Hong Kong Style Noodles (港式煎麵)

Learn how to make a healthier (equally delicious) version of this Cantonese classic right at home!

flodesk gif
Prep Time
30 min
Total Time
60 min
Yields
4 servings
YouTube Tutorial

A Recipe by Daddy Lau

My dad's been cooking Chinese food for over 50 years - as a kid fending for himself in Guangzhou, as the head chef of his own restaurant, and as a loving father in our home.

Hopefully, by learning this recipe, you'll get to experience some of the delicious joy we felt growing up eating his food!

- Randy

If you've never had this dish, it's basically like a noodle pancake that's extremely crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, coated in a delicious savory gravy along with a variety of tasty vegetables and meats.

Even though this dish is commonly known as Hong Kong-style noodles or Hong Kong chow mein, the name is a little misleading, as it's not originally from Hong Kong, nor is it stir-fried, which is what the word "chow" would suggest.

As my dad alluded to, the original name is léuhng mihn wòhng (兩面黃), which means yellow or golden on both sides. It originated in the Suzhou / Shanghai area, and was brought down to Hong Kong in the 1950s with the wave of Shanghainese immigrants.

From there, the dish quickly caught fire as Hong Kong chefs adapted the unique technique of letting the noodles slowly form a crispy layer on each side. Nowadays, léuhng mihn wòhng (兩面黃) or Hong Kong style noodles are enjoyed all around the world.

Check out a quick story summary of our recipe!

Ingredients

Weight: US
oz
g
Volume: US
cup
mL
Servings
4

Main Ingredients

  • 12 oz Hong Kong style pan fried noodles (

    egg noodles, raw / unsteamed

    )
  • 4 oz chicken
  • 6 oz shrimp (

    peeled, deveined

    )
  • 8 oz bok choy
  • 3 oz white mushroom
  • 1 oz carrot
  • 2 slice ginger
  • 1 piece green onion (

    we're only using the white part

    )
  • 2 tbsp corn oil

Chicken Marinade

  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp water

Sauce

  • 0.50 tsp salt
  • 0.75 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp chicken bouillon
  • 1.5 tbsp cornstarch (

    sauce

    )
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 12 oz water
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce

Selecting the Right Noodles

We talk A LOT about this throughout the video, but we'll be using fresh, unsteamed Hong Kong Style Pan Fried noodles.

These are Chinese egg noodles, and there are many, many different types, varieties, and brands that offer them.

For simplicity’s sake, here are 3 of the most common Chinese egg noodles: Wonton Mein, Lo Mein, and Chow Mein.

We’ll want to use Chow Mein, also known as Hong Kong Style Pan Fried Noodles. Chow Mein is the ideal type of noodle for the traditional flavor and texture profile we’re going for. They’re thinner than Lo Mein and have less egg content than Wonton Mein.

My dad talks about this in our video during Meal Time, but you can also buy the dried variety and boil it according to the instructions, cool it with water, and then proceed with our instructions as written.

Finding Asian Ingredients

Some of these ingredients are hard to find in a typical grocery store.

If you don't live near an Asian market, most or all of what my dad uses in this recipe can be found on Amazon:​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

I've also included some other Chinese kitchen essentials, used in many of my dad's other recipes.

These links are affiliate links, which means that if you use our links to purchase these ingredients, Amazon pays my family a small amount for the sale - at no extra cost to you. If you use these links, we really appreciate the support!

Alternatives to Oyster Sauce

If you're vegetarian or need to stay away from gluten, we have three alternatives for you!

Vegetarian Oyster Sauce

Since oyster sauce is made out of oyster extract, here are some alternatives that have a similar taste without using the actual oyster:

Gluten Free Oyster Sauce

Wok Mei has a gluten-free oyster sauce, but it still contains oyster extract, so it's not vegetarian friendly.

Vegetarian + Gluten Free Oyster Sauce

Unfortunately, we don't know of a vendor that sells an oyster sauce that caters to both dietary restrictions, so you'll need to DIY the sauce.

Mix equal parts gluten free soy sauce and gluten free hoisin sauce. This isn't exactly the same as oyster sauce, but it's pretty close.

Step 1: Steam noodles, drain, separate

Here's a quick run-down of the types of HK-style noodles you can buy:

  • fresh, unsteamed
  • fresh, steamed
  • dried

In the video, we demonstrate how to cook with fresh, unsteamed noodles (which is my dad's preference). This takes a little bit of extra work but it's worth it.

We'll need to cook the noodles by steaming them, which is one of the main keys to nailing the perfect texture.

Here's what you do:

  • Place your steamer rack in a wok on high heat. Pour enough water so that the top of the rack isn't submerged, and start boiling water.
  • Take the rack out, separate, and lay out the noodles (12 oz) on top of the rack.
  • Once boiling, set the steamer rack + noodles back in the wok and cover for 10 minutes. Leave the stove on high heat.
  • If you're using a steamer rack without holes (i.e. steaming on a plate where the steam can't easily access the bottom, steam for 2-3 extra minutes.)
  • Once the 10 minutes is up, quickly dump the noodles in the water for 15-30 seconds.
  • Drain the noodles through a colander, and spend about 1-2 minutes fluffing and separating the noodles with chopsticks.
  • Let it cool for 3-5 minutes.

If you're using fresh, steamed noodles, you can skip the steaming step. Instead, dunk the noodles in boiling water for about 2 minutes before draining.

If you're using dried noodles, it's somewhat similar to cooking instant ramen. Cook according to the package's instructions, erring on the more al-dente side, and rinse with cold water afterward to stop the cooking.

Step 2: Cut vegetables & prepare chicken

We'll be washing and cutting our vegetables:

  • bok choy (8 oz): cut into quarters for bigger pieces, halves for smaller pieces. We don't need to cut off the stem.
  • white mushroom (3 oz): cut away the stem, and cut in halves
  • carrot (1 oz): cut into about 2mm thick slices.
  • ginger (2 slice): cut into about 2mm thick slices, and cut into little triangles.
  • green onion (1 piece): cut only the whites into about 1-inch pieces. It's a stylistic thing but my dad cuts them diagonally.

The amounts are very flexible! If you make more than you can fit on your eventual noodle pancake, then you can also eat it separately.

For the chicken (4 oz), we'll cut it into slices against the grain. Marinate it with cornstarch (1 tsp), water (1 tsp), and salt (0.25 tsp). Stir the cornstarch slurry and chicken for about 30 seconds until the chicken is evenly coated.

Assuming you bought peeled, deveined shrimp, you don't need to do anything extra to them.

Step 3: Pan fry noodles

Next, we'll heat our pan on high heat for about 2-3 minutes. If you're using a non-stick pan like the one pictured, use medium-high heat to help protect the non-stick coating. Then, we'll add corn oil (1 tbsp). Swirl it around the pan and let the oil heat up until it's shimmering, or forming ripples across the surface.

Add the noodles to the pan.

For the noodles, we want each side to become a crispy golden brown. We'll cook each side for about 7-10 minutes, occasionally turning the noodles but not stirring or breaking into the layers.

After flipping, we'll add more corn oil (1 tbsp) to the rim of the noodles, so that this new side also gets a nice crisp.

After the second side has turned golden & crispy, transfer the noodles onto a plate.

My dad explains this in the video, but he turns the noodles occasionally because most pans and stoves have uneven heat distribution. Turning helps ensure that the entire surface of the noodles gets evenly crispy.

Typically, restaurants use a ton of oil, even deep-frying the noodles. The cooking time is much quicker at restaurants with more oil and roaring stoves. At home, we can make a healthier version with less oil and longer cooking times, since we're not rushed to serve a ton of customers.

Step 4: Cook meats & aromatics

Add the chicken, and cook for about 1 minute before adding the other ingredients.

Scoot the chicken off to one side, and add the ginger and green onions. Let the ginger and green onions cook for about 45-60 seconds before adding the shrimp.

Add the shrimp, and cook for about a minute until it starts turning orange. For this step, the chicken and shrimp don't yet need to be fully cooked, because we'll still be cooking everything more later.

Transfer everything into a bowl to be mixed back later.

Step 5: Cook veggies

We don't need to add additional oil, since there's already some in the pan.

Place the bok choy, mushrooms, and carrots into the pan, along with boiling water (12 oz).

Cover the pan and let the vegetables cook for about 4 minutes.

Step 6: Add meats & create sauce

We'll add the shrimp, chicken, and aromatics back into the pan. Mix everything for a bit.

Then, we'll be adding salt (0.50 tsp), sugar (0.75 tsp), chicken bouillon (1 tsp), and oyster sauce (1 tbsp) to the pan. We'll also mix cornstarch (1.5 tbsp) and water (1 tbsp) in a bowl until it's an even slurry, and add it to the pan as well.

The cornstarch and water help to thicken the sauce into more of a gravy, which is what we want. You may need to adjust with more or less cornstarch to achieve the consistency you want.

Finally, add sesame oil (1 tsp).

Step 7: Plate

Transfer the vegetables, meats, and gravy onto the noodles! It's time to eat :)

It's best to eat this as soon as possible since the sauce will inevitably make the noodles soggier over time.

FAQ

What's the best kind of noodles to use for Hong Kong style pan-fried noodles?

  • Ideally, you'd use thin, fresh chow mein, or fresh pan fried noodles. They're thinner than lo mein and contain less egg compared to wonton mein, resulting in a crispy, chewy texture when pan fried.
  • With fresh noodles, you want to steam them before frying them. If you only have access to dried noodles, boil them according to the instructions but don't overcook them, run under cold water to stop the cooking, and then proceed with the rest of the recipe.

If you buy fresh noodles, can you freeze them?

  • Since fresh noodles are sold in rather large portions, it's more practical to freeze them, and take them out as you need to use them. Make sure to first divide them into the portion sizes you want, and then pop them in the freezer.

How do you get crispy pan-fried noodles?

  • If you like super crispy noodles, the crispiness comes from frying, so you'll have to cook them with more oil. Also, don't wait for too long to eat them. The longer there's any gravy or sauce sitting on crispy noodles, the most moisture those crispy noodles will soak up, and the less crispy they'll get.
  • For our recipe, we don't use as much oil, but wait a little more patiently for the heat to crisp up the noodle. The catch is that you can't crisp up as much of the noodle this way before it starts to burn. However, it's a lot healthier that way, and we're happy with the texture!

How do you keep noodles from sticking to the wok when pan-frying?

  • Steam the noodles before pan-frying. It won't stick that way. If the noodles are boiled, they'll be more prone to sticking. Non-stick pans will also be helpful.
  • Since you'd have to steam fresh noodles and boil dried noodles, that means that fresh noodles will be your best bet.

What kind of oil is best for pan-frying noodles?

  • Any neutral oil with a high smoke point will work great. My dad recommends peanut oil, corn oil and vegetable oil. If using olive oil, use a refined version, not your nice extra virgin olive oil.

Are Hong Kong Style Noodles healthy?

  • There's a lot of nutritional value in the abundance of vegetables topping this dish. Still, our version is much healthier than what you'll get in restaurants. Restaurants sometimes deep-fry the noodle, so there's a lot of oil and it's rather "yeet hay", or heaty, as a whole dish. However, ours is pan fried, and we get to the right texture with lots of patience instead of lots of oil!
  • To make the healthiest version of this dish, use good quality produce and high quality cooking oil. That way, you don't have to reduce the quantity of oil or seasonings, which would compromise the taste and texture of your final dish. If you still need to make further adjustments, consider using low-sodium chicken bouillon and oyster sauce.

Summary

Print Recipe
Made With Lau
madewithlau.com/recipes/hong-kong-style-chow-mein
Hong Kong Style Noodles (港式煎麵)
Learn how to make a healthier (equally delicious) version of this Cantonese classic right at home!
  • Prep Time: 30 min
  • Total Time: 60 min
  • Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients

Main Ingredients

  • 12 oz Hong Kong style pan fried noodles (

    egg noodles, raw / unsteamed

    )
  • 4 oz chicken
  • 6 oz shrimp (

    peeled, deveined

    )
  • 8 oz bok choy
  • 3 oz white mushroom
  • 1 oz carrot
  • 2 slice ginger
  • 1 piece green onion (

    we're only using the white part

    )
  • 2 tbsp corn oil

Chicken Marinade

  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp water

Sauce

  • 0.50 tsp salt
  • 0.75 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp chicken bouillon
  • 1.5 tbsp cornstarch (

    sauce

    )
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 12 oz water
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce

Step 1 - Steam noodles, drain, separate

↑ Jump to details

Cook the noodles by steaming them.

  • Place your steamer rack in a wok on high heat. Pour enough water so that the top of the rack isn't submerged, and start boiling water.
  • Take the rack out, separate, and lay out the noodles (12 oz) on top of the rack.
  • Once boiling, set the steamer rack + noodles back in the wok and cover for 10 minutes. Leave the stove on high heat.
  • If you're using a steamer rack without holes (i.e. steaming on a plate where the steam can't easily access the bottom, steam for 2-3 extra minutes.)
  • Once the 10 minutes is up, quickly dump the noodles in the water for 15-30 seconds.
  • Drain the noodles through a colander, and spend about 1-2 minutes fluffing and separating the noodles with chopsticks.
  • Let it cool for 3-5 minutes.

If you're using fresh, steamed noodles, you can skip the steaming step. Instead, dunk the noodles in boiling water for about 2 minutes before draining.

If you're using dried noodles, it's somewhat similar to cooking instant ramen. Cook according to the package's instructions, erring on the more al-dente side, and rinse with cold water afterward to stop the cooking.

Step 2 - Cut vegetables & prepare chicken

↑ Jump to details

We'll be washing and cutting our vegetables:

  • bok choy (8 oz): cut into quarters for bigger pieces, halves for smaller pieces. We don't need to cut off the stem.
  • white mushroom (3 oz): cut away the stem, and cut in halves
  • carrot (1 oz): cut into about 2mm thick slices.
  • ginger (2 slice): cut into about 2mm thick slices, and cut into little triangles.
  • green onion (1 piece): cut only the whites, diagonally into about 1-inch pieces.

For the chicken (4 oz), we'll cut it into slices against the grain. Marinate it with cornstarch (1 tsp), water (1 tsp), and salt (0.25 tsp). Stir the cornstarch slurry and chicken for about 30 seconds until the chicken is evenly coated.

Assuming you bought peeled, deveined shrimp, you don't need to do anything extra to them.

Step 3 - Pan fry noodles

↑ Jump to details

Next, heat the pan on high heat for about 2-3 minutes. Then, add corn oil (1 tbsp). Swirl it around the pan and let the oil heat up until it's shimmering, or forming ripples across the surface.

Add the noodles to the pan.

For the noodles, we want each side to become a crispy golden brown. Cook each side for about 7-10 minutes, occasionally turning the noodles but not stirring or breaking into the layers.

After flipping, add more corn oil (1 tbsp) to the rim of the noodles, so that this new side also gets a nice crisp.

After the second side has turned golden & crispy, transfer the noodles onto a plate.

Step 4 - Cook meats & aromatics

↑ Jump to details

Add the chicken, and cook for about 1 minute before adding the other ingredients.

Scoot the chicken off to one side, and add the ginger and green onions. Let the ginger and green onions cook for about 45-60 seconds before adding the shrimp.

Add the shrimp, and cook for about a minute until it starts turning orange. For this step, the chicken and shrimp don't yet need to be fully cooked, because we'll still be cooking everything more later.

Transfer everything into a bowl to be mixed back later.

Step 5 - Cook veggies

↑ Jump to details

Place the bok choy, mushrooms, and carrots into the pan, along with boiling water (12 oz).

Cover the pan and let the vegetables cook for about 4 minutes.

Step 6 - Add meats & create sauce

↑ Jump to details

Add the shrimp, chicken, and aromatics back into the pan. Mix everything for a bit.

Then,add salt (0.50 tsp), sugar (0.75 tsp), chicken bouillon (1 tsp), and oyster sauce (1 tbsp) to the pan. Mix cornstarch (1.5 tbsp) and water (1 tbsp) in a bowl until it's an even slurry, and add it to the pan as well.

Finally, add sesame oil (1 tsp).

Step 7 - Plate

↑ Jump to details

Transfer the vegetables, meats, and gravy onto the noodles! It's time to eat :)

It's best to eat this as soon as possible since the sauce will inevitably make the noodles soggier over time.

Step 8 - Take pictures
Whip out your camera (1). Begin taking photos (1,000,000). Pick your favorites!
Step 9 - Share and tag us on Instagram @madewithlau #madewithlau!
Did you have fun making this recipe? We'd love to see & hear about it. (Especially my dad. He would be THRILLED!)

Enjoy!

My sister and I have many, many happy memories of enjoying this dish growing up.

Now, hopefully, you can create your own memories with this dish with your loved ones.

Also, I cordially invite you to eat with us and learn more about the dish, Chinese culture, and my family.

Cheers, and thanks for cooking with us!

Feel free to comment below if you have any questions about the recipe.