Better Than Takeout: Pad Thai with Kitiya Ditpare

NOTE: iphone and ipad users, CLICK HERE to register for class.

Pad Thai is one of Thailand's most iconic dishes, but it's also one of the most commonly misunderstood outside of Thailand. The version you've seen at your local takeout spot—super-sweet, maybe a little gummy and overly mild— bears little resemblance to the real thing. Kitiya Ditpare, the creator of Thai Eats, is here to set the record straight. In this livestream class, Kitiya will teach you her Pad Thai, a recipe she developed through years of studying Thai home cooking and building a business whose mission is to bring Thai flavors to a wider audience.

We start with the fundamentals: why tamarind paste is non-negotiable (and what makes a good one), how to shop for rice noodles, and the simple formula of fish sauce, palm sugar and tamarind that gives Pad Thai its characteristic balance of salty, sour and sweet. Kitiya will walk you through her step-by-step wok technique—getting the heat right, stir-frying tofu to a perfect golden brown, scrambling eggs with the same confidence and purpose as a Thai street vendors—and show you why a screaming-hot pan makes all the difference. You'll learn when to add each ingredient and why the sequence does truly matter. Finally, you'll top your noodles with the finishing touches that make this dish so satisfying: crushed roasted peanuts, fresh bean sprouts and a bright squeeze of lime. This is a class for anyone who's ever wanted to cook Thai food at home with real confidence and real results.


About Kitiya: Chef Kitiya grew up in her family’s Bangkok restaurant, where Thai cuisine—spicy, bold, and soulful—became her legacy. In 2005, she moved to the U.S., absorbing the food cultures of New York, D.C., and Chicago before settling in San Francisco. In 2019, she launched Kitiya as a catering business through La Cocina’s women’s food incubator. In 2023, she started Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), turning her family’s recipes into all-natural, vegan, and gluten-free Thai sauces and southern Thai curry pastes. Her products are now stocked at various retailers, including Bi-Rite, Luke’s Local, and Rainbow Grocery Store in San Francisco. Kitiya blends heritage with innovation to offer clean-label, authentic Thai flavors.

Thank you to our 2026 annual sponsors, Wulf’s Fish and Savenor’s Market. Together, Wulf’s and Savenor’s provide premium seafood and gourmet meat to chefs and home cooks across the country. Use code MILKSTREET10 for 10% off orders from Wulf’s (t.ly/REVSO) and Savenor’s (t.ly/CRwjA).

If you have any questions about this class, please don't hesitate to get in touch via cookingschool@177milkstreet.com.

This event has limited spots and you must register in advance via Eventbrite in order to attend. One sign-up covers one device. Payments for Milk Street livestream events are non-refundable. If you find yourself unable to attend, you may transfer the ticket to someone else, but we are unable to refund fees and all payments are final.

Closed Captioning is available for all Milk Street virtual events.

Immediately after registering, you will get a confirmation email that contains the Zoom meeting log-in information. One week prior to the class (or within 48 hours, if you register less than one week in advance), you will receive instructions on how to prepare ingredients and equipment in order to cook along, if you choose.

After class, you will receive a recording of the event, as links to any additional recipes and resources that may come up. NOTE:The recording link is only available online for one month following each event. If you’d like to have access to the recording for longer than that, you'll need to save the recording locally by clicking on “download” on the top right corner of the recording page.

Bonus: All attendees of this class will receive a one-time 20% off coupon to the Milk Street Store after class.