[perelandra21]

I have tried making rice noodles in the past and always have problems getting them soft. The package directions say to simply soak them in hot water for 10 minutes, but even the thinnest angel-hair rice noodles turn out a little hard or just not the same texture as the noodles at my favorite Thai restaurant. I'm giving it another try with some flat, linguine style rice noodles for pad thai--help!

[phatch]

Use hotter water, not just hot tap water.

Phil

[DC Sunshine]

Ditto what Phatch says. 10 mins seems a bit long too, hotter water and experiment with your timing perhaps. Maybe you could ask your rest. where they get their noodles and how they prepare them - you may get an answer, maybe not, but if you don't ask you don't get!

[Mezzaluna]

Welcome, Perelandra! I'll guess you're a C.S. Lewis fan.

I have used boiling water to cover the thin noodles and it has always worked. The tap is about half as hot, so the boiling water works better, hands down. Just don't let them soak as long- as you probably guessed.

[pablopabla]

I would advise that you ditch the instructions on the packing and either:-

1) Soak it longer in hotter water; or
2) Blanch it in boiling water for 30 seconds or however long until you get the desired texture.

[Lady DeWinters]

I just made Phad Thai today. What most of the posters recommend is true. I only use BOILING water to soak my noodles then cover it for about 5 mins. Longer if you prefer your noodles softer.

If all else fails, check your local Asian grocery store for FRESH rice stick noodles from Vietnam. They're usually pre-packaged in air-tight packages.