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Hong Kong Chow Mein

Kristina Cho

This post is sponsored by KA-ME, the Key to Asian Made Easy, but all opinions are my own

This is one of the longest periods I’ve ever been away from my family. I haven’t seen them since Christmas and I miss them so much. If America doesn’t get their act together soon, I’m going to have to buy an RV and road trip across the country to go home for the holidays. I’m sort of serious, though. These are the lengths I’ll go in the name of homesickness! I miss Ohio summers, my mom’s food, and big family dinners where the table is filled to the brim with at least a dozen dishes. I’ve only had dinner with Reuben all year… which is wonderful (obviously), but sometimes you want to have a little bit of lots of things all on one plate.

For our big dinners, if my family isn’t eating at someone’s house (like my mom’s) we are most likely heading to either Li Wah or Siam Cafe in Downtown Cleveland. We’ve been going to both of these establishments since I was a baby. We get the biggest table available that fits all of us, set with a lazy-susan, and order enough to feed a family twice our size. Eventually all the dishes start to pile up on the table and you can really see the person across the table from you. The recurring order consists of some form of egg drop style soup, walnut shrimp, seafood clay pot, ginger lobster, a lot of noodles, jellyfish salad (my fave), braised beef, fried tofu, and vegetables for health.

One of my favorite dishes is the Hong Kong Chow Mein! It is a little different from regular chow mein… instead of everything being tossed together you have a disc of fried crispy noodles topped with vegetables and protein in a shiny garlicky sauce. You have to eat this as soon it comes to the table so that you can enjoy it while the noodles are still crispy. I love the textural contrast of the crunchy noodles with tender saucy vegetables. So good! And so easy to make!

I’m slowly recreating my favorite dishes from “family dinner” at home to satisfy my cravings and help curb my homesickness just a little. For my version of Hong Kong Chow Mein I used KA-ME Chinese Noodles and their range of Asian sauces and oils, like KA-ME Oyster Sauce and KA-ME Sesame Oil. The flavors are spot on and just what you need to create those classic Chinese flavors! They make cooking your favorite Asian dishes so convenient for whenever you're cooking a feast or just for two, and really have all the ingredients you need to make traditional or modern recipes attainable. Plus, they’re celebrating their 50th birthday this year so they’re no stranger to all this at home cooking we’re up to! 

Hopefully we can all reunite with our loved ones soon! Over some crispy noodles too : )

Hong Kong Chow Mein

Serves 2 to 4

8 oz KA-ME Chinese Noodles
1 tsp KA-ME Sesame Oil
6 tbsp canola oil, divided 
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 baby bok choy, cut lengthwise
1 large carrot, sliced
4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled

Sauce:
1 cup water
1 tsp chicken bouillon
2 tbsp KA-ME Oyster Sauce
1 tbsp KA-ME Sriracha
1 tsp KA-ME Sesame Oil
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tbsp cornstarch

  1. To prepare the noodles, boil the noodles according to the package directions. Drain and rinse the noodles under cold water. Allow the noodles to completely drain and then toss in sesame oil.

  2. In a large nonstick frying pan, heat 4 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Add the drained noodles and spread into a single layer. Fry the noodles until golden brown and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Carefully flip the noodles and fry the other side until golden brown and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. To help flip the noodles, place a large plate over the noodles into the pan, securly flip, and slide the noodles back into the pan to fry. Transfer the noodles to a large serving platter and prepare the vegetables.

  3. In the same large nonstick frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook until light brown around the edges, 1 minute. Add the bok choy, carrots, and mushrooms and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the shrimp and continue to cook until the shrimp is pink and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes.

  4. In a small bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients and pour over the veggies and shrimp. Toss to combine and continue to cook until the sauce is thick and shiny, 1-2 minutes. Pour the veggies, shrimp, and sauce over the crispy noodles and serve immediately.