[Yokohama] BAAN PHADTHAI at Hammerhead: Testing the Hard-to-Book Bangkok Original’s Reputation over a Family Lunch

We visited BAAN PHADTHAI, a pad thai specialty restaurant on the second floor of Yokohama Hammerhead — the first Japanese branch of the Bangkok original, which has been listed as a Michelin Bib Gourmand every year since the Bangkok guide launched in 2018. I had wanted to come for a while, but both lunch and dinner prime slots were always fully booked. At last, with a reservation secured, the three of us — my wife, our daughter, and I — sat down to lunch.

Daikon mochi, gapao rice, and two kinds of pad thai

We ordered daikon mochi, gapao rice, crab pad thai (¥2,530), and grilled pork pad thai (¥1,705). On a family trip to Thailand, the gapao rice and pad thai we had at a restaurant in ICONSIAM left a delicious memory. It was with that taste in mind that I waited for the plates to arrive.

Pad thai you season yourself

Here, it turns out, the kitchen deliberately keeps the seasoning light and lets you finish the dish to your own taste with the condiments lined up on the table.

That is the authentic Thai way, I suppose. But to be honest, I have to say the pad thai I ate in Thailand tasted better to me. Perhaps memory flatters the past — still, I believe a record of food is only worth keeping when it is honest.

And yet, it was a good afternoon

Reservations still seem hard to come by, and I am quietly curious how long this popularity will last. Above all, the weather was beautiful, and a table shared by the three of us made for a genuinely pleasant lunchtime. There is a kind of richness in such an afternoon that cannot be measured by taste alone.

Notes from the day

• BAAN PHADTHAI, on the 2nd floor of Yokohama Hammerhead; open 11:00–22:00. Prime lunch and dinner slots fill up, so book ahead
• Dishes roughly ¥858–¥2,530 as of our visit — check official info for the latest menu and prices
• The pad thai comes lightly seasoned — finish it your way with the table condiments
• We shared daikon mochi, gapao rice, crab pad thai, and pork pad thai among three
• Check the official site for the latest hours and reservation details

For more on how we enjoy this waterfront complex, see our essay on an ordinary holiday at Yokohama Hammerhead. Facility details are on the official Yokohama Hammerhead website.