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Phed Mark Bangkok: The Best Pad Kaprao
Address: 928 Sukhumvit Rd, Bangkok, 10110, Thailand
Cost: ฿
Opening times:
Every day; 10am-7pm
Must try dish: Pad Kaprao
Does Mark Wiens restaurant, Phed Mark, do the Best Pad Kaprao in Bangkok? And is it really that spicy?
YouTube foodie sensation Mark Wiens is famous for his love of spicy food. So, it’s no surprise that the food at Mark Wiens’ Bangkok Restaurant Phed Mark, which he opened with his 3 friends in Bangkok in 2019, packs a real punch. Especially considering the word ‘phed’ in Thai means ‘spicy’.
The three friends in question are famous Bangkok chef and restaurateur Gigg Kamol, food critic Khun Tan and Actor and designer Pongtap Anurat.
Phed Mark specialises in a famous Thai comfort food called Pad Kaprao, which is a stir-fry dish combining holy basil (kaprao), minced meat, garlic and chillies served on rice, with a fried egg sitting on top. Although minced meat is most commonly used in pad kaprao, at Mark Wiens’ restaurant you can choose between beef, pork, Thai sour sausage, wagyu beef and even squid. Plus, there’s a vegetarian version.
“the best pad kaprao in Bangkok”
The concept came about after an evening discussing where to purchase the best Pad Kaprao in Bangkok. They couldn’t all agree so decided to open their own venue. The eatery is very popular among locals. Which is often a good sign. Come lunch time the motorbike taxi drivers, as well as others, descend on the place.
At Phed Mark there are five levels of heat. Starting at the bottom of the scale is No.1 Non Spicy (one yellow chilli). One step up from that at No.2 is the playfully named Very Less Spicy (one red chilli). No.3 is called Less Spicy (two red chillies). It’s starting to get a lot hotter now, with three red chillies signifying the Medium Signature (No.4). And finally, for the brave ones who like it super hot is No.5 VERY Spicy (four red chillies).
First up was the Non Spicy (one yellow chilli). My wife doesn’t do spicy food at all, so this was her choice. It looked perfection, tasted it too. Having a former Iron Chef Thailand winner (Chef Gigg) work on the creation of the dish definitely has its benefits. I’ve never seen a more golden looking yolk in a fried egg. And the trick is to break that yolk and mix it in. Therefore, if you can’t handle the heat level, No.1 is the dish for you.
How hot does it get?
Very Less Spicy (one red chilli level) is if you want a slight kick to your Pad Kaprao. For those of you who like to keep the heat down, but still want a bit of that spicy Mark Wiens experience. You may not yet need the water and tissues pictured above, but I guarantee if you go any higher on the spice levels, you will very soon. Moving up a notch to Less Spicy (two red chillies level), you are definitely going to start feeling that spiciness get stronger after each bite and that water might start to come in handy.
When does it start to get really spicy?
Next up was the Medium Signature (three chilli level). Again, looked perfection, just like the previous ones, although noticeably more chillies. And, you can definitely taste them. It’s got one hell of a kick to it. I had to slow down and order another water. Actually a few waters were ordered during this dish. My mouth was burning, but I loved the experience. I love spicy food, and this certainly didn’t disappoint. I just couldn’t believe there was a level above this.
Too hot to handle?
The local taxi driver next to me had the VERY Spicy (4 red chillies level) and he even added more chillies himself! I definitely reached my limit with the Medium Signature. Maybe I will be brave enough to tackle the Very Spicy on my next visit.
Business is Booming
The dish itself is fresh, tasty and even caters to people who can’t handle the heat, right up to people who like it hot, hot, hot. They’ve also now taken over the shop next door and extended the seating area. Which shows business is booming. So, is the food really that spicy at Phed Mark? Yes! Can you also choose no spice or less spice? Yes! Is it one of the best pad kapraos in bangkok? Without a doubt, Yes!
Should you visit Mark Wiens' restaurant?
In conclusion, Mark Wiens’ Bangkok Restaurant Phed Mark, is great value, has one of the best pad kapraos in town and is well worth a visit if you’re in Bangkok.
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See my other best restaurants in Bangkok here.