“Why is an Irish girl working here and not in the Irish pub?” If I got a 20 per cent tip for every time a customer asked me this in the Thai and sushi Boston restaurant where I waitressed on my J1 visa, I might have actually made some money that summer.
That was the summer I fell in love – with the moreish dish that is tofu Pad Thai. This was long before the existence of delivery apps to order Thai food to any Dublin home in a click, and before the chatter of “Chang beer in Koh Samui” could be heard in college bars each September as students recalled their summer travels. Pad Thai was exotic fare.
A welcome daily free meal for wait staff meant my untrained Irish palate discovered Unagi, California Rolls and Massaman Curry. But it was the Tofu Pad Thai to which I kept returning – the soft bite of tofu wrapped in thick noodles, textured with eggs, the zing of scallions and lime filling my mouth, and finally the crunch of crushed peanuts.
What’s your favourite culinary find?
It’s Food Month at The Irish Times, so we at Abroad want to hear from Irish readers overseas about your favourite culinary find. We hear so much about the food Irish people miss when they live abroad (Tayto, brown bread, scones), but what dish or delicacy or drink have you found and do you love in your corner of the world? Is it a type of bun you treat yourself with from your favourite bakery, a dish cooked to perfection in every local restaurant, an unusual fruit or spice in the supermarket or a recipe passed on from a local friend? What do you like about it? Send us a photograph of the food or of you! And if there’s something delicious you really miss about Ireland, tell us about that too.
Irish abroad: We want to hear your stories of life outside Ireland
‘Why’s an Irish girl working in an Asian restaurant and not a pub?’
Bataclan attacks: I was an Irish 13-year-old in Paris and had sneaked out to a party
‘Oh my days, bruv’: When your Irish kids start talking like their English friends
You can let us know what you think using the form below or email abroad@irishtimes.com. Please limit your submissions to 400 words or fewer. Please include a phone number for verification purposes only (we will respect time zones). If you would prefer to remain anonymous, please indicate this in your submission – we will keep your name and contact details confidential.
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