Ong Choy

Where it comes from

Pad pak boong fai daeng — morning glory, red flame — is named for the fire that leaps when the greens hit hot oil. In Phitsanulok it became literal street theater: the famous 'flying vegetable' vendors hurl flaming wokfuls across the street to a catcher balancing a plate. Under the show is a serious dish — hollow-stemmed greens that stay crisp, garlic, soybean paste and oyster sauce, cooked in seconds. We keep the fire in the kitchen; the flavor still flies.