What vegetables are typically included?

Morning glory (pak boong), broccoli, baby corn, mangetout, and Chinese kale are the most common — ordered individually they have specific dish names (e.g., pad pak boong for stir-fried morning glory).

vegan

Pad Pak Ruam

ผัดผักรวม

Mild

Pad Pak Ruam is stir-fried mixed vegetables — a classic Thai side dish of seasonal greens tossed in oyster sauce and garlic, vegan when made with soy sauce instead of oyster sauce.

Cultural Origin

Pad Pak Ruam is a Chinese-Thai mixed-vegetable stir-fry served across Thai rice-and-curry shops as a daily side. The dish is also a staple of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, where it is prepared in strict jay form without garlic, onion, or other 'rajasic' aromatics.

Allergens & Sensitivities

soygarlic

Key Ingredients

mixed Asian greens
garlic
oyster sauce or soy sauce
white pepper
sesame oil

Taste profile

Salty: fish sauce, soy, shrimp paste
Sweet: palm sugar, coconut
Sour: lime, tamarind, fermentation
Umami: dried shrimp, fermented pastes, stock

Mild and vegetal, the flavour built mostly from garlic and a light sauce rather than heavy seasoning; texture varies stalk to leaf within the same plate, from crisp stems to soft, wilted leaves.

How Pad Pak Ruam Is Made

1
Prep
Mixed greens are washed and cut into manageable lengths, with stems separated from leaves since they cook at different rates.
2
Aromatics
Garlic is fried briefly in hot oil until just golden.
3
Stems first
Firmer stems and stalks go into the wok first to soften slightly before the leaves are added.
4
Sauce
Oyster sauce or, for a vegan version, light soy sauce is added along with a splash of water or stock to help everything wilt evenly.
5
Finish
A final scatter of white pepper, and sometimes a drizzle of sesame oil, before serving immediately while the greens are still bright.

When It’s Eaten

A side dish rather than a meal on its own, ordered alongside rice and one or two other dishes to round out a shared Thai meal.

How to Order It

ผัดผักรวมใส่ซีอิ๊วขาว: pad pak ruam sai see-ew khao; mixed vegetable stir-fry with light soy sauce
ไม่ใส่กระเทียม: mai sai krathiam; no garlic

What people get wrong

Not specifying the sauce swap — the default preparation usually contains oyster sauce, so vegans need to ask for soy sauce in its place rather than assuming the dish is automatically plant-based.

Where to Try It

Thai rice-and-curry shops and restaurants throughout the country as a standard side dish.

Tips

Ask for 'nam man hoy' (oyster sauce) to be replaced with 'see ew khao' (light soy sauce) to make it fully vegan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Taste profile

Salty

fish sauce, soy, shrimp paste

Sweet

palm sugar, coconut

Sour

lime, tamarind, fermentation

Umami

dried shrimp, fermented pastes, stock

Mild and vegetal, the flavour built mostly from garlic and a light sauce rather than heavy seasoning; texture varies stalk to leaf within the same plate, from crisp stems to soft, wilted leaves.

How Pad Pak Ruam Is Made

Prep

Mixed greens are washed and cut into manageable lengths, with stems separated from leaves since they cook at different rates.

Aromatics

Garlic is fried briefly in hot oil until just golden.

Stems first

Firmer stems and stalks go into the wok first to soften slightly before the leaves are added.

Sauce

Oyster sauce or, for a vegan version, light soy sauce is added along with a splash of water or stock to help everything wilt evenly.

Finish

A final scatter of white pepper, and sometimes a drizzle of sesame oil, before serving immediately while the greens are still bright.

Frequently Asked Questions