The first time I ate at Libby’s Thai Bistro, I knew almost immediately that I would become a regular. Each dish I’ve experienced there has been packed with flavor and heat, utterly authentic in the way that it’s cooked and the way that it tastes. The restaurant itself is situated in an unassuming little storefront on State Road 16, but from the moment you walk in the door, you’re hit with a harmonious concoction of delicious smells. So take a seat quickly and put your napkin on your lap, because we’re about to dive into the Tofu Pad Thai.
Pad thai is a traditional dish, commonly served in Thailand as a street food. Since its rise in popularity in the country during World War II, pad thai has secured its place as one of Thailand’s national dishes. So with such roots in tradition and having had such wonderful food at Libby’s before, the bar was set pretty high for this meal. And boy did it deliver.
The Tofu Pad Thai starts with wok-tossed rice noodles. In the wok, the noodles are stir-fried with eggs, bean sprouts, and scallions, all seasoned with garlic. Once the crispy tofu is added in, the dish is served with crushed peanuts and lime for an extra burst of flavor. As with most of the dishes at Libby’s, you can choose your food’s level of heat. But if you’re not all that into spicy dishes, be forewarned – they don’t mess around when it comes to seasoning.
Too often, ordering a vegetarian version of a dish already on the menu means you’re going to have to compromise on flavor. They just remove the meat-based ingredients without adjusting any other part of the recipe. But not so with the Tofu Pad Thai. The traditional recipe is already almost entirely vegetarian, and the sauce coating the noodles, veggies, and tofu is so flavorful on its own that deliciousness is inherent in the dish. A plethora of Thai ingredients in the makeup of pad thai present a complex flavor – garlic, soy sauce, chili pepper, even a little bit of sugar to even things out.
The portions at Libby’s are substantial, but you very well might still want seconds.
Libby’s Thai Bistro is located at 525 State Road 16, Suite 103. Visit them online at www.facebook.com/libbysthaibistro.
Photography by Brian Miller.
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