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Phat si-io
Pad see ew.jpg
A plate of phat si-io
Type Noodle
Course Lunch, dinner
Place of origin Thailand
Region or state Southeast Asia
Associated national cuisine Thai
Main ingredients Shahe fen, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, garlic, Chinese broccoli, eggs, meat (commonly pork, beef, or seafood) or tofu.

Pad see ew (also called phat si-io or pad siew) is a super popular stir-fried noodle dish from Thailand. You can easily find it from street food sellers and in Thai restaurants all over the world. This tasty dish has its roots in China, where the idea of stir-frying noodles first came from.

What is Pad See Ew?

Pad see ew is a delicious and well-known noodle dish. It's a favorite in Thailand and has become popular globally. The name itself means "fried with soy sauce," which tells you a lot about its main flavors!

How It's Made

This dish is usually cooked in a special pan called a wok. A wok is a large, round-bottomed pan that gets very hot. When the dark soy sauce is added at the end, it sticks to the noodles. This creates a slightly burnt, smoky flavor that makes the dish special. Even if it looks a little charred, that smoky taste is exactly what makes pad see ew so good!

Similar Noodle Dishes

Pad see ew has cousins in other countries too. It's quite similar to char kway teow from Malaysia and Singapore, and also to Cantonese chow fun. It's also like rat na from Thailand or lard na from Laos. The main difference is that pad see ew is usually stir-fried until it's dry and often made with beef. The other dishes are usually served with a thicker sauce and have a lighter taste.

Main Ingredients

To make pad see ew, you need a few key ingredients:

  • Light soy sauce: This is like regular soy sauce.
  • Dark soy sauce: This one is thicker and a bit syrupy.
  • Garlic: For flavor.
  • Broad rice noodles: These are wide, flat noodles called kuaitiao sen yai in Thai.
  • Chinese broccoli: A green leafy vegetable.
  • Egg: Adds richness.
  • Meat or tofu: Thinly sliced pork, chicken, beef, shrimp, or mixed seafood are common choices.

The dish is often finished with a sprinkle of ground white pepper.

Different Kinds of Pad See Ew

Sometimes, pad see ew is called kuaitiao phat si-io. This name highlights that it's usually made with fresh, flat rice noodles. But you can also find variations with other types of noodles:

  • If thin rice noodles are used, it's called sen mi phat si-io.
  • In Southern Thailand, egg noodles are sometimes used. This version is known as mi lueang phat si-io, where mi lueang means "yellow noodle."
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