Do you know the difference between pad thai and pad see ew, or boat noodles, drunken noodles, and pink noodles?
Pad thai is undoubtedly one of the best-known dishes to come from Thailand, tantalising tastebuds with that tasty tamarind flavour. While it is often regarded as Thailand’s national dish, it is just one of the many noodle dishes enjoyed throughout the country. With a varied topography, the Southeast Asian country boasts a slew of regional specialities worth ticking off your bucket list.
When venturing through the foodie’s paradise or simply looking to recreate epicurean travels from home, go beyond pad thai and try out these eight essential noodle dishes: expect complex, layered flavours, with loads of spice and aromatics along the way.
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1. Pad see ew
Simple yet full of flavour, pad see ew literally translates to “stir-fried soy sauce noodles.” As its name suggests, this popular noodle dish builds upon a soy sauce base with other ingredients like oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, and fish sauce to create a bold, delicious dish. Caramelising the sauce not only imparts pronounced umami notes but also accentuates its sweet and salty flavours while creating a luscious mouthfeel that coats the noodles. It typically uses wide, fresh rice noodles, and is combined with gai lan (Chinese broccoli), egg, and your protein of choice.
Tatler tip: if you love pad see ew, try out guay tiew kua gai—a stir-fried chicken and roasted noodle dish with a smokey char.
Related: Asian noodles 101: What’s the difference between these 6 noodle families?