Getting A Lovely Fried Egg With My Pad Krapow Instead Of The Fried Black Hole Of Calcutta

[Jingthing]

Basically I am looking for suggestions on how to ask in Thai to get a good fried egg with my pad krapow.

Sadly, most of the time the egg arrives badly blackened at the sides, overly browned on top, way too crisply, and a hard yolk.

Sometimes I get lucky. By lucky I mean a lovely egg, not crispy. not blackened or browned, with a softish runny yolk. I am usually not lucky.

Yet I keep ordered this dish with egg in hopes of getting lucky. Even at places that usually give me the good egg, quite often I get the bad egg.

It seems to me there are multiple factors here:

How the egg is cooked. I assume mostly they are deep fried in a massive amount of oil.

How the egg is stored. Freshly fried or sitting around for hours (yuck). I guess for the sitting around ones you probably don't want a runny yolk, they are gross enough.

Blackness and brownness, linked to the crispy level

Runny yolks vs. hard yolks and the range between

Any not too complicated way of asking for a good egg that might increase my odds? This would only apply to places that fry the eggs to order, of course.

Edited February 19, 2012 by Jingthing

[ludditeman]

Kai dow mai suk

fried egg not over-cooked (a bit runny)

kai dow suk-suk

fried egg cooked through (solid yellow)

Edited February 19, 2012 by ludditeman

[Jingthing]

Kai dow mai suk

fried egg not over-cooked

kai dow suk-suk

fried egg cooked through

OMG, so simple! Thanks, I'll try that.

BTW, seems to me there would be a risk of getting an almost raw egg saying mai suk, but hey, can't win 'em all.

Here's an interesting wrinkle. As I have been ordering without instructions and mostly getting black hole of Calcutta style eggs, do you think that means that is the most common way Thais like their eggs, is there possibly a f-rang adjustment going on? (As in, f-rangs won't want runny yolks?) If I had to guess, I would say the former, as so many fried things here are on the over-crispy side.

Edited February 19, 2012 by Jingthing

[montrii]

Kai dow mai suk

fried egg not over-cooked

kai dow suk-suk

fried egg cooked through

OMG, so simple! Thanks, I'll try that.

BTW, seems to me there would be a risk of getting an almost raw egg saying mai suk, but hey, can't win 'em all.

Here's an interesting wrinkle. As I have been ordering without instructions and mostly getting black hole of Calcutta style eggs, do you think that means that is the most common way Thais like their eggs, is there possibly a f-rang adjustment going on? (As in, f-rangs won't want runny yolks?) If I had to guess, I would say the former, as so many fried things here are on the over-crispy side.

Jingthing, you have been here so long, right? I have always seen you as one of the people who answers, not asks . . . anyhow suk noi will mean cooked a little. You must know more Thai than you're letting on. If not, you'sa got some work to be doin. And it's khai (aspirated "k," not kai. both low tones, but one is egg and the other is chicken. Which came first, I won't ask.

Most of the eggs I get here are not overcooked. Fried other stuff, also. So am surprised.

[Nignoy]

with all your experience jing thing ask for a sliced boiled egg!!

[Jingthing]

Again, cooked a little, sounds like asking for a raw egg. Oh well. Honestly, until tonight I never even thought of asking how to get that egg cooked. Maybe I was enjoying the randomness of the surprise.

Edited February 19, 2012 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

Jingthing, you have been here so long, right? I have always seen you as one of the people who answers, not asks . . . anyhow suk noi will mean cooked a little.

...

There are no stupid questions, only stupid people!

...

[p_brownstone]

I think a lot of it is "luck of the draw" - if the cook has been working for more than half an hour her Wok is probably too hot to easily control the cooking time for something so delicate, so once the egg hits the metal it's pretty much cooked immediately - and if there is still a lot of hot Oil in there the process will be even quicker.

Just a few translations out of interest :

Hard yolk fried egg ไข่ดาว สุก สุก Khai Dao Suk Suk

Soft fried egg ไข่ดาว ไม่สุก Khai Dao Mai Suk

Raw egg ไข่ดิบ Khai Dip

For those of you who like Khao Tom or Joke with an egg, the phrase is :

Soft boiled egg - ไข่ลวก Khai Looak

Patrick

Edited February 20, 2012 by p_brownstone

[barefoot1988]

not that i really liked sunny side up eggs but its impossible to find one in normal thai stalls. at best you will find eggs with crispy corners and runny yolks.

[kurnell]

Kai dow mai suk

fried egg not over-cooked (a bit runny)

kai dow suk-suk

fried egg cooked through (solid yellow)

How do you say "fried egg like a hockey puck" cos something must be lost in translation, as that's all I get?

[Jingthing]

Kai dow mai suk

fried egg not over-cooked (a bit runny)

kai dow suk-suk

fried egg cooked through (solid yellow)

How do you say "fried egg like a hockey puck" cos something must be lost in translation, as that's all I get?

That's probably a better description than the black hole of Calcutta.

[stailmanki]

not that i really liked sunny side up eggs but its impossible to find one in normal thai stalls. at best you will find eggs with crispy corners and runny yolks.

I guess it's a matter of what you like , I always seem to get a really good fried egg ( crispy with a runny yolk) with my pad krapao , seems to be the default egg for this dish. IMHO sunny side up as interpreted in westen style breakfasts is not a fried egg at all , it's poached in warm fat.

[barefoot1988]

not that i really liked sunny side up eggs but its impossible to find one in normal thai stalls. at best you will find eggs with crispy corners and runny yolks.

I guess it's a matter of what you like , I always seem to get a really good fried egg ( crispy with a runny yolk) with my pad krapao , seems to be the default egg for this dish. IMHO sunny side up as interpreted in westen style breakfasts is not a fried egg at all , it's poached in warm fat.

im refering to ts where he wanted eggs that are not cripsy, not browned, not blacken, not possible to find that in regular thai stalls =)

[Jingthing]

A lot of street stalls have a stack of eggs sitting there precooked in all our tropical glory. Probably better for those eggs to be overcooked. Anyway, next time I will try mai suk.

Edited February 20, 2012 by Jingthing

[cardholder]

Pad Krapow is perhaps my favourite of all Thai dishes.

As a generalisation the Thais overcook most things - eggs are no exception. (Uncooked beef is an exception as is raw fish).

Mai suk should be your starting point - if you can actually watch them cook it (Thai canteen, street food etc) just tell them when to stop.

Another challenge is kai dow nam (poached eggs). A good hotel in Bangkok told me "mai mi" when I asked for some. I could not resist asking whether it was water or eggs that they did not have ! The chef duly obliged once the enquiry reached him.

[notmyself]

Mai suk has worked well for me for years. Also good for bacon and pork chops which are often torched. It doesn't always work but I guess 90% of the time it does. Some chefs cook the S£*^ out of eggs and bacon so saying mai suk could result in them just cooking the S£*^ out of the eggs a bacon a little less.

[kurnell]

Kai dow mai suk

fried egg not over-cooked (a bit runny)

kai dow suk-suk

fried egg cooked through (solid yellow)

How do you say "fried egg like a hockey puck" cos something must be lost in translation, as that's all I get?

That's probably a better description than the black hole of Calcutta.

I haven't eaten there, is the food good?

[Forkinhades]

Kai dow mai suk

fried egg not over-cooked

kai dow suk-suk

fried egg cooked through

OMG, so simple! Thanks, I'll try that.

BTW, seems to me there would be a risk of getting an almost raw egg saying mai suk, but hey, can't win 'em all.

Here's an interesting wrinkle. As I have been ordering without instructions and mostly getting black hole of Calcutta style eggs, do you think that means that is the most common way Thais like their eggs, is there possibly a f-rang adjustment going on? (As in, f-rangs won't want runny yolks?) If I had to guess, I would say the former, as so many fried things here are on the over-crispy side.

Jingthing, you have been here so long, right? I have always seen you as one of the people who answers, not asks . . . anyhow suk noi will mean cooked a little. You must know more Thai than you're letting on. If not, you'sa got some work to be doin. And it's khai (aspirated "k," not kai. both low tones, but one is egg and the other is chicken. Which came first, I won't ask.

Most of the eggs I get here are not overcooked. Fried other stuff, also. So am surprised.

well of course the egg came first, and I can prove it

this is one of my favorite dishes, and will definitively be adding mai suk to my phrase book

[Jingthing]

I guess I've been fatalistic about this for too long. If they were going to bring me a crappy egg, they were going to bring me a crappy egg. Now with this new power over the egg, I am taking control of my life and muscle men will no longer kick sand in my face at the beach!

[notmyself]

I guess I've been fatalistic about this for too long. If they were going to bring me a crappy egg, they were going to bring me a crappy egg. Now with this new power over the egg, I am taking control of my life and muscle men will no longer kick sand in my face at the beach!

I only found out when I went into the kitchen of a friends restaurant and cooked the eggs myself. When they where done I asked the chef what it was. The said khai dow mai suk. Then I cooked the bacon for around 25 seconds each side and they said bacon mai suk. I explained to the owner that many westerners like their back and eggs that was so now the staff ask customers how they would like them cooked. They havn't managed to get their tongue around chrispy (cripsy) but it's the only place I know of where they ask. Lightly cooked bacon and eggs between 2 slices from an uncut UK style loaf. Cut it in half so the yolk spils out onto the plate for dipping into as you eat. Owner has managed to source real good quality back bacon too! Better that the fat ridden streaky stuff you normally see. 80 Baht.

Now all I need is to find Danish/Dutch style herrings and my life will be complete. Found them in BKK but never once on Samui. Well, an African restaurant too.

Edited February 20, 2012 by notmyself

[wayned]

Just finihed Khao Pad Gai Kai Doe Mai Suk and it was absolutely prefect! The fried rice was exactly what I wanted and the egg was "sunny side up" without of hint of burnt anywhere, cooked in rendered duck fat for flavor, very healthy! Where did I get it? My kitchen, I cooked it myself! My wife has a restaurant, but she cannot cook eggs. They are always deep fried and crispy on the sides and bottom no martter how you order them. Some are Mai suk, some ar suk suk, but they are alway crispy. The wok is always too hot. I've tried to show her, but I,m the only farang and Thai's like it this way. Oh well!

JT have you ever found a place that can cook a real American style omlet in Thailand? One filled with seafood and asparagus and covered with a delectiful mornay sauce? I make it on a whim, but usually 3-4 times a year depending onyhe availability of the seafood where I live.

Edited February 21, 2012 by wayned

[Jingthing]

I jumped at the chance to try out mai suk for the first time!

I tried at a restaurant that was new to me, as believe it or not, I find getting decent pad krapow in general isn't very easy, so I am always scouting new places for it.

Anyway, the mai suk was understood and did work ... somewhat.

The yolk was runny, a bit too runny actually, but the sides were nuked.

Overall, not lovely but not a hockey puck either.

[wayned]

Sounds like my wife's mai suk, crispy critter on the outside, raw in the center! Mai suk means "soft" and it doesn't distinguish between the whites and the yolks.

Edited February 22, 2012 by wayned

[robbo1]

Had Kaprow Ghai kai dow mai sook last night arroy mak mak, yes it does make a differance with a egg that is soft and runny mmmmm

[cardholder]

As I said to my hotel waitress this morning, when she asked what I wanted for breakfast:-

"Can you undercook my eggs so that I risk death from salmonilla, burn the bacon to a cinder, give baked beans that need a trowel to move them off the plate and coffee that is just short of luke-warm.

She said "we can't cook it like that sir

I said "..really, because you you managed to cook it like that yesterday !"...

[Schnitzel]

Girls u try 'pac boong fai daeng' with chilli & mushrooms and a chickenbreast steak and plain rice instead and the day's saved

(that's chinese waterspinach) giving you a real mourning glory

[tutsiwarrior]

JT, will you get outta here...d'yew really want us to believe that you haggle over the fried egg texture for a dish that costs thb20 at a street stall?...('hey! are you from Calcutta?...that looks like shit! d'yew expect me to eat that??!!')...if I was the vendor and spoke english I'd say: 'you no like me fried eggies then get yerself a baggie and bring one from home...falang baa, mumble, grumble...'

now, in Indonesia I useta get nasi goreng with scrambled eggs that wasn't half bad...can't go wrong with scrambled eggs...

Edited February 23, 2012 by tutsiwarrior

[Jingthing]

JT, will you get outta here...d'yew really want us to believe that you haggle over the fried egg texture for a dish that costs thb20 at a street stall?...('hey! are you from Calcutta?...that looks like shit! d'yew expect me to eat that??!!')...if I was the vendor and spoke english I'd say: 'you no like me fried eggies then get yerself a baggie and bring one from home...falang baa, mumble, grumble...'

now, in Indonesia I useta get nasi goreng with scrambled eggs that wasn't half bad...can't go wrong with scrambled eggs...

I haven't paid only 20 baht for pad krapow in YEARS.

[tutsiwarrior]

now, me neighbor and fren' Nan who runs a popular mobile food stall up top of the road where we live for scrambled egg fried rice I've seen her crack the eggs into the wok first, then scramble and then do the fried rice number on top...she is an ace and stays open until 3am...

the roaring flame from her mobile gas fired kitchen ensemble and the concentration on her sweating big mama face needs a world class photographer to do justice...

just heard her now going out to set up at 330pm and she'll be there for the next 12 hours...a heroine of thai street stall cuisine...

[Jingthing]

If I approach a street stall or casual restaurant and see a stack of already fried hockey pucks, I generally pass. If it's going to be a hockey puck, might as well be a freshly burned one.