If you’d told me a few years ago that I’d be whipping up Thai pad see ew in my kitchen, I would’ve laughed and offered you a homemade Vegemite sandwich instead. But life has a funny way of throwing curveballs, and one afternoon, I stumbled across a YouTube tutorial from the king of food travel, Mark Wiens (@migrationology). Mark’s enthusiasm for food is contagious, and before I knew it, I was attempting to recreate my first ever Thai dish—Thai pad see ew. Spoiler alert: It was a success (well, mostly), and it quickly became a go-to recipe in my household.
A Noodle Love Story: The Secret to Thai Pad See Ew’s Chewy Goodness
Let’s talk noodles, shall we? The wide, flat rice noodles in pad see ew are the unsung heroes of this dish. When stir-fried, they soak up all that glorious soy sauce goodness, becoming soft, chewy, and just a little bit addictive. If you’re lucky enough to find fresh rice noodles, you’ll experience noodle nirvana, but don’t worry—dried rice noodles will do just fine. A little soak, and they’re ready to rock and roll. No fresh noodles? No problem. They’re like the maple syrup of Canada—you can’t always get the good stuff, but the backup is still pretty darn great.
The Veggie Game: Gai Lan or Bust (Okay, Not Really)
Now, let’s talk greens. No, not the sad, wilty ones you pretend to eat for health, but the crispy, crunchy, and slightly bitter Chinese broccoli (gai lan). It’s the perfect foil to the sweet soy sauce, adding texture and a bit of edge to balance out all the richness. I’ll admit, I once tried to make this with regular broccoli. Let’s just say it wasn’t quite the same experience. More awkward first date than romantic dinner. If gai lan is playing hard to get, though, don’t sweat it. Other leafy greens like pak choy and baby bok choy are totally acceptable substitutes (yes, I’m looking at you, Canadian grocery store where everything costs three times more in the winter).
Protein Perfection: The Meat of the Matter
The beauty of Thai pad see ew is its versatility. Whether you’re a chicken fan, a beef enthusiast, or someone who swears by tofu, you can’t go wrong. If you want that smoky char, just make sure you’re cooking it fast and furious over high heat—no low and slow cooking here! The protein gets a quick sear that locks in flavour, while the noodles happily absorb all that saucy goodness. The best part? You get to pretend you’re a professional chef for a few minutes while tossing everything around like you know what you’re doing. Trust me, it’s the little things in life that count, like the sizzle of your wok.
The Stir-Fry Showdown: How to Achieve That Perfect Smoky Char
Ah, the wok. The heavyweight champion of stir-fries. Don’t panic if you don’t have one—any heavy-bottomed pan will do. The real secret is cooking everything over high heat so you get that signature smoky char (a little wok hei, you know the one that Uncle Roger raves on about). Just toss your protein and veggies in the pan first, then quickly throw in your noodles and the magical sauce—a blend of soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and a whisper of sugar. The sauce will caramelize, clinging to the noodles in all its savoury glory. It’s like watching a cooking show but without the awkward silences and edited-out mistakes.
Why You’ll Fall in Love with Thai Pad See Ew
This dish is a quick, flavour-packed party that’s perfect for when you’re tired of the usual takeout routine (or, you know, when the delivery guy has memorised your order). Whether you’re a comfort food enthusiast or a beginner cook, Thai pad see ew is guaranteed to impress. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a dish that takes barely any time to prepare but makes you feel like a culinary genius? It’s the ultimate win-win. Plus, it’s a great excuse to use your wok, channel your inner Thai street food chef, and reminisce about the time you tried to make this in your student flat and set off the smoke alarm. Good times, good times.
So grab your noodles, get your wok sizzling, and treat yourself to a plate of Thai pad see ew that’ll make you feel like you’re dining on the streets of Bangkok.
Thai Pad See Ew Recipe: A Flavourful Family Favorite
Equipment
- Wok or a large heavy based skillet
- Wok turner or a spatula
- Large bowl
Ingredients
Noodles:
- 200 g dried wide rice noodles or 450g fresh wide flat rice noodles (Thai Sen Yai)
Sauce:
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce or all purpose, Note 3
- 2 tsp white vinegar plain white vinegar
- 2 tsp sugar any type
Stir Fry:
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic cloves finely chopped
- 200 g chicken thighs boneless, skinless, sliced into bite sized pieces
- 1 large egg
- 4 stems Chinese broccoli
Instructions
Preparation:
- Trim the ends of the Chinese broccoli and cut into about 3 inch pieces.
- Separate the leaves from the stems.
- Cut the thicker stems in half vertically.
- Prepare the noodles according to packet directions and drain the excess water. (Time it so they’re cooked just before you need to use them. If you overcook the noodles, they will likely break in the wok.)
- Combine all the ingredients for the sauce until the sugar dissolves.
Cooking Method:
- Add 1 tbsp oil and heat for a few seconds.
- Once oil heats up, add chicken, and stir fry until it changes in colour from pink to white.
- Add garlic, and stir fry for 15 seconds.
- Add Chinese broccoli stems, and stir fry until the chicken is almost cooked through (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add Chinese broccoli leaves, and stir fry until the leaves are just wilted.
- Using your wok turner (or spatula), push everything to one side of the wok.
- Crack the egg in the wok, and scramble using your wok turner (or spatula) in a circular motion.
- Remove everything (chicken, eggs and vegetables) from the wok and onto a prep bowl (i.e. scrape the wok clean).
- Return the empty wok to the stove.
- Heat 2 tbsp oil over high heat until it starts smoking. HOT is key to this dish!
- Add the noodles, and the prepared sauce.
- Toss as few times as possible to disperse the sauce and make the edges of noodles caramelise (about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes).
- Quickly add chicken, egg and vegetables back into the wok, and toss to disperse.
Serve:
- Serve on a platter to enjoy immediately!
Notes
- Pad see ew is traditionally prepared with Sen Yai. These Thai fresh rice noodles which are wide and flat. These are a little difficult to handle. They are also hard to find. (Try every Asian grocery store you can think of until you track it down!) As an alternative, you can use Pad Thai noodles, the widest you can find at your local grocery store.
- The dark soy sauce gives the pad see ew it’s strong dark, caramalized colour. Dark soy sauce has a bolder flavour than your regular, all purpose, light soy sauce. You can substitute the light soy sauce in place of the dark. Having said that, your noodles won’t have the rich colour and strong flavour.
- Warning: Don’t substitute more dark soy sauce for the light soy sauce. The flavour will overpower the rest of the ingredients.
- An alternative to Chinese broccoli are other leafy greens such as pak choy and bok choy. I usually like to use baby bok choy when I can’t find Chinese broccoli.
- This dish is versatile that you can use other proteins instead of chicken. You can try it with beef, tofu and shrimp.