When Your Buddies Take You to Dinner and You End Up Filming an Episode
Most Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives episodes start with Guy Fieri rolling into town on a mission. This one? It started with a group of friends and a dinner recommendation that was too good to ignore.
Guy was shooting in Bakersfield, California, about 45 minutes away from Taft. His friends, the Morrises and the Houses, insisted on taking him out to dinner at a spot they loved. “After my first bite I knew this joint had to be on Triple D,” Guy said. That joint is Asian Experience.
The Story Behind Asian Experience
Dennis Shirts, a Taft native, and his Thai-born wife Nikki opened Asian Experience in 2006. Rather than going strictly Thai, they created what Guy called “a real Asian experience” — exciting food with flavors you don’t have every day. Dennis runs the front of house while Nikki commands the kitchen, and according to Guy, “the dinner show is on all the time.”
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When asked about his favorite thing on the menu, Dennis didn’t hesitate: it’s got to be the pad thai.
Building a Killer Pork Pad Thai from Scratch
Nikki walked Guy through her process, starting with the tamarind sauce — the foundation of everything. She combined tamarind paste, sugar, salt, and paprika, cooking it down while pork simmered in salt and a bit of soup to create broth in the background.
With the wok screaming hot, Nikki added oil, then sweet radish and garlic, followed by the pork. The rice noodles went in dry — no pre-soaking — letting the tamarind sauce rehydrate them while all those flavors developed together. Egg got scrambled right into the dish, then bean sprouts and onions finished it off, topped with crushed peanuts.
When Guy asked about the spice level, Nikki had a confession: when Dennis is in trouble, she makes his food extra spicy. “Punishing,” she confirmed with a laugh.
Guy’s Verdict on the Pad Thai
Even with the heat cranked up, Guy was impressed. “The tamarind sauce — that’s really what gets the whole party started,” he said. He loved the balance: a little sweet, crunchy peanut, a touch of chili flake coming through. But what really got him was the texture: “I love that the noodles are really al dente. It’s authentic.”
Nikki confirmed she makes it exactly the way her mother taught her, the way her family likes it. Similar to how tradition drives great food at spots like this LEGENDARY Breakfast Spot in Phoenix, the recipes at Asian Experience come from generations of home cooking.
Guy didn’t stop at pad thai, either. He mentioned inhaling the soup — “I think I had about five portions” — and trying the Siamese Sweet and Sour, which he called “absolutely the best Thai food I’ve ever had.”
Tips from Nikki’s Kitchen
Don’t pre-soak your noodles: Let them rehydrate in the sauce itself so they absorb all those tamarind and pork flavors.
Make your tamarind sauce first: This is the backbone of the dish. Get it right before anything hits the wok.
Keep the wok hot: Everything moves fast once cooking starts. Have your ingredients prepped and ready.
The Final Word
Guy’s assessment after multiple visits: “It is the best food in town, probably one of the best Asian experiences I’ve ever had. Outstanding.” His advice? Get in your car, take the family on a road trip, and head to Taft. Whether you’re exploring California eats or checking out joints with standout technique like Grilled Lamb Chops with Charmoula | Big , Asian Experience belongs on the list.
Find Asian Experience and other Triple D stops in our restaurant directory.