Pad Thai is a very common dish in Thailand, and can be found throughout the country. Like a lot of foods in Thailand, the best Pad Thai can be usually be found at the street vendors. Pad Thai’s combination of succulent shrimp on a bed of noodles, surrounded by crispy fresh vegetables makes it a favorite dish with westerners too.  The real secret though to Pad Thai is the sauce, the sour of the tamarind paste should not be overwhelmed by the sweetness of the palm sugar. Add in the fish sauce, and you have a sauce that's equal parts sweet, sour, and salty, perfectly balanced together. This is where Pad Thai's signature taste comes from. Personal tastes being what they are, Pad Thai is usually served with additional lime, chili, peanuts, chives and sprouts on the sides so that people can flavor the dish to their preferences. A quick tip: if you are one of those people who don't like things "too fishy", we'd recommend leaving out the dried shrimp in this recipe.