Thai Spice

I had lunch from Thai Spice (located in the downtown tunnels) today, and man oh man was it tasty.

Wrapped Shrimp Wonton Soup

Pad Thai Chanburi - rice noodles with bean curd, egg batter, bean sprouts and ground peanuts

The soup and noodles were delicious, but I was only half way through them when I realized I had already eaten too much. Before I knew it I was struggling to keep myself from crawling under my desk to take a nap!

So to help me stay awake, I did a little research on the origin of Pad Thai. As most people might gather, Pad Thai is a national dish of Thailand.

After reading about it on Wikipedia, I've learned that Pad Thai has an interesting history.

Vietnamese traders brought the dish to the ancient Thai capital of Ayuthaya during the 1930s and 40s, and the dish was made popular by the prime minister at the time, Luang Phibunsongkhram (try saying that last name five times fast)!

Mr. Phib (for short) brought the dish to the national stage to reduce rice consumption in Thailand. "The Thai economy was heavily dependent on rice exports, and [Mr. Phib] hoped to increase the amount of it available for export by launching a campaign to educate the poor in the production of rice noodles, as well as in the preparation of these noodles with other ingredients to sell in small cafes and from street carts".

The name, Pad Thai, literally means "Thai-style stir-fried noodles". Recipes and detailed instructions on how to make the noodles were printed and distributed all over Thailand. Thanks, in large part, to Mr. Phib's efforts, rice noodles became firmly rooted in the country and have since become a widespread staple food.

Don't you just love Wikipedia?

The first time I had Pad Thai was at Nit Noi while I was in highschool. That's still one of my favorite Thai places in Houston, but Thai Spice is pretty delicious too. Happy eating!

Thai Spice Cafe

777 Walker St.

at Two Shell Plaza Downtown

713.222.8883