you're immediately bombarded by all your favorite authentic asian aromas! While there are about a dozen restaurants crammed into this one small dinning hall, the best Pad Thai can only be found at one of them. Look around you and you'll see bright, lit up signs with pictures of delicious food that tempts the taste buds. But crammed far back in the right hand corner sits a small stand with foggy signs, and pictures that look like they were taken during the Kennedy administration. Bingo. This is Pad Thai mecca, folks. But be aware, not only are the signs, platters and menu all in authentic Thai, so to is the young man behind the counter, so speak slowly, and choose your words cautiously, else you'll be served up with something you didn't order. We recommend walking up, saying "Pad Thai" and just handing him $8.50, thereby eliminating any possibility of confusion.
And oh, good Lord, when those noodles hit your lips. My mouth waters now at the mere mention of it, and if my wallet weren't empty, I'd spend our fortune relocating this stand to my basement.
