Chines Noodle Dishes Explained: Chow Mein vs Lo Mein vs Ho Fun vs Mei Fun vs Mein Foon vs Mai Fun vs Chow Fun vs Singapore Chow Fun

A quick scan of the menu at a Chinese restaurant will reveal the fact that there are lots of noodle dishes with “fun” and “chow” in their names, which is no fun if you are ready to chow!

Fortunately, this post will keep your brain (which, coincidentally, is also sometimes referred to as the noodle) from aching each time you are in the mood for some noodles — I will talk about some of the most popular ones so that you can do away with all the confusion and get to the exhilaration of your senses without any delay.

How to Tell Different Noodle Dishes Apart

It can be very easy for an assortment of Chinese noodle dishes, the vast majority of which are mixed with vegetables and meat or seafood, to be mixed up.

This is especially true for anyone who hasn’t been ordering them for a while now or someone who has been enjoying them for some time now but whose memory is just downright poor and unreliable.

Other than memorizing the things I mentioned about each above, you may also be able to easily tell them apart by observing their appearance very closely, which is of course only possible if the menu came with photos of all available noodle dishes.

But let me make it easier to tell them apart by quickly comparing them with each other.

Below, you will come across a table that evaluates various noodles using some comparative factors: the types and textures of the noodles and the amount and flavor of the sauce added.

By mastering the following, you will feel more confident and like an authority on delicious noodle dishes the next time you dine-in or order take-out:

Noodle Dish	Noodle Type	Noodle Texture	Sauce Amount	Sauce Flavor
Chow mein	Egg noodles	Crunchy	Very little	Sweet
Lo mein	Egg noodles	Soft	Generous	Sweet
Ho fun	Flat rice noodles	Chewy	Very little	Savory
Mei fun	Rice vermicelli	Soft	Very little	Spicy
Mein foon	Rice vermicelli	Soft	Just right	Sweet
Mai fun	Rice vermicelli	Soft	Very little	Spicy
Chow fun	Flat rice noodles	Chewy	Very little	Sweet
Singapore chow fun	Rice vermicelli	Crunchy	Very little	Spicy

Noodles Comparison

The noodles used and the sauce added are some of the things that define each noodle dish.

On the other hand, the rest of the ingredients added — from the kinds of vegetables used, types of protein added to the spices used to enhance the flavor — can vary.

Especially if a particular noodle dish is loved in various parts of the planet, you can be certain that the recipes for it can differ from one another either slightly or wildly.

Finding a recipe that suits your personal taste and preference, of course, is the way to go.

And if you want to enjoy the noodle dish as it’s meant to be enjoyed, then it’s a traditional recipe you should stick to.

Chow mein

“Stir-fried noodles” or “fried noodles” — that’s what the Chinese term “chow mein” means in English.

Traditionally, chow mein is a simple noodle dish consisting of nothing but stir-fried noodles with chopped vegetables. There are instances, too, when meat or tofu is added to the mix.

Over the centuries, however, different variations of chow mein appeared in various regions of China, which means that the noodles were fried in an assortment of ways and all kinds of toppings were used.

Eventually, Chinese immigrants introduced the many forms of chow mein to other countries, from India to Nepal and from the US to the UK.

A notable characteristic of chow mein is that it’s on the dry side of noodle dishes.

The sauce is extremely light and delicate, often made with cornstarch, ginger, brown sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Depending on the recipe and iteration, a little chicken or vegetable broth is sometimes added.

In American Chinese cuisine, it’s not uncommon for chow mein to consist of a lot of meat. While chicken is the most common pick, beef, pork and even shrimp are also used.

Chow mein is sometimes steamed, too, which gives the noodles a softer texture — traditional chow mein has slightly crunchy noodles given the fact that they’re stir-fried and with very little sauce.

And speaking of which, Chinese egg noodles are the ones used for making chow mein.

Chinese egg noodles can come fresh or dried. But either of them can be used for whipping up chow mein. No matter the noodle type of choice, the fact remains that Chinese egg noodles need to be softened in boiling water beforehand.

Lo mein

Simply put, the Chinese term “lo mein” means “stirred noodles” or “tossed noodles” in English. And now that we’ve made its literal meaning clear, there’s no need to toss and turn in bed wondering what the Chinese noodle means.

But there are many other things to know about this popular noodle dish.

In the US, for instance, not a lot of people can tell apart lo mein and chow mein, which we just finished talking about.

A way to determine whether or not what’s in front of you is lo mein is by checking out the amount of sauce — lo mein is generously covered in sauce, which is made of ginger, sugar, sesame oil, oyster sauce and dark and light soy sauce.

Other than the sauce, the accompanying ingredients also come in generous amounts. Traditional lo mein contains lots of vegetables and optional protein such as chicken, beef, pork and shrimp. In some instances, it’s also served with wontons.

Chinese egg noodles are customarily used for making lo mein.

Fresh Chinese egg noodles are usually preferred over the dried variety. In the US and elsewhere on the planet, other types of noodles are also used, including rice noodles, ramen noodles and even spaghetti.

Unlike some other Chinese noodle dishes, the noodles and the rest of the ingredients are cooked separately — fresh Chinese egg noodles are boiled in a pot, while the vegetables and protein are stir-fried in a wok and then cooked in lavish amounts of sauce.

Afterward, the noodles are tossed into it — hence, the delicious dish literally means “tossed noodles”.

Ho fun

The Chinese noodle dish called “ho fun” is named after the type of rice noodles used in making it — they are wide and flat and usually measure anywhere from 3/4 to 1 inch in thickness.

Before anything else, let’s get one thing straight: ho fun and ho fan are one and the same.

Ho fun, the noodles, are first boiled or soaked in water if the dried kind is used.

Afterward, they are stir-fried in vegetables and, depending on the recipe or the preference of the one cooking it, some protein like chicken, pork or beef. Vegetarians usually replace protein with either mushrooms or tofu or both.

The various ingredients are cooked in a small amount of sauce, which is usually made with soy sauce and oyster sauce. The recipe won’t be complete without the addition of a little sesame oil.

What makes ho fun a complete standout Chinese noodle dish is, of course, the unique noodles used.

Chewy and satisfying — that’s how ho fun is usually best described. Because they are wide, there’s plenty of room for the flavor of the sauce and the other ingredients to get into.

And since ho fun tends to break apart easily during cooking, eating ho fun, the delicious dish, is like eating short noodles.

Mei fun

There’s a type of Chinese noodles referred to as “mei fun”. In the English-speaking world, it’s known as dried rice noodles — or what you will come across at the supermarket as “rice vermicelli noodles”.

Something that makes mei fun a fun noodle dish to eat for many is that it contains lots of spices.

In most instances, curry powder is added to it.

There are times, too, when what’s used instead is 5-spice powder, which consists of cloves, star anise, fennel seeds and Chinese cinnamon.

Ground white pepper and garlic powder are also staple ingredients in many recipes, with some calling for the addition of sriracha.

Like many Chinese noodles, mei fun has veggies in it. Some of the most commonly used ones are bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery and scallions.

Of course, proteins such as chicken, pork and shrimp are usual additions to the mix, too.

There’s an ingredient that, without it, won’t make mei fun complete: scrambled eggs!

In a recipe that serves 2 people, scrambling 2 large eggs is usually called for, which is cooked separately and then broken apart and then gently tossed into the rice vermicelli noodles and the rest of the ingredients about 30 seconds before the dish is served.

Barely noticeable is the sauce, which is made of oyster sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil and a little Shaoxing wine or cooking wine, which is also often used as an ingredient for the marinade for the protein component to make it not only tender but also more flavorful.

A small amount of cornstarch is used, too, in order to thicken the sauce.

Mein foon

When people say “mein foon”, they are referring to either rice noodles or a noodle dish containing rice noodles.

The literal translation of the term is “rice noodles”. Simply put, rice noodles are made from rice flour and water. They are commonly available dried, which means that they need soaking in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes before use.

It’s in the cuisines of southern China and Hong Kong where mein food is very popular. However, it’s not uncommon for the noodle dish to be also consumed often in Singapore and Malaysia.

And since it’s popular in various Asian regions, it doesn’t come as a surprise that there are many different iterations of it.

Chicken mein foon and shrimp mein foon — these are the most popular versions of it.

Other protein types such as beef and pork may be used as well. But no matter the preference, it’s always that mein foon comes with stir-fried vegetables into which softened rice noodles are tossed.

Similar to many other Chinese noodle dishes, mein foon comes with a complex-flavored sauce made of various ingredients such as ginger, garlic powder, sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, vegetable broth and Shaoxing wine or cooking wine.

To thicken the sauce, the amount of which should just be enough to thinly coat the rice noodles and other ingredients, cornstarch is added.

Mai fun

The name “mai fun” sounds very close to the name of a Chinese noodle dish we have already talked about: mei fun. Well, these noodle delights are referred to by similar-sounding names because they are one and the same.

Whether it’s called “mai fun” or “mei fun” is completely up to your preference.

And speaking of which, what’s so nice about mai fun is that it’s so versatile and flexible when it comes to the ingredients added to rice vermicelli noodles.

For instance, you can choose to add practically any vegetable of your liking.

So, in other words, you can make your homemade mai fun as colorful and as nutritious as you want.

However, to give the noodle dish an interesting texture, it’s a good idea to stick to veggies that are commonly stir-fried, the kinds that remain crunchy after cooking. Some popular examples are asparagus, bean sprouts, broccoli, cabbage and carrots.

Earlier while we were talking about mei fun, I mentioned that some add sriracha to the sauce to give it a kick.

What I forgot to mention is that you can also add some chili oil to the sauce of mai fun to make it more enjoyable to eat.

After all, having something hot and spicy can cause the release of endorphins, which are happy hormones. Other than lifting the mood, endorphins also help lower stress levels and decrease pain perception, too.

Chow fun

Another Chinese noodle dish we have already tackled is ho fun.

And it was also mentioned that it’s called such because of the type of noodles used in making it: ho fun. The flat and wide noodles are commonly used, too, for making chow fun.

In a nutshell, chow fun consists of ho fun that’s stir-fried with bean sprouts, although many other vegetables may be used, too. It’s also dressed in a savory brown sauce made of regular soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil and brown sugar. Serving the dish is best done with a generous amount of sauce and with some chili oil on the side.

Other than vegetables, protein is also an important ingredient in chow fun making.

Chicken and pork are popular choices. The same is true with shrimp. However, none is as well-liked (as far as chow fun is concerned) as beef. So much so that if you look for chow fun recipes online, the vast majority are beef chow fun.

For the most authentic result, sliced beef is marinated for a few minutes in a mixture of oyster sauce, soy sauce, tamari, Shaoxing wine or cooking wine, white pepper, sugar, cornstarch, baking soda and water.

Then it’s seared in a wok.

The rest of the vegetable and sauce ingredients are stirred in until cooked, which is then followed by the last step: stirring in of ho fun.

When cooking chow fun, there’s one very important thing to remember: wok hei.

Translated to English, it means “the breath of the wok”. It is achieved by cooking chow fun (or any other stir-fried Chinese gems) quickly over high heat, which results in an unmistakable umami flavor.

Singapore chow fun

First things first: Singapore chow fun, despite what it’s called, did not originate in Singapore. As a matter of fact, this rice vermicelli noodle dish that’s seasoned with curry powder did not come into being anywhere in Southeast Asia.

Hong Kong — it’s believed to be the rightful birthplace of Singapore chow fun.

What’s really nice about Singapore chow fun is that making it is simple and easy.

So much so that, back in the 1960s, it was very popular among the working class who are looking for a cheap, delicious and carbohydrate-packed meal that they can enjoy in a flash.

After all, cooking it is basically tossing together meat, vegetables and rice noodles in a searing hot wok.

And speaking of which, the type of noodles used in Singapore chow fun making is vermicelli rice noodles, which are turned from bland to grand with a dose of curry powder.

Because of its sheer popularity, there are many different recipes for Singapore chow fun on the internet these days.

But if you want something authentic, look for something that includes eggs in the list of ingredients — the noodle dish is traditionally made with eggs, which are scrambled and broken into small pieces and added to the mix in the end.

A standout characteristic of Singapore chow fun is that its rice noodles are crunchy.

It’s exactly due to this why it’s recommended to add only a small amount of sauce, which consists of soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, lime juice and Shaoxing wine or cooking wine.

Needless to say, in order to keep the crunchiness through and through, crunchy vegetables such as mung bean sprouts, red onions and red bell peppers are added, although just about any veggies good for stir-frying can be used, too.

And, unless you are a vegetarian, the noodle dish is completed with the addition of protein, usually beef or shrimp.

Which Noodle Dish is Healthier?

The vast majority of Chinese noodle dishes have vegetables in them.

Not only do chopped vegetables, which are usually stir-fried separately or together with the noodles, add some crunch to give the dish an interesting and delightful texture but also enhance the nutritive content of every serving.

After all, veggies are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber.

Proteins added to noodle dishes also add — you guessed it! — protein dish plus a bunch of essential nutrients.

Sadly, because some of the ingredients are high in calories, fat and sodium, consuming them in excessive amounts is a complete no-no. And people who are steering clear of gluten and MSG should keep their eyes peeled, too.

And now, let’s rank everything from the healthiest to the not-so-healthy based solely on the amount of sodium, calories and fat.

The methodology used?

I gave a lower score (on a 1 to 10 scale) to Chinese noodle dishes that are lower in things you don’t want — the higher the score, the worse for your well-being. The following is the resulting ranking:

Ranking	Noodle Dish	Sodium	Calories	Fat	Average
#1	Chow mein	5	3	2	3.33
#2	Ho fun	3	7	1	3.67
#3	Mai fun	7	1	4	4
#4	Singapore chow fun	1	5	7	4.33
#5	Chow fun	8	2	6	5.33
#6	Mei fun	9	5	5	6.33
#7	Mein foon	4	6	10	6.67
#8	Lo mein	4	8	9	7

Healthiest noodle dishes rankings

Below, I will talk about each noodle dish we have talked about earlier nutrition-wise.

And what’s more, I will rank each one’s fat, calorie and sodium content (1 being optimum for the health and 10 being worst for the health) so that we can determine which noodle dishes are more suited for those who have to watch what they put in their mouths.