Name: Thai Pad See Ew
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Southeast Asian
Ingredients: 400g fresh wide rice noodles (sen yai); 200g chicken thigh or tofu, sliced thin; 2 cups Chinese broccoli (kai lan), cut into pieces; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 eggs; 3 tbsp dark soy sauce; 1 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tbsp oyster sauce; 1 tsp sugar; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; White pepper

Wide rice noodles charred in a screaming hot wok with dark soy sauce, Chinese broccoli, and egg.

The Cultural Story

Pad see ew means "fried with soy sauce" and it is Thailand's ultimate comfort noodle. The magic is wok hei — the smoky, charred flavor that only comes from cooking at extreme heat. Street vendors in Bangkok achieve temperatures home kitchens cannot, which is why the best pad see ew always comes from a cart on the sidewalk. The wide, flat rice noodles (sen yai) should be soft inside but charred on the outside.

Ingredients

400g fresh wide rice noodles (sen yai)
200g chicken thigh or tofu, sliced thin
2 cups Chinese broccoli (kai lan), cut into pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
3 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
White pepper

Instructions

1Separate the noodles gently — they stick. Do not rinse with water.
2Heat wok until smoking hot. This is essential. Add oil and swirl.
3Add garlic, then immediately add chicken. Stir-fry 2 minutes until cooked.
4Push everything to one side. Crack eggs into the empty side. Scramble briefly, then mix together.
5Add noodles. Do NOT touch them for 30 seconds — let them char on the bottom. Then flip.
6Add dark soy, light soy, oyster sauce, and sugar. Add Chinese broccoli. Toss everything together for 60 seconds. The whole dish should take under 5 minutes in the wok. Serve with chili flakes and white pepper.

Community Reviews (1)

Noi S. ★★★★★

The secret really is the hot wok. I used a cast iron pan on the highest burner setting and got real wok hei. Do not stir for that first 30 seconds.

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