Pad see ew

Pad see ew is a Thai stir-fried noodle dish made with wide flat rice noodles, Chinese broccoli, egg and a dark soy seasoning. The name comes from the Thai words for "fried" and "soy sauce".

What it really is

Pad see ew is built on wide fresh rice noodles that are fried in a very hot wok until the edges char slightly and the noodles stay soft and intact. The noodles are seasoned with light soy sauce and dark soy sauce, which gives the dish its colour and a faint caramel flavour, and are cooked with Chinese broccoli (kailan), garlic, and egg scrambled into the noodles. Chicken, pork, beef or tofu is the usual protein, and some cooks add a little sugar or oyster sauce.

It is closely related to pad thai, but pad thai is a sweeter, tamarind-based noodle dish that is usually made with thin noodles and includes peanuts. Pad see ew has no tamarind and no peanuts, and its noodles are wide and flat rather than thin. The dish is also distinct from rad na, which uses the same type of noodles in a thick gravy.

How it's served

• Served hot on a plate as a single-dish meal, usually with a small dish of ground dried chilli and vinegar with chillies on the side.
• Eaten with a fork and a spoon, with the spoon used to help lift the noodles.
• Often sold from street stalls and in noodle shops, where it is ordered by the choice of meat.
• Commonly eaten alone, though some diners add a side of pickled chillies or a light soup.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the noodle as wide rice noodles and state the protein, for example chicken, pork, beef or tofu.
• List egg and soy sauce, which contain EGGS, SOY and WHEAT if wheat-based soy sauce is used.
• State Chinese broccoli as a key vegetable so guests know what to expect.
• Mention the heat level, since the dish is normally mild and chilli is served separately.