Hong Kong Pan Fried Noodles

The first time I had Hong Kong pan-fried noodles was when Matt and I went out to dinner at King’s County Imperial in Brooklyn. It was kind of a life-changing experience. We had just spent a freezing February day by the East River where he was taking engagement photos. The whole time, I was dreaming about the dim sum meal to come at the end of the night. These noodles were the first thing that arrived at the table that night, and they were so incredibly delicious, I knew I had to try and recreate them.

These noodles are first boiled, then fried in a wok in a decent amount of oil. This makes them a little bit crispy, and that combined with the thinness of the noodles makes for an amazing texture. Noodles are the base of the dish, and are so versatile that anything can be added to them. I used roasted pork and baby bok choy in this recipe, but a similar green vegetable and a different kind of meat would be delicious as well.

This dish is so easy to create, it’s a great meal to make when you’re craving Chinese takeout but maybe want to keep your calorie level under control! It’s even doable on those nights where you feel like you can’t cook anything and need to order out - especially since it only takes 3 minutes to boil the noodles, and the pork can be made in advance the day before.

Serves: 4 | Prep: 20 min. | Cook: 30 min. | Author: Liz Genders

chinese pork

1 pork tenderloin, 1 1/2 to 2 lbs.

1 Tbs. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. 13 spice seasoning

2 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp shaoxing wine

1 Tbs. soy sauce

1 tsp. molasses

2 garlic cloves, minced

hong kong pan-fried noodles

1/2 lb. petite shanghai bok choy (or similar)

1 cup (8 oz.) Hong Kong thin noodles

3-4 thin slices ginger root

2 cloves garlic, sliced

3 tsp. soy sauce

2 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp shaoxing wine

2 scallions, julienned

oil for cooking

salt to taste

Begin by mixing the marinade for the pork. Combine the sugar, salt, spice, sesame, shaoxing wine, soy sauce molasses and garlic in a small bowl. Whisk to mix. Then, place the pork and the marinade in a resealable bag, and let it soak for at least 30 min or up to overnight. Preheat oven to 400F. Place the pork tenderloin on a baking tray with a drip rack. Pour about 1/4-1/2 cup of water into the bottom of the pan, and place in the oven. Bake, basting every 5-10 minutes, until an internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Total cooking time varies, but usually about 25 to 30 min.

Heat a wok or heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat, and add about 2 Tbs of cooking oil. When the oil is hot, place the garlic and ginger in the oil, and fry until fragrant. Then, add in the bok choy, and stir fry until the color has changed to a bright green and the leafy portions are wilted. Remove from the pan, and add about 2-3 Tbs more of cooking oil, keeping the pan hot over medium-high heat. While the bok choy is being cooked, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the Hong Kong noodles and boil for about 3 minutes. Strain well. Add the noodles to the hot oil, spreading in a layer about 1 inch thick. Leave the noodles untouched for a few minutes, allowing them to crisp up a bit. Then, try to flip the noodles in one swift motion (this is hard, so just try your best or stir vigorously). Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and wine, continuing to stir and flip the noodles. When the noodles are all the same color and have browned slightly, remove them from the pan and plate. Add the bok choy, the pork and the scallions to the top of the noodles, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Enjoy!