Pad see ew is a house favorite, and when we lived in Dallas I made Playing House's version several times. Tonight I realized I hadn't made it since we moved to DC (our year anniversary here is coming up quickly - whoa!), and as this dish takes just 10 minutes to throw together on the stove and I was feeling lazy, I thought I had the perfect dinner plan.
But see, to make pad see ew you need wide rice noodles. It never occurred to me that these would be difficult to procure here. I went to two different stores today in search of them, but had to come home with the skinny guys instead. Not the same. Not pad see ew.
Maybe it should have occurred to me that wide rice noodles would be difficult to find. After all, there's no Central Market in DC. I knew I'd miss Central Market when we moved, and also figured much of my one-stop shopping was over, but I truly underestimated the effort it would take to source what I consider to be everyday ingredients here. Don't believe me? In the last week alone, I've had to buy Maille dijon mustard and dried ancho chiles online. Online! The outrage! I picture myself a year ago, happily throwing anchos and mustard into my Central Market shopping cart, and want to weep. And don't even get me started on my frustration with the P Street Whole Foods...
So. Am I missing something, DCers? I'm thrilled beyond belief that I've made you my home, but I'd like cooking with great ingredients to be a wee bit easier, if you don't mind. I know there are big Asian markets out in the Virginia suburbs, but ummm... not gonna do it, in my best Dana Carvey as George Bush impression, says this urbanist. Not even for the Wegman's that I hear is the closest thing up here to CM.
So c'mon, make my day... where's the DC foodie mecca that's been hiding from me? Because paying $7 shipping for two pounds of wide rice noodles is about as likely as me battling suburbanites in traffic on a Saturday afternoon.
Dude - the problem is the P Street Whole Foods. Even when we lived on P Street we would trek up to the Tenlytown store just because the selection is sooo much better, and we still make the weekly trek even now that we're in Capitol Hill. I'm pretty sure I've seen both Maille mustard and wide rice noodles at the Tenly store.
ReplyDeleteWe even get Maille in Australia, and we are the anitpodes!
ReplyDeleteI gasped *gasped* when you said you had to order the Maille online.
ReplyDeleteI've made my peace with suburban and online supplements, hopefully you won't have to meet the same urban sell-out fate.
I have a packet of them in my cupboard rightthissecond from CM.
ReplyDeleteWegmans smokes Central Market. Worth the trip.
ReplyDeletei've always had good luck with harris teeter, and theres a small organic market on penn (on the hill, at aprox 5th) both always have the hard to find stuff!
ReplyDeleteour wf (friendship heights) is pretty huge but my cooking is on par with a 5th grader's and my husband does the grocery shopping. so basically, i'm the last person to be giving advice. ha.
ReplyDeleteThis is an atrocity. My dear friend Carrie and her fabulous part-Thai S.O. create Asian culinary delights all the time... but alas, she lives in Arlington. But, like the reader above, she actually mentioned Harris Teeter when recounting a recent wild-goose chase for some hard-to-find Chinese root.
ReplyDeleteWhile it's not something I'm fond of doing very often, a trip out to the Asia World Market in Plano is worth it every 3 months or so (much like IKEA!). SO cheap and such an experience. Plus, uh, EVOO for $17 PER GALLON? Yes, please.
Oh! Just had a thought! (DayQuil) Do you have a Cost Plus World Market in DC? They have a decent Asian spice and noodle section!
Welcome to my life! It's hard to find almost anything in our markets. However, there is a Wegmans nearby, which I go to once every two weeks. You should check it out -- even if it is in the suburbs. I think you will like it.
ReplyDeleteI have been wanting to make the chili you blogged about, but went to MANY grocery stores in the DC area looking for dried ancho chiles to no avail. (Even Wegmans came up short on that ingredient.)
ReplyDeleteThere's gotta be an Asian grocery store somewhere in DC, no? Start here? http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/331860
ReplyDeleteHope you find them! And as long as everyone's talking about it, I never miss an opportunity to profess my love for Wegmans. There was one in my little college town and I still miss it almost every day, 10 years later :)
Kate is right; Cost Plus should have something to satisfy your craving. And if you take the red line out to Crystal City, there's one in the outdoor shopping plaza (near or next to DSW, I believe.) Good luck! Let me know if I can ship some to you from Chinatown. :)
ReplyDeletePlease tell me you've found these noodles in DC! I need them desperately! I've never made pad kee mao at home before but I need to- we go out for it too often.
ReplyDeleteShould I buy them fresh/frozen as opposed to dry??
Thanks for the recommendations and commiserations, everyone!
ReplyDelete@Amy: I've also made the chili with guajillo chiles when I couldn't find anchos. Whole Foods (even the P St whole foods!) carries those - look around the corner from the fresh herbs in the section of bagged items - chiles, mushrooms, etc.
@Megan: I've always used dried noodles - you soak them in water before throwing them in the wok. I'd love to hear your experiences with fresh or frozen!