Pad Thai

Tamarind sauce meets Elvis

Thailand Plaza is known for live entertainment (from opera singers to Elvis Presley impersonators) as well as food. Its generous portion of pad Thai begins with stir-fried chicken, shrimp, egg and tofu, then sticky rice noodles are added and the sauce, made from tamarind, sugar, fish sauce and the chef’s secret: shrimp paste. It’s garnished with freshly roasted ground peanuts, bean sprouts and Thai lettuce.

(Pad Thai, $7.95.) Thailand Plaza Restaurant, 2nd floor, 5321 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, (323) 993-9000.

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The omelet comes first

Saladang Song starts with a paper-thin omelet, and the rest of the ingredients are assembled on top of it: the rice noodles, the sauteed tofu, shrimp and chicken, the sauce (sugar and tamarind with a pinch of paprika for color) and the bean sprouts, roasted peanuts and chopped green onions. The dish comes loosely wrapped in the egg crepe.

(Pad Thai, $7.95.) Saladang Song, 383 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, (626) 793-5200.

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You want the big-city version?

Bangkok Four at South Coast Plaza makes Bangkok-style pad Thai. First, egg, shrimp and chicken are stir-fried; then rice noodles are added along with lime juice, fish sauce, rice vinegar and sugar. The bean sprouts and ground peanuts go on once this is all tossed together, and the dish is garnished with extra bean sprouts. If you like it spicy, they’ll add some crushed peppers to the sauce.

(Pad Thai, $11.50.) Bangkok Four, South Coast Plaza, 3333 S. Bear St., Costa Mesa, (714) 540-7661.

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A winner in a large wok

At Natalee Thai, this dish is cooked over high heat in a large Chinese wok. It starts with the usual tofu, shrimp and chicken, then the egg is mixed in, then it’s tossed with cooked rice noodles and the sauce: vinegar, sugar and shrimp paste. It’s topped with sweet lettuce, bean sprouts, slivered onions and minced cilantro for serving; peanuts, limes and peppers come on the side.

(Pad Thai, $7.75; to go, $6.95.) Natalee Thai, 998 S. Robertson Blvd., Beverly Hills, (310) 855-9380; or 10101 Venice Blvd., Palms, (310) 202-7003.

-- Jessica Strand