Yam Woon Sen (Glass Noodle Salad)

Make the dressing first by mixing the Fish sauce, Lime juice and dissolved Palm sugar in a small bowl until the sugar is fully combined; taste and adjust to achieve a lively sweet-salty-sour balance.

Soak the Glass noodles (mung bean vermicelli) in hot Water for about 5–7 minutes until pliable but still slightly firm, then drain and cut a few times with scissors so they’re easier to eat.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and quickly blanch the Shrimp 1–2 minutes until just cooked through, then transfer to an ice bath or cold water to stop cooking; drain and set aside.

In a skillet over medium heat, add a little oil and sauté minced Garlic and sliced Shallots until fragrant and golden, then add the Ground pork and cook until no longer pink, breaking it up into small pieces.

Return the cooked pork to low heat, add a few tablespoons of the prepared dressing and stir to coat so the meat absorbs some of the flavors; remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Place the drained glass noodles in a large mixing bowl, pour the remaining dressing over them and toss gently to coat while the noodles are still warm so they absorb flavor.

Add the blanched Shrimp, cooked Ground pork, chopped Tomato, thinly sliced Chinese celery, and sliced Scallions to the noodles and toss to combine.

Finely chop the Thai bird's eye chilies (adjust quantity to your heat tolerance) and fold them into the salad along with roughly chopped Cilantro and torn Mint leaves for freshness.

Taste and adjust seasoning with extra Fish sauce, Lime juice or Palm sugar as needed; let the salad sit 10–15 minutes for the flavors to marry, then toss again just before serving.

Serve the Yam Woon Sen at room temperature on a platter or individual plates, garnished with a few extra herbs and optional extra chilies for heat.