Bok Choy
Baby bok choy through a roaring wok — seconds of fire, so the stems stay crisp and the leaves turn glossy.
Where it comes from
Bok choy is Cantonese for 'white vegetable' — the pale, spoon-shaped stems of a Chinese cabbage that farmers in China have grown for well over a thousand years; a sixth-century agricultural manual already lists its ancestor among the garden greens. It reached Thailand with Chinese immigrants, which is why Thais call it phak kwang tung, the 'Guangdong vegetable'. The classic treatment is the simplest one: a screaming-hot wok, garlic, oyster sauce and a few seconds — just long enough to wilt the leaves while the stems keep their snap. Our chef cooks it the way the broccoli and the morning glory are cooked here: fire first, then straight to the table.
More from À La Carte
Not sure how to judge a plate like this? Read our field guide to the best Thai food in Orange County — five signs of a real Thai kitchen, and what to order once you’re in one.