I haven’t been to Thailand yet, nor have I tasted all the Pad Thai available in the many restaurants around the city, but I’ve had enough to say that, for me, this is the best Pad Thai in Lisbon. There, I’ve said it!
Not even in all the Asian restaurants we’ve visited have I found one of these Thai delicacies – the best known of all – that was so delicious and well prepared… and it’s not as easy to master as it looks.
The Pad Thai recipe (the basic version)
If you’ve never had a good plate of Pad Thai, considered the calling card of Thai cuisine, you should know that it consists of rice noodles wok-fried with eggs, tofu, dried shrimp, garlic, onion, palm sugar and tamarind and fish sauces.
It is usually served in deep bowls with bean sprouts, toasted peanuts, coriander and lime slices, making this dish a combination of sweet, salty and acidic flavors .
This is the most common version, which you can easily find in any restaurant and which you can also cook at home, but the recipe that Nuno Colaço gave me to try takes all these ingredients (and a few more, carefully kept secret) to a new dimension.
“The Pad Thai at Mixed Martial Rice
But who is Nuno Colaço, you might ask?! The story of this creative/cook could be made into a movie, but the owner of Mixed Martial Rice in Benfica has already been told on so many other pages that it’s his Pad Thai (and more) that we’re going to focus on today.
Praised by several famous chefs, such as Henrique Sá Pessoa and Kiko Martins, this man’s Pad Thai is divine.
And it wasn’t even the most common recipe that surprised us! His Pad Thai with Smoked Tofu and Mushrooms is one of those things that shouts to the heavens. Even after tasting the Original, we ate this healthier version until there was absolutely nothing left, plate clean!
You won’t find this specialty on Mixed Martial Rice’s current menu , as it’s a dish created especially for the Pad Thai Festival in Lisbon, organized by Nuno for the second year running, with the support of the Thai Embassy in Lisbon.
You can therefore try it until November 11… but rest assured that we’ve already left Nuno a “wedge” to include it in his main menu.
On the menu at Mixed Martial Rice
In this small, friendly restaurant, the food is unpretentious and this is perhaps one of the most “secret” ingredients.
The starter you can’t miss, as it’s another of the house’s most popular specialties, is the Tom Yum Goong Soup (€8.90), made with the traditional Thai prawn broth where sweet and citrus – slightly spicy – meet for an explosion of flavors. Ringo was a bigger fan than me… perhaps because he’s not a big fan of coconut milk.
Moving on to the main dishes, Pad Thai of course, you can choose between the Original (chicken or prawns) and the Rainbow (vegetarian) for €14; and the Red Curry Pad Thai: prawns (€15.50), chicken (€14.50) and veggie (€14).
Coming to Mixed Martial Rice is all about trying these dishes, but if you’re not a fan, opt for one of the various rice or curries, with prices ranging from €12.70 to €15.
All of this was accompanied by the best Asian, Thai and Japanese beers and, at the end, we even tried the much-praised Passion Fruit Mousse (€3.90), which once again didn’t suit the palate of the person writing these lines, but which was spectacularly devoured by our cameraman .
And yes, the little ones will also love Mixed Martial Rice, not only because the décor is themed around Asian dolls (and more), but they can also try a menu just for them: Mix kids (14€), which includes simple rice with chicken sautéed with a fried egg, with a choice of two toppings and a drink.
A “fresh” novelty
But that’s not all! We’ve just learned that every Saturday you can try a new ramen in town, Thai Ramen, made with Japanese noodles, but with Thai broths and ingredients.
Sounds delicious, doesn’t it? We had to go and try the two versions created by Nuno Colaço, one with chicken and the other vegetarian.
When we left the restaurant, our bellies full not only of Pad Thai but also of a good chat with the friendly Nuno, we told him that it was a sacrilege that this place wasn’t better known and that more people could try his delicious Pad Thai.
The geography in which it is located, a little away from the city center, explains a lot, but whenever you feel like one of these delicacies, or other Thai cuisine, it might be a good idea to save this spot. It’s impossible not to be a fan!
Address: Rua Cecília Meireles (Mercado de S. Domingos de Benfica)
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 12pm to 3pm and from 7pm to 10.30pm
Reservations: call 21 050 68 48; or 92 746 49 72 (WhatsApp)