Our second night on Ko Tao, Jam and I stumbled upon a small circular foodstand in the center of town. Wooden benches splintered with age provide seats for customers. The menu is scribbled on a slab of chalkboard: pad thai or fried rice- chicken or vegetable- 60 baht, $2.00. Quite enticing for budget travelers like ourselves. The woman behind the counter moves about swiftly as though she is dancing, a dance that has been recited many times over. Each ingredient was prepared before service, then neatly placed in individual bowls. Her makeshift kitchen is a bit cluttered. She cooks out of a wok, scraping it down after each order, seasoned from feeding countless customers. We both order pad thai, chicken and vegetable. Her movements are deliberate, a handful of thin rice noodles are thrown into the wok with a bit of oil, a ladle of sauce follows. And lastly the chicken. She moves it around quickly as not to let it burn. She takes a plate off a stack, neatly placed next to the wok and piles the pad thai on. She hands the plate to Jam with a set of wooden chopsticks encased in plastic. A second tray is brought over, jars placed side-by-side filled with an assortment of sauces and a smaller one with chopped peanuts. She doesn't wait for Jam to taste it, she's already set forth preparing mine. I sprinkle mine with a touch of peanuts. The noodles a bit chewy, the sauce subtly sweet. Each pad thai we've tasted since arriving has been a bit different. A general set of ingredients, a sauce that is unique to that cook. After completing our orders the lady takes a seat, nibbling on bits of vegetables, awaiting her next set of hungry customers.
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