Skip to content
GetCookMatch
Lo Mein with noodles, oyster sauce and soy sauce — China recipeChinaChina
📝Useful tips
S
Sergei Martynov

The difference between good lo mein and great lo mein is dark soy sauce. Light soy sauce provides the salt and umami; dark soy sauce is thicker, less salty, slightly sweet, and above all gives the sauce the characteristic deep mahogany colour you recognise from a Chinese takeout. Without it, lo mein looks pale and flat even if it tastes fine. The ratio matters: too much dark soy makes the sauce bitter; too little and you lose the colour. About 1 teaspoon dark to 1.5 tablespoons light is a reliable starting point. Both should be Chinese soy sauce — Japanese soy sauce (like Kikkoman) has a different flavour profile that works but changes the character of the dish.

💡

Sesame oil should never go in the wok as a cooking oil — it burns at a relatively low temperature and turns acrid. Its job is to provide aroma and finish, added to the sauce before cooking or drizzled over the finished dish. The actual frying is done in neutral high-smoke-point oil. This applies to almost all Chinese stir-fry dishes. If you want more sesame aroma, add a few drops of sesame oil to the finished bowl right before serving — the residual heat will release its fragrance without burning it.

Cereal and Pasta Dishes

Lo Mein

By Sergei Martynov

Soft egg noodles stir-fried with vegetables and protein in a glossy, savoury sauce built on oyster sauce, light and dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and sesame oil. Lo mein (捞面) translates from Cantonese as 'stirred noodles' — the name describes the cooking method, a scooping, tossing motion that coats every strand. Unlike chow mein, where the noodles are fried until crispy, lo mein noodles stay soft and slippery, coated in a thick, glossy sauce. The dark soy sauce is the detail that gives the dish its characteristic deep mahogany colour; without it the dish looks pale. The sauce is premixed before the wok goes on — lo mein moves fast.

⏱️
25
Minutes
👥
2
Servings
🔥
520
kcal
Rate this recipe
IngredientsInstructionsCommentsRelated Recipes

Key Ingredients

fresh lo mein or egg noodlesoyster saucelight soy saucedark soy sauce — essential for colour and depth

What you'll need

Ingredients

How to make it

Instructions

  1. 1

    Velvet the protein and mix the sauce. For chicken or pork: slice thinly against the grain, toss with 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp cornflour, and 1 tsp oil. Let sit 10 to 15 minutes — this velveting technique keeps the meat silky and tender in the wok. Mix the full sauce in a bowl: oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, sugar, and cornflour-water slurry. Stir until combined. Taste it — the sauce should be deeply savoury and slightly sweet. Everything is premixed because once the wok goes on, there is no time to measure.

  2. 2

    Prepare the noodles. Cook fresh noodles for 1 minute in boiling unsalted water; dried noodles 1 minute less than the package says. Drain thoroughly. Immediately toss the hot noodles with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil — this coats each strand and prevents them from sticking together while you finish cooking everything else. Do not rinse them in cold water; they will lose the surface starch that helps the sauce cling. If they cool and clump before you are ready, a quick rinse under warm water will loosen them.

  3. 3

    Sear the protein. Heat 1.5 tablespoons of neutral oil in a wok over high heat until just smoking. Add the velveted protein in a single layer. Do not move it for the first 30 to 45 seconds — let it sear and pick up colour on the first side. Flip and finish cooking. Remove from the wok and set aside. Keeping the wok hot, add the remaining oil. Add the spring onion whites, garlic, and ginger and stir for 20 seconds until fragrant.

  4. 4

    Stir-fry the vegetables and add noodles. Add the harder vegetables first (carrot, bell pepper, bok choy stalks) and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add softer vegetables (cabbage, bok choy leaves) and stir-fry 1 minute more. Add the noodles to the wok. Add the sauce evenly over everything. Toss and fold using a scooping motion — lifting from the bottom and turning over — for 1 to 2 minutes over high heat, until the sauce is evenly distributed and the noodles are glossy and coated. Scrape the bottom of the wok frequently to prevent sticking.

  5. 5

    Finish and serve. Return the protein to the wok. Add the spring onion greens and bean sprouts if using. Give one final toss — 30 seconds — so everything is mixed and the bean sprouts just wilt. Taste and adjust: more oyster sauce for depth, soy for salt, sugar for sweetness. Serve immediately in bowls. Lo mein is best eaten hot, directly from the wok; as it sits, the noodles continue absorbing the sauce.

Join the conversation

Comments

Leave a comment

Loading comments…

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between lo mein and chow mein?

Lo mein (stirred noodles) and chow mein (fried noodles) use the same type of egg noodles but cooked differently. In lo mein, the noodles are boiled until just tender and then tossed in sauce in the wok — they stay soft and slippery. In chow mein, the noodles are pan-fried until some are crispy before being tossed with sauce — they have a contrast of crispy and chewy textures. American Chinese restaurant chow mein is sometimes served with crispy deep-fried noodles on top, which is a further American adaptation.

Can you use spaghetti instead of lo mein noodles?

Yes, spaghetti works surprisingly well. It has a similar thickness and texture to lo mein egg noodles when cooked al dente. Cook it 1 to 2 minutes less than the package instructs, rinse briefly in cold water to stop cooking, drain well, and toss with a little oil before stir-frying. The flavour will be slightly different since egg noodles have more egg richness, but the result is very good. Other acceptable substitutes: yakisoba noodles (Japanese, similar egg-wheat noodle), udon (thicker, chewier), or dried Chinese egg noodles.

What vegetables work best in lo mein?

Almost any vegetable works — lo mein is one of the most flexible Chinese dishes. Reliable classics: bok choy (add stalks first, leaves last), julienned carrot and capsicum/bell pepper (add early for crunch), cabbage (napa or regular, add in the middle), bean sprouts (add at the end off the heat). Mushrooms — shiitake, oyster, or button — add meaty depth. Snap peas and snow peas need only 1 minute. Avoid overly watery vegetables (tomato, cucumber) that will release liquid and thin the sauce. The key is staged cooking: harder vegetables first, softer ones later.

What is Shaoxing wine and what can you substitute?

Shaoxing wine is a Chinese fermented rice wine with an earthy, slightly sweet flavour. It adds a layer of complexity to stir-fry dishes that is difficult to replicate. Best substitutes in order: dry sherry (closest in flavour), mirin (sweeter, Japanese), sake (Japanese rice wine, lighter). If avoiding alcohol: use low-sodium chicken stock in equal quantity — the sauce will be slightly less complex but still good. Avoid standard white wine or vodka — their flavour profiles are wrong for Chinese cooking.

Why is my lo mein dry or sticking to the wok?

Two main causes. First: the wok or pan was not hot enough — lo mein requires genuinely high heat. A pan that is only warm will steam the noodles rather than fry them, causing them to stick. Second: the sauce was not enough for the amount of noodles. Noodles absorb sauce rapidly as they cook; if the sauce is too little or the noodles too many, they will dry out. Fix: add a splash of hot water or chicken stock, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, while tossing. The starch in the noodles will bind it into a glaze quickly.