Pad See Ew

Slice the chicken into thin, even pieces no more than 5 mm thick. Toss with half the oyster sauce and half the light soy sauce. Rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. Separately, mix the remaining oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark sweet soy (kecap manis), and sugar in a small bowl to create the stir-fry sauce. If using fresh rice noodles that are refrigerator-cold, separate them gently by hand and bring to room temperature — cold noodles will drop the wok temperature dramatically and result in steaming rather than charring.

Heat the wok over the highest heat your stove produces until it smokes visibly. Add half the oil and the minced garlic — it should sizzle and turn golden within 15 seconds. Add the chicken immediately and spread into a single layer. Let it sit undisturbed for 60 seconds to develop a sear, then toss. Cook until just cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes total. Remove the chicken from the wok and set aside. The wok must be back at maximum heat before adding noodles.

Return the wok to maximum heat and add the remaining oil. Add the separated rice noodles in a single layer as much as possible. DO NOT stir for 60 to 90 seconds — let them sit directly against the wok to char and blister slightly. Then add the gai lan pieces. Toss everything together 3 to 4 times with long chopsticks or a wok spatula. Push everything to one side of the wok.

Clear a space in the center of the wok and crack the eggs directly into it. Let them set for 10 to 15 seconds until the whites are just opaque at the edges, then scramble them lightly with the spatula. Before they are fully set, fold the noodles over the egg and toss together so the soft curds distribute through the noodles. The egg should be cooked but still soft — not dry scrambled egg shreds.

Pour the prepared sauce over the noodles and egg. Return the seared chicken to the wok. Toss everything together vigorously for 60 seconds until the sauce has coated every component and the noodles look uniformly dark and glossy. Taste and adjust — pad see ew should be predominantly sweet from the dark soy with a savory backbone. Plate immediately; the noodles clump as they cool.