Drunken Noodles | Pad Kee Mao | ผัดขี้เมา

The Drunken Noodles known as Pad Kee Mao are as popular in western Thai restaurants as they are on the streets of Thailand. These rice noodles stir fried with Thai chilis, holy basil, and savory Thai seasoning sauces pack a serious punch of flavor, not to mention spice.

Pad Kee Mao is one of my Thai husband's all-time favorite noodle dishes. It's the dish that he gravitates toward ordering, both in Thai restaurants in the U.S. as well as on the streets of Thailand.

This dish features chewy rice noodles coated in savory Thai seasoning sauces with plenty of garlic, Thai chilis, young green peppercorns, and holy basil. Add in some vegetables and a protein of your choice and you have a complete meal. These noodles have a unique peppery flavor that some say makes them the perfect dish to enjoy during or after a night out drinking. Whether that's true or not, one thing is certain: the combination of chilis, peppercorns, and holy basil delivers a spice that’s as bold as it is addictive.

What does Pad Kee Mao mean?

In Thai, pad means to stir fry and kee mao refers to someone who is drunk. Therefore this dish literally translates to Drunkard's Stir Fry or more commonly, Drunken Stir Fry.

When you order Pad Kee Mao in Thailand, you may need to specify whether you want this stir fry with noodles or not. That's because Pad Kee Mao in its original form did not contain any noodles. It was simply a stir fry of meat, vegetables, and plenty of Thai chilis and holy basil.

The version of this dish containing noodles came later, and really took off in western Thai restaurants, even more so than the original dish without noodles. Therefore, the noodle version became known simply as Pad Kee Mao here in the West even though it should more accurately be called Guay Tiow Pad Kee Mao / ก๋วยเตี๋ยวผัดขี้เมา (Guay Tiow is the Thai phrase for noodles)

How did Pad Kee Mao get its name?

There are many stories about how Pad Kee Mao or Drunken Noodles got its name.

Some say it originated when a drunk person asked a street food vendor to make something delicious, and he came up with this super spicy dish. Others say that a wife, fed up with her husband's drinking, made this dish as a way to teach him a lesson with its fiery heat. Another account says this dish was popularized in various drinking circles where it was enjoyed with an abundance of alcohol.

Among these stories, a few common themes have emerged. One is that Pad Kee Mao is so spicy that it should be eaten with alcohol to tame the fire as it goes down your throat. Another is that Pad Kee Mao is so spicy that it's great to eat once you're already drunk, as the spicy flavors can be appreciated even if you are highly inebriated.

One common misconception is that Drunken Noodles actually contains alcohol. That is not true. Pad Kee Mao is a standard Thai noodle stir fry, much like Pad See Ew, but much spicier with a lot of unique peppery flavor.

Main Ingredients

• Rice Noodles: The base of Pad Kee Mao (as its known here in the West) is rice noodles or sen yai in Thai. These noodles are flat and wide, approximately ½ inch in width. They can often be found fresh in Asian markets, near the refrigerated section. If you can't find fresh rice noodles, you can alternatively rehydrate dried noodles by placing them in simmering water for 5 minutes before use.
• Garlic: Garlic and Thai chilis are often pounded together in a mortar and pestle. Alternatively, they can be minced finely with a chef's knife.
• Thai Chili Peppers: Thai chili peppers provide the fiery heat that this dish is famous for. For a spicy dish, use five (or more) Thai chilis. Three Thai chilis will give you a medium heat and one Thai chili will give you a mild spice.
• Mild Red Peppers: To get more of that pepper flavor without the spice becoming too intense, a milder flavored pepper is often added. Any mild red pepper such as anaheim, jalapeno, fresno or even bell peppers will work.
• Chicken: In this recipe, I've used chicken but you can use any meat you like. Beef, pork, shrimp, and other seafood are all good choices. If using chicken, I recommend using thighs as they will be more tender than breast.
• Vegetables: Baby corn, long beans, and young green peppercorns are common vegetable choices in Pad Kee Mao. Carrots are often added in western Thai restaurants as well.
• Holy Basil Leaves: Holy basil adds a very distinctive flavor to this stir fry. Its flavor is best described as a cross between basil and mint with a strong aftertaste of pepper. Thai basil is often substituted in western Thai restaurants as holy basil can be hard to find.

Sauce Ingredients

A savory mix of Thai seasoning sauces coat the wide rice noodles of Pad Kee Mao. It's best to prepare this sauce beforehand so that you can add it without too much hassle while you're stir frying the noodles. Once the noodles are hot and coated with the sauce, they can absorb all of these delicious flavors.

• Thin soy sauce: Known as see ew cow in Thai, this is the main soy sauce used in Thai cooking. It is salty and umami rich, and quite different in flavor from Japanese or Chinese soy sauces. You can use either the regular version or the mushroom variety.
• Dark soy sauce:  This soy sauce is thick and dark brown. It is predominantly salty, but also has an underlying molasses-like sweetness to it.
• Oyster sauce: Salty and sweet with a distinct seafood taste, oyster sauce adds another dimension of savory flavors to the sauce.
• White Vinegar: Plain white vinegar gives a hint of sourness.
• Granulated Sugar: Plain white sugar balances out the sourness of the vinegar.

Substitutions and Variations

One of the great things about Pad Kee Mao is that it is very adaptable. Don't feel like chicken? You can use pork, beef, shrimp, calamari or any number of other meats. You can also use whatever vegetables you have on hand.

Here in the U.S., Pad Kee Mao is often made with Thai basil instead of holy basil, as holy basil can be difficult to source. The taste profile between the two basils is quite different, but somehow it still works in this dish.

Likewise, in Thailand, it's fairly common to find Pad Kee Mao made without noodles as mentioned above. You can also find it made with spaghetti noodles or ramen noodles rather than wide rice noodles.

Storage

It's best to make one or two servings of Pad Kee Mao at a time, both because it will cook better in smaller portions and also because it doesn't save very well. If you do end up having leftovers, they can be stored in the refrigerator. However, the rice noodles will likely clump together when cold and upon reheating in the microwave, they will be more prone to breaking. They should, however, still taste amazing!

Conclusion

Pad Kee Mao has it all - noodles, meat, vegetables, and oh so much flavor from the savory seasoning sauces, garlic, chilis, young green peppercorns, and holy basil! Whether you're enjoying it as a comforting meal at home or indulging in it after a night out, you can be sure that it will be an incredibly delicious meal.

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