Pad Woon Sen

Pad woon sen is a beloved Thai stir-fry of cellophane glass noodles tossed with egg, vegetables, and a sweet-savoury oyster sauce glaze. Popular as street food and home cooking alike, its translucent, slippery noodles soak up the sauce beautifully. It is lighter than pad thai and quicker to prepare — most street vendors finish a portion in under three minutes.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 200g (7 oz) dried glass noodles (mung bean vermicelli), soaked in cold water 15 minutes, drained
• 200g (7 oz) pork mince, or peeled prawns, or firm tofu crumbled
• 3 tbsp (45ml) oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp (30ml) light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp (15g) sugar
• 2 tbsp (30ml) neutral oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium carrot (100g / 3½ oz), julienned
• 100g (3½ oz) white cabbage, thinly shredded
• 3 spring onions, cut into 4 cm (1½ inch) pieces
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp (5ml) fish sauce
• White pepper, to taste
• Fresh coriander and lime wedges, to serve

Instructions

1. Mix oyster sauce, light soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Heat a wok over high heat until smoking. Add oil, then fry garlic 15 seconds until fragrant.
3. Add pork mince (or chosen protein) and stir-fry 3 minutes until cooked through, breaking up any clumps.
4. Push protein to one side. Crack eggs into the space and scramble until just set, then fold through the pork.
5. Add carrot and cabbage. Stir-fry 2 minutes until just wilted.
6. Add the drained glass noodles and pour the sauce over. Toss vigorously over high heat for 2–3 minutes until noodles are glossy and fully coated. Add a splash of water if they stick.
7. Add spring onions, fish sauce, and white pepper. Toss once more and serve immediately with coriander and lime.

Cook's Notes: Soaking the noodles in cold (not hot) water keeps them slightly firm so they don't turn mushy in the wok. For a vegetarian version, swap oyster sauce for vegetarian oyster sauce, use tofu, and replace fish sauce with light soy sauce.