Summary of "10 min Chow Mein is Wayyy Better than takeout"

10 min Chow Mein (Hong Kong cafe “supreme soy sauce chow mein”) — summary

Presenter / source

Presenter: Flo (YouTube channel).
Referenced recipe/site shown in subtitles: floam.com.

Ingredients

Chow mein / chow noodles — 1/2 lb (about one plate). Noodles are pre-blanched and shocked in cold water.
Onion — 1/2 onion, sliced top-to-bottom into long strips.
Small red pepper — 1 teeny red pepper (about 1/2 a standard pepper), seeds/pith removed, sliced into long strips.
Green onions / scallions — 2 stalks, cut into ~2-inch (5 cm) pieces. (Substitution: garlic chives.)
Bean sprouts — 4 oz (≈120 g).
Neutral cooking oil — ≈1 tbsp to start (Flo used avocado oil).
Additional oil for frying noodles — ≈1 tbsp.
Sesame oil — drizzle to finish (≈1 tsp).

Sauce - Sugar — 1 tsp (optional). - Light soy sauce — 1 tbsp. - Dark soy sauce — 2 tbsp (adds color; less salty than light soy). - Oyster sauce — 1 tbsp. - Water — 1 tbsp. - Ground white pepper — 1/4 tsp.

Equipment & prep

Wok preferred, or a large frying pan if you don’t have a wok.
Pot for blanching noodles; cold tap water for shocking.
Knife and cutting board (slice ingredients into long strips for mouthfeel).
Mise en place strongly recommended — have all ingredients ready because the stir-fry cooks fast.

Step-by-step method

Prep
- Slice 1/2 onion top-to-bottom into long strips. Slice the small red pepper into long strips and remove seeds/pith. Cut green onions into ~2-inch pieces; set thicker pieces aside to cook with the onion.
- Blanch noodles in hot water, then rinse under cold tap water to stop cooking and loosen; drain. Measure bean sprouts (4 oz / 120 g).
Make the sauce
- Combine 1 tsp sugar (optional), 1 tbsp light soy, 2 tbsp dark soy, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp water, and 1/4 tsp ground white pepper. Stir until sugar dissolves; set aside.
Heat wok / pan
- Heat wok on medium. When you see a whisp of smoke, add ≈1 tbsp neutral oil.
Stir-fry vegetables
- Add the onion and the thicker green onion pieces; cook about 1 minute to soften. Add red pepper (or add with onion if you prefer them equally cooked). After about 1 minute more, add bean sprouts and cook only ~30 seconds.
- Push the cooked vegetables to the side of the wok.
Fry noodles
- Add the drained noodles. Drizzle ≈1 tbsp oil around/over the noodles. Let the noodles fry undisturbed for about 1–2 minutes to get a little crisp on the bottom.
Combine & finish
- Mix vegetables and noodles together. Add the prepared sauce and toss until noodles are evenly colored and the sauce is absorbed (noodles are already cooked, so just heat through). Add remaining green onion pieces; cook until wilted (~1 minute). Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil (≈1 tsp). Serve immediately.

Chef tips, texture cues, and common mistakes

Cut ingredients into long strips (top-to-bottom) for better mouthfeel and complementary textures.
Mise en place is essential — stir-frying goes very quickly; have everything measured and ready.
Dark soy sauce is used mainly for color; it’s not as salty as light soy. Oyster sauce adds umami.
Noodles are pre-cooked (blanched) — the goal during stir-fry is to heat and coat, not to cook through. Overcooking will degrade texture.
Let noodles fry briefly (1–2 minutes) to get a slightly crispy bottom for texture contrast.
If you don’t have a wok, a large frying pan works fine.
Alternative aromatics: garlic chives can replace green onions in some recipes.

Sugar balances flavors — omit if you prefer, but expect a saltier result. Stir the sauce to dissolve the sugar before using.

Plating / serving

Serve hot immediately after finishing. Flo piles the noodles high (generous single-plate portions). A small drizzle of sesame oil at the end enhances aroma. No additional garnishes were specified beyond the green onions.

Variations mentioned

Some cafe versions include scrambled egg in the noodles (this package did not).
Green onion substitute: garlic chives.
Different Hong Kong cafe noodle types: fried chow mein (with or without egg), fried rice noodles, etc.