Sections of the menu are labeled Food to Die For" and Something So Special" and the dishes within them tend to earn these distinctions. The food, then, is even more impressive for its sharp perfection — she may be smiling warmly but she is also cooking fiercely: a mix of traditional, mostly northern dishes and her own witty, playful concoctions.

This cozy spot in Woodside is charmingly down-to-earth and homey, thanks to the chef and owner Annie Phinphattakul, who presides over both the dining room and the kitchen and employs her teenage children as waitstaff. It's particularly popular at roadside cafes in Phuket, where it forms an ideal quick-fix beach lunch. At its core, Pad Thai is always a stir-fry dish consisting of rice noodles, egg, chilli and tofu with a variety of accompaniments which often include prawns or chicken.

So ubiquitous is it even in Thailand, that it comes in countless variations. A dish which hardly needs an introduction, Pad Thai is famous the world over. Together with egg, garlic, onions and a delicious seasoning this is an easy to go to meal that can be found at many street vendors.

The meal usually includes some kind of meat, either chicken, shrimp, crab or beef. The famous Thai fried rice is a favourite for almost all locals and tourists. Thai's love their Som Tam really spicy, though you may want to ask for a less spicy version.

Som Tam is easily available all over Thailand, right from a street food vendor's cart, to a Top food and drink in Thailand (thailandtourism.biz) court in a mall, to a fine-dining restaurant. The pork patties and khao soi are also worth ordering at this Northern Thai specialist. With its year-round warm weather, Thai cuisine is home to some of the most serious ‘cue in the world, and Spicy BBQ's barbecued pork is a great example, with a fragrant marinade of turmeric and lime juice marrying those nice caramelized bits on the edge to create a savory profile reminiscent of Korean BBQ.

The important thing is that this dish works: it's simple but scrumptious, a little bit tame and yet still totally Thai. Perhaps it's the sweetening dash of honey that appeals. Perhaps it's the wildly contrasting textures of a dish that saut's chicken alongside roasted cashews, sweet soy sauce, onions, chilies, pepper, carrot and mushrooms.

Pardon the pun, but tourists go nuts for this stir fried dish. Regional variations throw peanuts, dry shrimp or salted crab into the mix, the latter having a gut-cleansing talent that catches many newcomers by surprise! Garlic, chilies, green beans, cherry tomatoes and shredded raw papaya get dramatically pulverized in a pestle and mortar, so releasing a rounded sweet-sour-spicy flavour that's not easily forgotten.

Hailing from the Northeast state of Isaan, this outlandish dish is both great divider - some can't get enough of its bite, some can't handle it - and greatly distinctive. The classic Pad Thai is a stir-fried rice noodle with eggs, fish sauce, tamarind juice, red chilies, bean sprouts, shrimp, tofu and garnished with crushed peanuts and coriander.