Thai restaurants · UKnearme

Pad See Ew in the UK: what it is, how to order it, where to find it

Quick answer

Pad see ew is wide flat rice noodles stir-fried with dark soy, egg, Chinese broccoli and a choice of meat, smoky from a hot wok. A Thai-Chinese street staple, savoury and gently sweet rather than spicy, it is the comfort noodle of the Thai menu and a foil to the sharper pad thai.

Calories and nutrition

Calories
560

450–700 kcal

Protein
26 g
Carbs
70 g
Fat
20 g
Salt
3.0 g

Portion: One portion, about 350 g.

Dark soy makes it higher in salt; a savoury, filling noodle dish.

Estimates for a typical portion, based on standard UK and USDA food composition data. Actual values depend on the recipe and the restaurant.

What it is

Wide fresh rice noodles (sen yai) are stir-fried over fierce heat with dark and light soy, a little sugar, egg, garlic, Chinese broccoli (gai lan) and beef, chicken or pork. 'Pad see ew' means 'stir-fried with soy sauce'. It is not spicy; the flavour is savoury-sweet soy with the char of the wok (wok hei), and chilli is added at the table from the condiment tray. The wide noodles should be a little charred and chewy, the greens still crisp.

How to judge it

Smoky, savoury and gently sweet, the noodles lightly charred and not greasy or clumped, the egg and greens distinct. A pale, oily, sweet version has lost the wok char that defines it. A very hot wok is the technique. Its spicier cousin, pad kee mao (drunken noodles), uses the same noodles with chilli and holy basil.

Pad see ew versus pad thai

Pad see ew uses wide noodles and dark soy, is savoury and not sour; pad thai uses thin noodles and tamarind and is sweet-sour. Pad see ew is the comfort choice, pad thai the tangy one. Both are wok noodle dishes.

Where it is done well in the UK

Thai restaurants with a hot wok. The list below shows areas with the most Thai restaurants.

How to order it

Order pad see ew for a savoury, smoky, non-spicy noodle; add chilli from the table if you want heat. Its spicier cousin is pad kee mao (drunken noodles). The noodles should be lightly charred, not greasy. Beef is the classic.

Where it's done well

UK councils with the most pad see ew specialists, by restaurant name, in our directory.

Restaurants near you

Search by postcode or use your location to find restaurants likely to serve pad see ew near you.

Make it at home

Serves 2 · 20 min

Ingredients

  • 200 g wide fresh rice noodles
  • 150 g beef, chicken or pork, sliced
  • 100 g Chinese broccoli (gai lan), cut
  • 1 egg, 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp dark soy, 1 tbsp light soy, 1 tsp sugar, white pepper, oil

Method

  1. Heat a wok until smoking. Fry the garlic and meat, push aside and scramble the egg.
  2. Add the noodles and both soys and the sugar, and toss hard over high heat to char lightly.
  3. Add the Chinese broccoli, toss until just wilted, season with pepper and serve.

A screaming-hot wok gives the char that makes pad see ew. Do not overcrowd; work in one or two portions.