Pad See Ew

Pad See Ew (Thai Stir-Fried Wide Rice Noodles)

A beloved Thai street-food classic from the hawker stalls of Bangkok, featuring wide rice noodles seared over punishing heat to coax out 'wok hei' — that elusive breath of the wok.

Prep

15 min

Cook

10 min

Total

25 min

Serves

2 to 3

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz) fresh wide rice noodles (sen yai), about 6 mm / ¼ inch wide; fresh is essential for proper charring. If unavailable, dried wide rice noodles soaked per package directions are acceptable but will not char as well.
• •200 g (7 oz) Chinese broccoli (gai lan), stems separated and sliced on the diagonal into bite-sized pieces, leaves left whole
• •150 g (5½ oz) chicken thigh fillet (or pork loin), sliced thin; traditional Pad See Ew Sai Tua also uses firm tofu (~200 g / 7 oz) plus a ¼ cup dried soybeans, but the meat version is most common at Bangkok carts
• •2 large eggs eggs
• •4 cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) dark soy sauce (see khiao), this is the sweet, viscous Chinese-style dark soy used for colour, not Thai thin soy — do not substitute
• •20 ml (4 tsp) light soy sauce
• •10 g (2 tsp) sugar, palm sugar preferred; white sugar is acceptable
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) oyster sauce, look for Thai brand such as Maekhruea; for vegetarian version use mushroom oyster sauce
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) neutral cooking oil, rice bran, canola, or peanut oil
• •5 ml (1 tsp) white vinegar, for prepping noodles to prevent clumping
• •white pepper, to taste, ground, not black
• •1 pinch salt

Steps

1. 1 If using fresh noodles, loosen them by tossing with the white vinegar and a drizzle of oil — this prevents clumping and helps the noodles sear rather than steam in the wok.
2. 2 Mix the sauce in a small bowl: dark soy, light soy, oyster sauce, sugar and a generous pinch of white pepper. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Set by the stove — once the wok is hot, you have about 90 seconds.
3. 3 Heat a wok over the highest possible flame for 3 to 4 minutes until just smoking. Add the oil and swirl to coat. Add the chicken (or pork) and spread in a single layer; leave undisturbed for 30 seconds to let it sear, then stir-fry until just cooked through, about 90 seconds. Transfer to a plate.
4. 4 Add the smashed garlic to the same wok with a touch more oil if needed. Stir for 10 seconds until fragrant and barely golden — do not brown.
5. 5 Push the garlic to one side, crack in the eggs, and let them set for 10 seconds before scrambling lightly in the fat.
6. 6 Add the noodles and the Chinese broccoli stems (leaves saved for the last 30 seconds). Fold everything together for about 30 seconds so the noodles soak up the fond on the wok.
7. 7 Pour the sauce around the perimeter of the wok — not on the noodles — so it hits the metal and caramelises. Toss vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes, working the noodles against the hot surface in short bursts to develop char spots. Add the meat back along with the leaves and toss just until the leaves wilt, about 20 seconds.
8. 8 Taste and adjust with extra light soy for salt or a few drops of dark soy for sweetness and colour. The noodles should be glossy, lightly caramelised, with at least a few charred streaks and no limp grey patches.
9. 9 Serve immediately on a warmed plate, traditionally with fish sauce, prik nam som (sliced raw chilies in vinegar with sugar) and white pepper at the table.