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Baan Yai Pad Thai have a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin guide. Is it really that good? No, it isn’t, but it is good, if you know what I mean. I certainly would return to Baan Yai Pad Thai if in the area.

The Michelin Guide write that you get “piping hot noodles cooked to perfection boldly flavored and with a distinctive smokiness from the charcoal stove. Expect to wait in line. Come with a local as you have to write in Thai to make an order“.

Most of this is absolutely bullshit, not taking away the fact that Baan Yai Pad Thai serves a good Pad Thai that you should try if in the area.

I bring this up as it is misleading review not based on facts. And it certainly doesn’t get any better when the official and public authority Tourism Thailand, with the brand Amazing Thailand to promote tourism, just repeat the Michelin Guide that they cooperate with without giving a note to their website visitors that this is a Michelin Guide text and that they have a cooperation.

Yes, the noodles are cooked to perfection, which of course is very important. But there is no “distinctive smokiness from the charcoal stove” here. They use a charcoal stove, but that’s it. I went back three times to test their Pad Thai and I watched the process every time, and I can assure you that you wont taste a distinctive smokiness when eating here. The wok just isn’t hot enough.

They also write “Expect to wait in line“. That is completely wrong. I went there nine times over three days and ate there three times as I stayed in the area for three days and wanted to check the correctness of the statements as I found it bit strange, knowing Bangkok quite well. Most of the time I was eating alone or with one or maximum two other guest. And I went prime time eating time in Bangkok. I can only find one reason for the Michelin Guide to write this, and that is to try to create attention around their own recommendation. When something wrong is repeated enough times, it will in the end become a truth is a rather known strategy. That said, the Pad Thai is as mentioned good and worth your visit if in the area. It is also nicely presented on the plate.

And yes, you don’t need to come here with a local as the menu also is in English, but you probably already figured that out.

Anyway, back to the Pad Thai at Baan Yai Pad Thai: The noodles are great and there is no pre-cooking of the noodles before they are thrown into the wok. I ordered my Pad Thai with shrimps and they were just decent, with the usual texture of not being really fresh as most often is the case in Bangkok. In other words pretty standard. The taste is ok, but the texture is a bit “dried out” (lack of juiciness) and sparky.

Another issue with the Pad Thai at Baan Yai Pad Thai is that they pre-season your dish, so there is no condiments on the table. You have 4 choices ranging from not spicy to spicy, where I suggest those not customized to spicy food to choose medium.

I’m not a big fan of pre-seasoned Pad Thai or most other noodle dishes as it should be up the customer to dress it. That said, I wasn’t to unhappy with my versions (medium and spicy). The tamarind flavor could have been more expressive.

Let me also mention that the drinks is sold by the stall on the other side of the road from Baan Yai Pad Thai. Both the Green Tea with milk and the Thai Tea with milk is very good.

A pad Thai with shrimp and a green tea will set you back 90 bath.

To conclude, Baan Yai Pad Thai is probably top 10 in Bangkok, but falls short of for example Pad Thai Sala Daeng, Pad Thai Ekkamai or Eat Pad Thai in Dinso Road. If Baan Yai Pad Thai is a Bib Gourmand, the Michelin Guide needs to triple the size of the guide. I give them credit for at least trying to specify why they favor Baan Yai Pad Thai as they don’t give any guidance for most of their recommendations, but things should be correct.

Name: Baan Yai Pad Thai

Food: Pad Thai

Price: 5o bath to 80 bath

Open: Around 3-4 pm to midnight

Address: 108 Soi Inthamara 47, Din Daeng

How to get there: Take the MRT either to Huai Khwang station or Suthisan station and walk from there.