Crispy Chow Mein Noodle Cake with Shiitake and Bok Choy Topping

Last week I made the Crispy Chow Mein Noodle Cake with Toppings (Liang Miàn Huang) and Shiitake and Bok Choy Topping for Crispy Chow Mein from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s The Wok. These are two different recipes in the book, but the noodle cake needs a topping and the topping recipe needs a noodle cake.

Crispy Chow Mein Noodle Cake with Toppings (Liang Miàn Huang)

A photo of the noodle cake showing the first cooked side. — The noodle cake after being flipped. That side looks beyond “golden brown” to me.

The noodle cake uses “Hong Kong chow mein or panfried noodles or dried wonton noodles” and Kenji notes

Hong Kong-style panfried noodles may also be labeled "chow mein" or "for chow mein." They are thin egg noodles that typically come precooked (the package will say "ready to fry" or something similar). Raw noodles will have a floury appearance and should be boiled according to package directions, typically 45 to 60 seconds. Dry noodles can also be used. Follow the package directions for cooking times.

The noodles I could find most easily are labelled “Hong Kong Style Pan Frying Noodle’ from the brand “Twin Marquis.” These are fresh noodles with the “floury appearance” as Kenji describes and required boiling for a minute or two.

A photo of the noodle cake showing the second cooked side. — The second cooked side, stopped early and without the “extra toasting.”

Even if the noodles are already cooked, Kenji advises boiling briefly to loosen them up and then cooling and drying on a sheet pan.

Once cooled, the noodles are formed into a round shape on a plate and slid into hot oil in the wok. They’re fried on one side until “golden brown and very crispy,” 8–12 minutes.

Then Kenji directs to slide onto a plate, flip onto another plate, and slide back into the oil to fry the other side. After that side is done, you pour the remaining oil from the wok and let the noodle cake get extra toasty in spots.

The whole process went much faster for me. The first side got beyond golden brown in only 8 minutes, and the second side got so toasty-smelling before 8 minutes was up that I stopped it early and didn’t bother with the “extra toasty” step. It was already there.

In his introduction Kenji write “ I start my noodles in hot oil, then reduce the heat and let them take their time.” But in the recipe he calls for heating over medium heat the entire time. Next time I’m going to try starting at medium and reducing the heat to see if I can hit the times Kenji calls for in the recipe.

Shiitake and Bok Choy Topping for Crispy Chow Mein

For the Shiitake and Bok Choy Topping, mushrooms are stir-fried until they start to brown. Bok choy, garlic, and scallions are then added and stir-fried until the bok choy starts to soften.

Shaoxing wine, light and dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and chicken stock are added and everything is brought to a simmer. Then a cornstarch slurry is added to thicken it up.

Once the topping is done, it’s ladled on top of the noodle cake for serving.

I had a bit more topping than depicted in Kenji’s picture, so I topped until the ratio looked like the picture and left the rest in the wok for others to help themselves to as they wanted. I thought the topping needed more salt (and had added it), but once we sat down to eat I wondered if it was too salty. Megan found it bland and wanted some chili-heat. The kids didn’t really care for it.

I’m optimistic that the next topping (shrimp) will go over better with the family.

I am cooking my way through J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s The Wok cookbook. Read more about it.