Lo Mein
Lo mein means 'tossed noodles' in Cantonese — and that word, tossed, is the whole technique. Unlike chow mein, where the noodles are pan-fried until crisp, lo mein noodles are boiled until springy and then lifted and folded through a glossy sauce so they stay soft and slippery, coated but never fried hard. It is Cantonese home and takeaway cooking at its most satisfying: fast, savoury and endlessly adaptable to whatever protein and vegetables are on hand. The dish rewards a hot wok and a light hand. High heat warms everything through in a minute or two without overcooking the vegetables, while the mix of light and dark soy with oyster sauce gives the noodles their signature colour and savoury-sweet depth. Fresh egg noodles are worth seeking out for their bounce, but good dried wheat noodles, cooked just short of done, work well too.
Tossed, not fried
Boiled noodles folded through a glossy sauce
Cantonese takeaway
Fast, savoury and adaptable
One hot wok
Everything cooked in minutes
Crisp vegetables
Cooked just to tender-crisp
Ingredients 4 servings
- 400 g fresh egg noodles (lo mein or thick wheat noodles) — or 250 g dried, cooked per pack and rinsed
- 250 g boneless chicken thigh, thinly sliced — or pork loin, or leave out for a vegetable version
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (for colour)
- 1.5 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 3 tbsp neutral oil (rapeseed or peanut), divided
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 3 cm fresh ginger, grated
- 1 carrot (80 g), cut into thin matchsticks
- 150 g Chinese cabbage or bok choy, shredded
- 100 g bean sprouts
- 4 spring onions, cut into 4 cm lengths (whites and greens separated)
- 0.5 tsp white pepper
How to make it
- 1MAKE THE SAUCE: stir together the light soy, dark soy, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar and white pepper in a small bowl; the dark soy is only for colour, the oyster sauce for depth.
- 2COOK THE NOODLES: boil the fresh noodles 2-3 minutes just until pliable (dried: cook per pack), then drain, rinse briefly under cold water to stop the cooking, and toss with a few drops of oil so they do not stick.
- 3MARINATE THE CHICKEN: toss the sliced chicken with the Shaoxing wine and a spoonful of the sauce; leave 10 minutes while you prep the vegetables.
- 4SEAR THE CHICKEN: heat 1.5 tbsp oil in a wok over high heat until smoking; add the chicken in one layer and let it sear untouched 60 seconds, then stir-fry 2 minutes until golden and just cooked; remove.
- 5AROMATICS AND VEG: add the last 1.5 tbsp oil with the garlic, ginger and spring-onion whites; stir-fry 20 seconds until fragrant, then add carrot and cabbage and toss 90 seconds until wilted but still crisp; add the bean sprouts and toss 30 seconds.
- 6TOSS THE NOODLES: return the noodles and chicken, pour the sauce around the edge of the wok, and toss everything with tongs or two spatulas for 1-2 minutes over high heat until the noodles are glossy, evenly coloured and hot through — lifting and folding rather than stirring keeps them from breaking.
- 7FINISH: add the spring-onion greens, toss once more, and serve immediately while the noodles still have their bounce.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
