Chinese restaurants · UKnearme

Chow Mein in the UK: what it is, how to order it, where to find it

Quick answer

Chow mein is stir-fried noodles with vegetables and a choice of meat, one of the staples of the British Chinese takeaway. The name means 'stir-fried noodles' in Cantonese. There are two schools: the soft-fried version most UK takeaways serve, and the crispy Hong Kong style where the noodle cake is fried until crunchy. Both are real; the difference is worth knowing before you order.

Calories and nutrition

Calories
600

480–760 kcal

Protein
26 g
Carbs
72 g
Fat
24 g
Salt
3.0 g

Portion: One takeaway portion, about 400 g.

Higher in salt than most; a prawn version is a little leaner than pork or beef.

Estimates for a typical portion, based on standard UK and USDA food composition data. Actual values depend on the recipe and the restaurant.

What chow mein is

Egg noodles are stir-fried with bean sprouts, onion, spring onion and a protein (chicken, beef, pork, prawn or mixed), seasoned with soy and a little oyster sauce. In the common UK takeaway version the noodles are soft, tossed through everything in the wok. In the Hong Kong style, the noodles are pressed into a cake and pan-fried until crisp on the outside, then topped with a saucy stir-fry that softens them where they meet. Chow mein is drier than the saucier lo mein (which the British menu often calls 'soft noodles'). Good chow mein has wok hei, the smoky char of a very hot wok.

How to judge it

The noodles should be seasoned through and carry a little smoky char, not be pale and greasy. Bean sprouts should still have crunch. A greasy, under-seasoned tangle is the low end. The crispy Hong Kong version should stay crisp under the topping. Restaurants that distinguish soft chow mein from crispy noodle on the menu are paying attention.

Chow mein versus lo mein versus singapore noodles

Chow mein is stir-fried, drier. Lo mein is tossed with more sauce, softer. Singapore noodles are thin rice vermicelli with curry powder, a Hong Kong invention. All three appear on UK menus and are often confused; chow mein is the drier stir-fried egg noodle.

Where it is done well in the UK

Cantonese restaurants and good takeaways with a hot wok. Our directory lists areas with the most Chinese restaurants.

How to order it

Ask whether the chow mein is soft or crispy (Hong Kong style) if you have a preference. It should be seasoned through with a little smoky char, not greasy. Chicken or the mixed 'house' version is the safe order. It is drier than 'soft noodles' (lo mein).

Where it's done well

UK councils with the most chow mein specialists, by restaurant name, in our directory.

Restaurants near you

Search by postcode or use your location to find restaurants likely to serve chow mein near you.

Make it at home

Serves 2 · 20 min

Ingredients

  • 200 g medium egg noodles
  • 150 g chicken, beef or prawn, sliced
  • 100 g bean sprouts
  • 1 onion, sliced, 3 spring onions
  • for the sauce: 2 tbsp soy, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, pinch sugar
  • oil

Method

  1. Cook the noodles briefly, drain and toss with a little oil.
  2. Heat a wok until smoking. Stir-fry the meat until nearly done, then the onion.
  3. Add the noodles and bean sprouts, pour in the sauce, and toss hard over high heat until everything is coated and lightly charred.
  4. Add the spring onions and serve at once.

A very hot wok gives the smoky wok hei that makes chow mein; a cool pan just steams the noodles. Do not overcrowd.