Hoi tod (oyster omelette)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

History

Hoi tod is a Teochew Chinese street-snack adapted in 19th-century Bangkok's Yaowarat district, where Chinese-Thai vendors swapped the southern Chinese sweet-potato-starch batter for rice-flour to suit the local palate. The crispy form (hoi tod krob) is distinct from the soft southern oh luak variant. Nai Mong Hoi Tod on Phadungdao Road has run the same stall since the 1950s and is widely cited by Michelin Bib Gourmand and Thai food guides; the dish is a fixture of Yaowarat's late-night Phadungdao seafood strip.

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Common allergens: Egg, Shellfish, Soy, Gluten

Make it at home

Yield 2Hands-on 20 minTotal 30 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 200g small fresh oysters, shucked, drained
  • 60g rice flour
  • 30g tapioca starch
  • 5g fine sea salt
  • 180ml cold water
  • 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • 3 large eggs
  • 60ml neutral oil with a high smoke point
  • 150g fresh bean sprouts
  • 30g spring onions, sliced into 3cm lengths
  • Sriracha or sweet chilli sauce, to serve
  • Coriander, to garnish

Method

  1. Whisk rice flour, tapioca starch and salt with the cold water and soy sauce to a thin batter. Rest 5 minutes.
  2. Heat half the oil in a wide non-stick frying pan over medium-high. Swirl to coat.
  3. Pour half the batter in a thin layer to cover the pan; cook 2 minutes until lacy, crisp and golden on the underside.
  4. Beat 2 of the eggs lightly with a pinch of salt. Pour the egg over the crisp batter; scatter half the oysters and half the bean sprouts on top.
  5. Tilt the pan; let the egg set 60 to 90 seconds. Flip the omelette in pieces (it will crack; this is the texture) and cook the other side 1 minute, pushing the pieces against the pan for crisp edges.
  6. Slide onto a plate. Scatter half the spring onions on top.
  7. Repeat with the remaining oil, batter, egg, oysters, sprouts and spring onions for the second portion.
  8. Serve with sriracha or sweet chilli sauce and a few coriander leaves.

Tip from the editors. Tiny fresh oysters beat large; the batter needs to crisp around each. Thin batter and hot pan give the lacy texture; thick batter or cool pan gives a pancake.

Where to eat hoi tod (oyster omelette)

Hoi tod (oyster omelette) in Bangkok

Nai Mong Hoi Tod ★ 4.4

฿ Street foodCash only

Nai Mong Hoi Tod in Bangkok's Chinatown is the Bib Gourmand oyster-pancake stall on Phlap Phla Chai, hoi tod and ohrlua crispy mussel pancakes.

TryCrispy oyster pancake (hoi tod)

TipCash only. Closed Tuesdays. The hoi tod with extra oyster is the order; eat at the small plastic stools on the kerb.

Directions

Yaowarat night market street stalls ★ 4.7

฿ Street foodCash only

Yaowarat Road in Bangkok's Chinatown is the city's most theatrical street-food strip after dark, with grilled seafood, noodle counters and dim sum carts.

TryGrilled seafood, dim sum, noodle stalls

TipStart at Soi Texas (Phadungdao) corner for grilled prawns; Nai Mong Hoi Tod and Lek and Rut are the canonical seafood stalls.

Directions

Soi Texas Phadungdao seafood stalls ★ 4.4

฿฿ SeafoodUntil 02:00Cash only

Soi Texas at Yaowarat Phadungdao corner in Bangkok is the late-night grilled-seafood strip, with Lek and Rut and Rut and Lek opposite each other.

TryGrilled river prawns, scallops, fish

TipCash only. Two competing rival stalls face each other; Rut and Lek (the queue-popular one) starts at 18:00, closes at 02:00.

Directions

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