Choosing a favourite dish at this electric newcomer – brought to Chinatown by an expat crew casting off from Sydney’s Chat Tha – is like picking a favourite child, but a standout pad thai captures the energy of Bangkok street food in Melbourne. The classic version is pitch-perfect, but you can also see what regionality does to a crowd favourite with the pad thai sen jan. This stripped-back version from coast-hugging Eastern Thailand tosses chewy sen jan rice noodles with egg and king prawns, then finishes it with tamarind, palm sugar and fish sauce for a sweet-sour-savoury assault that’s bracing but balanced. 11 Heffernan Ln, Melbourne; boonchoou.com
Boon Choou, Melbourne CBD