Classic Jet Tila Pad Thai

Place 250g dry medium-width rice stick noodles into a bowl and pour enough warm water (bath-water temperature) to completely cover them. Soak for 1 hour until noodles become soft and pliable.

Slice 95g Thai-style baked tofu in half horizontally, then cut both halves into thin bite-sized rectangular planks.

Cut 4 stalks of garlic chives on a bias into 2-inch long angled strips.

Smash 4 garlic cloves with the flat blade of a knife and roughly chop them into coarse pieces.

Place 50g dry-roasted unsalted peanuts on a cutting board. Lean and press firmly using the bottom edge of a small saucepan to crush them into uneven chunky pieces, then transfer into a small bowl.

Place an inverted bowl over 1 sheet of banana leaf and trace around the rim with a paring knife to cut out two neat round banana leaf circles for plating.

In a mixing bowl, combine 60ml Thai fish sauce, 50g granulated sugar, 45ml tamarind paste, 15ml fresh lime juice, 15ml rice wine vinegar, 15g sweet paprika, and 10ml Sriracha chili sauce. Stir with a spoon until sugar is completely dissolved.

Cut 95g boneless chicken thigh into thin 1-inch strips against the grain.

Heat a heavy cast iron skillet over high heat. Pour in 30ml vegetable oil to coat the pan bottom. When oil is hot and smoking slightly, add 5g dried shrimp, smashed garlic, and tofu planks. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes until garlic is fragrant and tofu begins to soften.

Add 95g sliced chicken thigh to the skillet. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes until chicken is seared on the outside but still light pink in the center.

Push chicken, tofu, and garlic to one side of the pan. Crack 2 eggs into the cleared oiled area. Allow eggs to set for 30 seconds until half-cooked, then lightly scramble and fold into the chicken and tofu, scraping pan bottom before anything burns.

Lift 250g soaked drained rice stick noodles directly out of the water bowl and add to the skillet. Stir-fry and toss continuously for 2 to 3 minutes until noodles soften and become translucent.

Make space at the bottom of the skillet. Add 8 peeled raw shrimp directly onto the hot surface, then sprinkle 20g minced sweet pickled radish over the noodles. Cook for about 1 minute until shrimp turn pink underneath.

Pour all prepared Pad Thai sauce over the noodles. Fold and toss continuously for about 2 minutes until sauce boils, deglazes the pan, and is completely absorbed into noodles turning them reddish-orange. If pan feels dry, sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of noodle soaking water.

Spread noodles into a flat bed in the skillet. Place 120g (half) bean sprouts, 25g (half) crushed peanuts, and cut garlic chives in the center. Fold hot noodles over the vegetables and let steam for 30 seconds off direct heat, then turn heat off.

Lay 1 round banana leaf circle in the center of a wide serving platter. Mound Pad Thai noodles over the banana leaf, placing cooked shrimp and baked tofu neatly on top. Garnish side with 120g remaining fresh bean sprouts, 25g remaining crushed peanuts, and fresh lime wedges. Serve hot.