Lo Mein

Method

1. 1Prepare the protein and mix the sauce. For chicken: slice it thinly against the grain and toss with 1 tsp of the light soy sauce, 1 tsp cornflour and 1 tsp water. Let sit 10 to 15 minutes — this velveting technique keeps the meat silky and tender in the wok. Shrimp and tofu skip the velveting: pat the shrimp dry, and press and cube the tofu. Mince the garlic and ginger. Mix the full sauce in a bowl: oyster sauce, the rest of the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp sesame oil, sugar, and a slurry of 1 tsp cornflour in 2 tbsp water. Stir until combined. Taste it — the sauce should be deeply savory and slightly sweet. Everything is premixed because once the wok goes on, there is no time to measure.
2. 2Prepare the noodles. Cook fresh noodles in boiling unsalted water as the packet says and stop while they are still slightly firm in the middle: they finish cooking in the wok. If you use dried noodles, take 150 g instead of the 300 g fresh and cook them 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. 3Sear the protein. Heat 1.5 tablespoons of neutral oil in a wok over high heat until just smoking. Add the protein in a single layer. Do not move it for the first 30 to 45 seconds — let it sear and pick up color on the first side. Flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes more over high heat, until the chicken is white all the way through, with no pink when you cut the thickest slice (74°C). Shrimp need about 1 minute per side, until pink outside and opaque white through the middle; tofu needs 2 to 3 minutes until golden. Remove from the wok and set aside. Keeping the wok hot, add the remaining oil. Add the scallion whites, garlic, and ginger and stir for 20 seconds until fragrant.
4. 4Stir-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 bean sprouts if using) 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. 5Finish and serve. Return the protein to the wok. Add the scallion greens. Give one final toss — 30 seconds — so everything is mixed and hot through. 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.