Pad See Ew, a Thai street-food classic and restaurant favorite — stir-fried wide rice noodles with soy sauce, shrimp and baby bok choy.
In my twenties, living in Chicago, my friend Carol introduced me to a tiny “secret” Thai restaurant tucked in the lobby of a transient hotel. She kept it quiet so it wouldn’t get crowded, but it was already a favorite. Every visit included Pad See Ew — rich, savory-sweet stir-fried noodles that always hit the spot.
Pad See Ew translates roughly to “fried soy sauce.” It’s a milder, sweeter noodle dish than Pad Thai and is traditionally made with wide rice noodles, beef and Chinese broccoli. At the little restaurant, Sukhumvit, we always ordered it with beef and Thai broccoli and jazzed it up with chopped peanuts and a jar of vinegar steeped with chilies from the condiments on the table.
About 14 years ago I found a version of Pad See Ew made with shrimp, and it became my go-to at home. The dish is straightforward, though some ingredients are easier to find at an Asian market than a typical grocery store. I swapped Thai broccoli for baby bok choy — I trim the ends and break the heads into pieces — which works beautifully and is my preference these days. I finish the dish with chopped roasted peanuts and thinly sliced Thai bird chilies; the vinegar-chili condiment is optional but traditional.
Use wide rice stick noodles for the best texture. I usually keep dried rice sticks on hand, but if you can find fresh wide rice noodles (Sen Yai), they’re even better. Avoid very thin rice vermicelli, which won’t give the same chewy, satisfying bite.
Shrimp Pad See Ew has become a household favorite — even the picky eater in my life loves it. If you enjoy balanced sweet and savory flavors and a touch of heat, this is a recipe to add to your rotation.
Best, Kelly 🍴🐦
You might also want to try:
- Thai Curried Sweet Potatoes and Chicken
- Easy Coconut Curry Salmon
- Instant Pot Chicken Pho Ga
- Wafuu Chicken Curry
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UPDATED: Originally posted in November 2016; refreshed in February 2020 with no changes to the original copy.
Shrimp Pad See Ew
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Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon Asian fish sauce ~ I like Red Boat brand
- 1 tablespoon miso paste
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 4 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce ~ I like Kikkoman
- 1 lb baby bok choy (or regular), ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 12 ounces wide rice stick noodles, dried ~ Fresh wide rice noodles (Sen Yai), if you can find
- ¼ cup plus 2 tbsp canola oil
- ¾ pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
- Kosher salt
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 3 Thai bird chilies, thinly sliced (or serrano)
- 2-3 tablespoon chopped roasted, salted peanuts
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a small bowl whisk together fish sauce, miso, oyster sauce, sugar and soy sauce. Set aside.
- Add the bok choy to the boiling water and cook 2 minutes until crisp-tender. Remove to a plate. Add the noodles to the water and boil until still firm but pliable, about 5 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and toss with 1 tablespoon oil. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a very large nonstick skillet. Add shrimp, sprinkle with a little salt, and cook until just pink, about 2 minutes. Remove shrimp to the plate with bok choy.
- Add the remaining ¼ cup oil to the pan and heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about 15 seconds (do not burn). Add the eggs and scramble slightly for 30 seconds. Add the noodles and toss, then pour in the soy sauce mixture and toss again. Cook without stirring until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir and flip the noodles once, then cook until lightly browned, about 3 more minutes. Add the shrimp and bok choy, toss until heated through. Transfer to a serving platter or bowls, sprinkle with peanuts and chilies, and serve with lime wedges. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
If you want the traditional pickled chili vinegar condiment: slice a couple of long red chilies (preferably prik chi fa), place them in a container and cover with plain white vinegar by about an inch. Do not use Thai bird chilies for this or Japanese-style rice vinegar. Let steep at room temperature for 24–48 hours, then refrigerate.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 85 g
Protein: 31 g
Fat: 21 g
*Adapted from Mai Pham, Food & Wine, September 2005