Drunken noodles — no alcohol in the pan, three legends behind the name, one serious level of heat.
Spicy
$12
Where it comes from
No one fully agrees on why pad kee mao means drunkard's noodles. Some say it is the dish flung together after a long night from whatever the kitchen still holds; some say the chili is pitched to cut through a dulled palate; one tale blames a wife spicing her husband's dinner into a lesson. Everyone agrees on the medicine itself: wide noodles, a violent wok, Thai chili and holy basil. We cook it spicy enough to mean it.
Not sure how to judge a plate like this? Read our field guide to the best Thai food in Orange County — five signs of a real Thai kitchen, and what to order once you’re in one.
