Pad See Ew
One of Bangkok's most ordered street foods, seared in seconds over a punishing flame. The signature is wok hei, the elusive smoky char that only comes from charring wide rice noodles at maximum heat.
Total time
20 minutes
Serves
2
Difficulty
Easy if your wok runs hot
Origin
Thailand, Bangkok street stalls
"The wok must be hotter than you think. If it is not smoking, it is not Pad See Ew.
"Thai street food maxim
Wide rice noodles are the soul of this dish. Look for fresh ones in the fridge at an Asian grocery. Dried wide rice noodles work if you soak them just shy of softness.
Authentic Pad See Ew uses Chinese broccoli, called gai lan. Regular broccoli or broccolini works in a pinch. Stems go in first, leaves at the very end.
The single biggest failure mode is a wok that is not hot enough. If the noodles steam instead of char, you have lost the dish. Crank to maximum and let the wok smoke before anything goes in.
