![]() My Thai co-worker and I were standing in front of the rad na vendor in the back of the loud market, busy with the lunchtime rush. He smiled big as he scooped a perfect bite of noodles, gravy, pork and broccoli onto a big metal spoon ready to devour it.īut I went back in time to the bustling market across the street from the tutoring school, where I taught back when my Thai Hubby was just a hot Thai guy that I was dating. He picked up from the table a bottle of Thai Sriracha (which is only used in rad nah when in Sukhothai) and squirted it on the rad nah, sprinkled on some sugar, and a dash of vinegar too. Then the vendor dipped into a huge metal pot the size of a barrel and ladled a luscious, gooey gravy of pork and Chinese broccoli over the soft noodles.Īfter promising to tell his grandma that the vendor says hi, Thai Hubby took the steaming bowl to a metal dark blue table with chipped paint and sat on a rickety plastic blue stool. He had just watched a Thai street food vendor, an older, chubby woman wearing a faded red apron and a big smile, put wide dark brown tinted rice noodles into a faded blue plastic bowl. Thai Hubby arrived at a soi, aka side street, in his home town of Sukhothai, Thailand. Our first bite of rad na, aka lad nah, aka wide rice noodles with gravy, pork and Chinese broccoli was our Delorean that took us there. Some people think Rad Na’s thick soup over gluey noodles is warm and comforting, while I’ve also heard it called “slimy.Thai Hubby and I both zoomed back in time yesterday. This restaurant serves take-away Rad Na with the noodles, gravy, and crispy noodles in different bags, so that the ingredients are not mixed until the customer gets them home. Rad Na, like Khao Soi, might have a nest of deep-fried egg noodles thrown on top, which softens in the gravy but keeps a little bit of crunch. If the place serves a lot of Rad Na, they’ll pull a ladle of sauce from a pre-made pot of gravy. The cook sometimes makes the gravy in the pan after frying the noodles, thickening it with tapioca or cornstarch. Rad Na means “over the face,” since a thick gravy covers these Chinese-style noodles, fried with vegetables, meat, and mushrooms. If there’s no noodle shop nearby, try Mama brand Pad Kee Mao flavored ramen noodles. A plate of Pad Kee Mao looks similar to Pad See Ew, but Pad Kee Mao is spiced with extra garlic, fresh chilies, and Thai basil, making it richer, saltier, and much spicier. Pad Kee Mao’s means “ Drunken Noodles,” presumably because it should be cooked with enough chili to sober you up, or knock out your hangover. Noodle Shop Condiments (Click to enlarge) If you’re trying to make Pad See Ew at home, fry it at the highest heat your stove can handle, and use plenty of oil. Pad See Ew at its best is hot, oily, and silky-textured, and its somewhat bland saltiness is perfect for a dash of chilies in vinegar, fish sauce, and sugar - typical condiments added at the Thai table. This dish is very simple and the high temperature frying is key – this fast, hot cooking chars the noodles, vegetables, and meats. ![]() Wide, fresh rice noodles are fried with dark, sweet soy sauce (a little like Indonesian ketjap), oyster sauce, Chinese broccoli, eggs, and meat in a very hot wok. ![]() Different condiments and a few ingredient switches make a plate of fried noodles into several dishes which you ought to try, whether in Thailand or at your local Thai restaurant. In Thailand, Pad Thai is more likely to be found from a street food cart that specializes in that dish, while other Thai noodle restaurants can turn out a surprising number of fried noodle dishes. Pad See Ew Noodle Dish (Click to enlarge)īetween the soupy bowls of Raad Na or the smokey smell of Pad See Ew, there’s not a single plate of Pad Thai. ![]()
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