What is Pad Krapow? The Famous Burger & Fries of Thailand

Thailand
Written By James Kaewanan
plate of pad krapow with fried egg

A plate of deliciously spicy Pad Krapow paired with a golden fried egg from Phed Mark

What Exactly is a Pad Krapow?

For a recipe for Pad Krapow look here: Authentic Thai Basil Stir Fry (Pad Krapow)

Forget Pad Thai or Shrimp Tom Yum, more people ought to know about Pad Krapow.

Translated and known in the Western world as “Stir Fried Holy Basil” and also known by many spellings such as: Pad krapao, pad krapow, or pad kraphrao, this dish is a classic stir fried holy basil dish with your choice of protein.

Possible protein options include:

  • Beef

  • Pork

  • Chicken

  • Seafood (Most common are shrimp and/or squid)

  • Tofu

It is arguably the most popular and easy Thai dish that is available in virtually every Thai restaurant in Thailand and abroad. Spicy, salty, meaty, and a comfort food for many, you’ll often hear Thai people craving this dish after they return home from travelling abroad. If that doesn’t convince you how beloved this dish is then I don’t know what will.

Fun Fact: Some of the first survivors of the Tham Luang Cave incident asked for Pad Krapow as their first meal after being stuck in the cave for 2 weeks

Pad Krapow is considered a fast food in Thailand, I use the term fast food loosely because contrary to the general ideas of fast food being fattening and unhealthy, fast food in this context means it’s a quick, easy, and a relatively healthy meal that you can order or make.

Thai people typically have this meal at any time of the day: breakfast, lunch, or dinner and is almost always served with rice and a fried egg as an optional (but absolutely necessary) addition.

Wait, a Fried Egg?

The title mentions the “Burgers and Fries of Thailand”, therefore if the krapow and rice is the burger then the fried egg is of course, the fries.

Fried in a a lot of oil, the egg white turns golden and crunchy while the egg yolk is still raw and oozing, you can ask them to have the yolk fully cooked, nothing wrong at all, just personal preference. If you aren’t a fan of raw eg yolk, I encourage you to try it here. Nothing is better in life than an oozing egg yolk over a smoking hot bed of krapow.

thai street food chef cooking wok fire

A street food chef masterfully handling the wok.

Ingredients in a Pad Krapow

The star of the dish is the “Bai Krapow” or Thai Holy Basil. Not to be confused with regular basil, this herb gives the dish its signature pungent aroma and flavor. Holy Basil leaves are spicy and peppery and that’s the unique flavor that is radiating from this dish.

The ingredients in a plate of Pad Krapow are: protein, garlic, Thai chilies, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and of course holy basil.

Of course, the recipes vary from vendor to vendor but these are the basic ingredients. You might have seen pad krapaw with other vegetables like onions, carrots, baby corn, etc… No. Traditional pad krapow do not have these vegetables and as a Thai it hurts us like how it hurts Italians when you put pineapple on pizza.

Looking to fully immerse yourself into Thai culture? What better way to do it than to attend a fun cooking class! The Siamese Cookery House in Bangkok is a 100 year old building that provides classes to teach you how to cook 4 traditional Thai dishes, in addition, you’ll be gathering the ingredients at a local Thai fresh produce market! If you book at the link above, you can enjoy the best prices currently available!

History

Holy Basil was discovered around 2500 BC and has been a vital part of Thai cuisine ever since it’s discovery. However, the origins of this particular dish is more clouded in uncertainty.

Some accounts claimed that this dish was mentioned and promoted in Thailand during the second World War as part of the Thai Cultural Mandates to bring Thailand together as a unified nation. Another less well known and obscure Thai dish you’ve probably never heard of, the Pad Thai, was also promoted in the mandates.

Ever since then, the Pad Krapao has become a staple in the vast repertoire of Thai dishes.

Recommended Places in Thailand

phed mark wiens restaurant

Mark Wiens’ very spicy restaurant, Phed Mark

Street Food Stalls and Shops

The majority of Thai street food places serves this dish. In fact, maybe all of them. These places are called Ahan Tam Sang shops which roughly means to “Food up to you”. Like the name suggest, the chef will cook up every every-day Thai food imaginable, these places are popular with mainly office workers, construction workers, and delivery drivers as these are quick and easy shops where you can just order what you want, eat, and continue on with your day.

The recipes and flavor varies of course but since this is such a well known dish, you’d have to practically hunt down a stall that serves a poor quality version. Every stall will surely satisfy your Pad Krapow cravings. However, some places don’t automatically pair the dish with a fried egg, this is normal so you would have to order the egg extra if you want it.

You can find plates of Pad Krapow for around 40-80 THB or 1-3 USD here.

Phed Mark, Location: Phed Mark Restaurant

Reading this article, you’re probably foodie right? Or at least, someone who enjoys food. No doubt then you will have heard of Mark Wiens. A world famous food blogger and YouTuber. Phed Mark (pronounced: Ped - Mark, not “Fed” - Mark) is Mark Wiens' restaurant that specializes solely in Pad Krapow.

Mark Wiens is a big spice lover, his signature slogan “Mai Phed, Mai Gin” (“Not Spicy, Not Eating”) is on full display at this restaurant. The name is a fun play on words, with “phed mak” meaning “very spicy”. If you don’t like puns you can look at it another way, “Phed Mark” can also mean “Spicy Mark (Wiens)”. Make of that what you will.

A plate of Pad Krapow here can be a little more expensive compared to what you can find in street food stalls. But be warned, the flavors here are intense. Phed Mark uses a mixture of different types of herbs and chilli pastes. The resulting dish is probably one of the most complex and spicy Pad Krapows you can find.

The price is around 150-250 THB or 4-7 USD, A little expensive compared to other places but well worth it.

My Review for Phed Mark: Phed Mark - Intensely Flavorful Krapow by Mark Wiens!

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James Kaewanan
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