Can I substitute other noodles for pad see ew?

Yes! While I do believe that the best version is this classic one made with fresh rice noodles, In Thailand we actually make pad see ew with a couple other different noodles. A common one is sen mee pad see ew made with rice vermicelli . In Southern Thailand I grew up eating pad see ew with egg noodles which is also very good. Some have asked if pad thai noodles can be used instead, and while it is not done in Thailand, and the result will taste quite different, you can certainly try. Follow the soaking instructions in my pad thai recipe , and you'll need to add about 2 Tbsp of water per portion when cooking.

How can I make a vegan pad see ew?

You can use tofu instead of meat. Use firm or extra firm tofu and fry them first until golden to firm up the surface. Then add them to the noodles at the end. You can use vegetarian oyster sauce instead of oyster sauce ( read more about vegetarian oyster sauce here ) and substitute soy sauce for the fish sauce.

Authentic Thai Pad See Ew Recipe (with video)

Description

Chewy-tender fresh wide rice noodles are stir fried with a savory sauce and crunchy Chinese broccoli. There's a reason pad see ew is a cult favorite, and a personal favourite street food dish of mine!

Ingredients

Note: I recommend making 1 serving at a time to maximize noodle toasting, so you may want to split the ingredients in half when doing your prep. All the protein, however, can be cooked all together.

Marinated Meat

8 oz (225 g) protein of your choice, thinly sliced (see note 1)
2 tsp (10 ml) soy sauce for marinating meat, omit if using shrimp or tofu
¼ tsp (1 ml) sugar

Pad See Ew

3-4 Tbsp (45-60 ml)vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large eggs
4-6 stalks (150 g) Chinese broccoli, aka gai lan, stems thinly sliced on a bias, leaves roughly chopped
1 lb (450g) fresh wide rice noodles (ho fun noodles), store bought or make your own (see note 2)
4 tsp granulated sugar
Ground white pepper, to taste
Optional condiment but highly recommended: chili vinegar (prik nam som)

Sauce

2 Tbsp (30 ml) oyster sauce
1 Tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce
1 ½ tsp (7.5 ml) fish sauce
1 ½ tsp (7.5 ml) Golden Mountain sauce, or sub Maggi Seasoning
2 tsp (10 ml) Thai black soy sauce (see note 3)

For descriptions of all these sauces, see blog post above.

Ingredients & Kitchen Tools I Use

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Instructions

For the marinated meat: Mix together the meat, soy sauce, and sugar. If your meat is lean, such as chicken breast or pork loin, add about 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of water to make it a little juicier. Mix well.
If noodles are stuck together, peel them apart into individual strands (if they're cold and hard see note 2). Divide noodles into individual portion as you will cook this one portion at a time (8 oz/225 g of noodles per portion).
Combine all sauce ingredients together and stir to mix well, divide the sauce evenly into individual portions - each portion is 2 Tbsp + 1 tsp (35 ml)
Heat 1 Tbsp (15 ml) of the oil in a well-seasoned wok or a large cast iron skillet over high heat (you want a well-seasoned pans as the noodles will stick otherwise). When hot, add all of the protein and spread them out into a single layer. Let the meat sear until browned on the underside, then toss until they're fully cooked. Remove from the pan and set aside.
From this step onward, I recommend cooking 1 portion at a time for best result: In the same wok, with the heat still off, add 1½ Tbsp (22 ml) oil and 1 portion of the garlic and turn the heat on to medium-high; stir until the smallest bits of garlic starts to turn golden.
Add the egg, break the yolk, let it set just about halfway, then scramble briefly.
Add the Chinese broccoli and toss to coat it in the oil, about 10–15 seconds.
Add 1 portion of rice noodles, 1 portion of the sauce mixture, and 2 tsp of sugar. Turn the heat up to high and toss to coat the noodles evenly in the sauce. Be aware not to let your spatula cut the noodles.
Once coated, spread the noodles out to cover the entire pan and let them sit without stirring for about 15-30 seconds or until some of the noodles have charred. Flip or toss the noodles and let them sit again to char the other side. You may flip the noodles again a couple more times to get more toasting if you wish.
Add 1 portion of the cooked protein back into the pan without adding any meat juices that has accumulated, and toss briefly to mix. Turn off the heat.
Plate the noodles, then quickly wipe the pan clean with paper towel and cook the next serving.
When serving, sprinkle with some ground white pepper and serve with chili vinegar. Enjoy!

Note: Cooking 1 portion at a time is a bit more work, but it is well worth it. If there are too many noodles piled in the wok, it'll trap a lot of steam which can overcook the noodles. It'll also prevent the noodles from charring, which adds an iconic toasty flavour.

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Notes

Beef, chicken, pork and shrimp are common protein options. If using tofu, I recommend using fried tofu or firm tofu which can hold up in the wok well. You can buy tofu already fried at Asian grocery stores or fry your own tofu until a golden brown crust forms.
If your rice noodles come cold and stuck together, do not try to peel them apart cold. Divide them into smaller chunks best you can then spread them on a plate and microwave them for 1 minute. Divide them further, if possible, then microwave them again for another minute. Repeat the heating and separating until the noodles are hot and soft enough to be individually peeled apart.
Black soy sauce adds a dark colour and rich flavour iconic to pad see ew. If not available, sub equal amount of Chinese dark soy sauce and omit the Golden Mountain Seasoning; this is because Chinese dark soy is much saltier than Thai black soy sauce so we need to reduce the saltiness elsewhere. If more saltiness is needed, you can always add a little more soy sauce or fish sauce at the table.