Shanghainese food is one of my favorite cuisines in the world. It is actually Kevin’s favorite cuisine in the world. Aside from soup dumplings, I always order Shanghai noodles every time I eat at a Shanghainese restaurant. Whenever I travel back to New York City to visit my family, my first stop is always to a Shanghainese restaurant in Manhattan’s Chinatown. I recently started frequenting Chinese restaurants in Flushing, Queens during my visits to New York City since my older brother, sister-in-law, and baby nephew live there. I’ve been eating Shanghai noodles since I was a child and have been making my own version since moving to Ohio. The actual name of the Shanghai noodles is 上海粗炒. It is translated to “Shanghai thick fry” in Chinese. The noodles are similar in shape and texture to udon noodles. The dish itself is extremely easy to make and features a delicious umami flavored sauce. My favorite version simply features thinly sliced pork, you choy, and noodles coated in a savory soy sauce. Whenever Kevin and I would eat this dish, Kevin would always share stories of his childhood growing up in Hong Kong. As a child, he would go with his mom and dad to eat soup dumplings and Shanghai noodles at a local Shanghainese restaurant in Hong Kong. He continued the tradition with his dad for many years until he moved to the United States for college. Kevin and I began our own tradition of eating soup dumplings and Shanghai noodles shortly after we started dating and continued the tradition after we got married. In 2015, after I moved to Ohio, I started making my own version of Shanghai noodles since I didn’t have the same access to Shanghainese restaurants in Ohio.
Shanghai Noodles (上海粗炒)
For the pork marinade:
· ½ teaspoon Shaoxing wine
· ½ teaspoon light soy sauce
· ½ teaspoon dark soy sauce
· ½ teaspoon fine sugar
· ½ teaspoon cornstarch
· ½ pound pork shoulder, sliced into thin strips
For the noodles:
· 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
· 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
· 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
· 1 teaspoon fine sugar
· ½ teaspoon cornstarch
· ½ tablespoon vegetable oil
· ½ package of udon noodles
· 6-8 stalks of you choy
Directions:
1) Heat a pot filled with water on medium high heat. Let the water come to a boil.
2) In a bowl, make the marinade for the pork. Combine the wine, soy sauces, sugar, and corn starch. Add the thinly sliced pork shoulder and let the pork absorb the flavors of the marinade for at least 15-20 minutes.
3) In another bowl, whisk together the remaining wine, soy sauces, sugar, and cornstarch. Set aside.
4) Once the pot of water is boiling, blanch the udon noodles and you choy for 1-2 minutes. Remove the noodles and you choy to a plate.
5) Heat a skillet to medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the vegetable oil. The skillet is ready once you see waves form in the oil. Add the pork and cook until the pork is almost cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Add the udon noodles and the sauce from the sauce bowl. Cook for about 1-2 minutes. Toss in the you choy and cook for an additional minute.
Takeaways: If you can’t find you choy, you can also use bok choy or another leafy vegetable of your choice. I’ve made the noodles using a variety of different green vegetables in the past and the noodles turn out delicious every time. If you don’t have pork, you can also substitute thinly sliced chicken. I like to add Chinkiang vinegar to my noodles. Kevin likes to add Chiu Chow chili oil to his noodles.