Chow fun.
Lo mein.
Chow mein.
Chow fun usually starts with wide rice noodles. Lo mein and chow mein commonly use wheat noodles, but their preparation and menu names vary. Start with the noodle, then ask how it is cooked.
Public sources checked October 10, 2026
| Dish | Typical noodle / preparation | Useful question when ordering |
|---|---|---|
| Chow fun | Broad rice noodles, usually wok-fried. Beef chow fun has both dry and saucy versions. | Do you want the dry-fried or wet version? |
| Lo mein | Cooked noodles tossed with sauce and toppings; commonly wheat-and-egg noodles. | Is this the Hong Kong tossed style or the restaurant’s takeout style? |
| Chow mein | A fried-noodle name with regional variations, including crispy pan-fried and American takeout versions. | Are the noodles soft, a crisp noodle base, or crunchy strips served separately? |
What is chow fun?
Beef chow fun is a Cantonese wok dish using beef and broad rice noodles. The Woks of Life describes both a dry-fried version and a saucier variation. “Fun” is a useful clue to the rice-noodle family; it does not mean every dish with that word has the same shape.
Sources: Bill Leung’s beef chow fun guide. Checked October 10, 2026.
Why chow mein can be confusing in New York
An American takeout dish called chicken chow mein can arrive as chicken and vegetables with crunchy noodle strips. A Cantonese pan-fried noodle dish can instead have a crisp noodle base. The same short name is not a guarantee of the same plate.
Ask whether the noodles are mixed into the dish, underneath the topping or packed separately. That question is more useful than assuming that all chow mein is crispy in the same way.
Sources: The Woks of Life: American chicken chow mein. Checked October 10, 2026.
Lo mein: focus on the preparation
Lo mein generally involves noodles cooked first and then combined with toppings and sauce. A restaurant’s use of the name can still differ, so “tossed” is a helpful starting description rather than a full recipe.
Sources: CiCi Li: lo mein and chow mein. Checked October 10, 2026.
A real Brooklyn menu example
E Noodle’s menu puts lo mein in its own section. Wok-fried flat noodles and wet beef chow fun are in Chinatown Classics. Pan-fried noodle dishes are listed there too. That layout makes the category and preparation useful clues alongside the English dish name.
Sources: E Noodle Brooklyn menu. Checked October 10, 2026.
A noodle’s base ingredient does not tell you everything in the sauce or topping. If an ingredient matters, ask about the complete dish.