Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside—Hong Kong Pan-Fried Noodles are a feast for the senses and your palate. Also known as 两面黄, or “two-sided golden noodles,” this dish perfectly combines golden, crunchy noodles with a delightful contrast to the topping of tender meat, fresh vegetables, and silky gravy.

The first time I tasted these noodles was when I was under ten years old, and they were made by my mother. She was born and raised in Hong Kong, so naturally, this dish was her favorite.

Join me as I share the recipe for these irresistible classic Hong Kong noodles.

Note: In Chinese, this type of noodle is called 两面黄, which translates to “two-sided golden noodles.” These Cantonese noodles are likely originated from Guangdong based on its cooking style.

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Ingredients required for the Hong Kong-style pan-fried noodles

Before we start, let’s look at the main ingredients needed to prepare these noodles.

• Noodles. You can use either fresh or cooked thin noodles for this recipe. If you choose fresh egg noodles, cook them in boiling water until they are al dente, similar to how you would prepare spaghetti. On the other hand, if you opt for cooked noodles, as I do in this recipe, you only need to blanch them briefly (1-2 minutes) in boiling water until they are loosened and rehydrated.
• Meat/seafood. The choice of meat and seafood for this dish is quite flexible. While most Chinese recipes generally use sliced pork, I prefer chicken breast, which is more universally accepted. I also include some shrimp. You can add other ingredients, such as squid, or keep it vegetarian by increasing the amount of vegetables in the recipe.
• Vegetables.  You can use choy sum, but I like baby bok choy because it has a wonderful texture when cut in half, which enhances the presentation. Besides, I’ve also included some Chinese mushrooms, although you may choose button mushrooms or any other variety, depending on availability. Finally, I included some carrots for a colorful presentation. Another ingredient you can consider adding is green onions.
• Sauce. The sauce ingredients are used in many traditional Cantonese cuisine. In addition to salt and white pepper, the stir-fry sauce includes light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and Shaoxing wine. Add some dark soy sauce if you prefer the gravy to be darker.
• Others. I use an equal mixture of water and chicken broth for the gravy.

Step-by-step on how to prepare the Hong Kong-style crispy pan-fried noodles

a. Prepare the ingredients

1. Prepare all the ingredients: a) Cut the carrot into slices. b) Halve or quarter the baby bok choy lengthwise.. c) Remove the shell and head of the shrimp, keeping only the tail for better presentation. d) Slice the chicken into thin pieces and marinate with salt, oil, and cornstarch for half an hour. d) Soak the dried mushrooms in water until fully rehydrated, then slice them into thin pieces.

2. Heat enough vegetable oil over medium heat to pan-fry the marinated chicken pieces. Halfway through, add the chopped garlic and continue stir-frying. Once both sides of the chicken slices have changed color, remove the chicken and garlic but retain the remaining oil in the pan.

3. Use the remaining oil to pan-fry the shrimp over medium heat until both sides have turned color. 

4. Remove the shrimp and use the leftover oil to fry the carrots and mushrooms. Fry for about half a minute, then add the chicken broth. Once the chicken broth returns to a boil, add the baby bok choy and cook the vegetables for another minute. Add more water if necessary.

Season the vegetables with light soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, sesame oil, and ground white pepper.

5. Mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of cold water to create a slurry. Add this slurry to the pan to form a thick gravy. Finally, return the cooked shrimp and chicken to the pan, thoroughly mixing with the other ingredients. Remove from heat and set aside.

b. Noodle Preparation

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the noodles. Let them loosen in the boiling water. Once fully loosened, remove them from the water and drain them in a colander.

2. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a round pan. Add the drained noodles and shape them into a round disk. Please ensure the noodles are evenly distributed in the pan. Use low heat to pan-fry the noodles on both sides until they are golden brown and crispy.

3. Transfer the crispy noodle pancake to a serving plate. Add the prepared ingredients and drizzle with plenty of gravy before serving.

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Hong Kong Pan-fried Noodles

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Hong Kong Pan-Fried Noodles are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, served with a savory stir-fry of tender meat, fresh vegetables, and silky gravy.

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Ingredients

• 200g dry noodles
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 180g chicken breast meat
• 6 medium-sized shrimp
• 100g bok choy
• 1 small carrot
• 4 dried Chinese mushrooms
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

Prepare the sauce and ingredients

1. Prepare all the ingredients: a) Cut the carrot into slices. b) Halve or quarter the baby bok choy lengthwise.. c) Remove the shell and head of the shrimp, keeping only the tail for better presentation. d) Slice the chicken into thin pieces and marinate with salt, oil, and cornstarch for half an hour. d) Soak the dried mushrooms in water until fully rehydrated, then slice them into thin pieces.
2. Pan-fry the marinated chicken pieces. Halfway through, add the chopped garlic and continue stir-frying. Fry until both sides of the chicken slices have changed color.
3. Use the remaining oil to pan-fry the shrimp until both sides have turned color. 
4. Remove the shrimp and use the leftover oil to fry the carrots and mushrooms. Fry for about half a minute, then add the chicken broth.
5. Add the baby bok choy and cook the vegetables for another minute. Add more water if necessary.
6. Season the vegetables with light soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, sesame oil, and ground white pepper.
7. Mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of cold water to create a slurry. Add this slurry to the pan to form a thick gravy.
8. Finally, return the cooked shrimp and chicken to the pan, thoroughly mixing with the other ingredients. Remove from heat and set aside.

Noodle Preparation

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the noodles. Let them loosen in the boiling water. Remove them from the water and drain them in a colander.
2. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a round pan. Add the drained noodles and shape them into a round disk. 
3. Use low heat to pan-fry the noodles on both sides until they are golden brown and crispy.
4. Transfer the crispy noodle pancake to a serving plate. Add the prepared ingredients and drizzle with plenty of gravy before serving.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 668Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 30gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 2624mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 41g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 12/18/2024

Tips to prepare the best crispy pan-fried noodles

Three key techniques are essential to achieving a crispy texture of the noodles on both sides. 

1. First, after blanching the noodles in water, thoroughly dry them in a wire mesh strainer or colander. Please do so to avoid excess water, which will splatter during pan-frying and prevent the noodles from becoming as crispy as desired. 
2. Second, use adequate oil to achieve a crispy surface. Using too little oil will not yield the desired crispiness.
3. Finally, you must use low to medium heat to achieve this result.

Note: You may notice that the noodles you enjoy in Chinese restaurants are often crispier than the ones you make at home. This is because some restaurants deep-fry the noodles instead of pan-frying them. However, I do not recommend deep-frying at home, as it wastes too much oil and is not a healthier cooking method.

Wat Dan Hor – a Malaysian noodles recipe closely resembles to this crispy noodles

Wat Dan Hor 滑蛋河 is a homegrown Malaysian noodle dish resembling crispy two-sided noodles. It uses nearly identical ingredients and gravy but is prepared with a different type of noodles. In the Malaysian version, the noodles are called Hor Fun (河粉), which are flat rice noodles. Instead of being pan-fried on both sides, these noodles are stir-fried with oil over high heat, creating charred marks on the surface. As a result, they have a rich, aromatic flavor.