Gon Lo Mein

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Stir fried noodles and veggies coated in an onolicious sauce

What is Gon Lo Mein?

Gon Lo Mein is another dish that was brought to Hawaii from the Chinese immigrants. It became a popular dish throughout the years as many mom and pop shops sold it to the locals.

Many have come to know the famous “Manapua Man” and yes he also sold Gon Lo Mein as well! Ask any aunty or uncle and they will recount those fond memories of getting a bag of this for just $1.

What is the sauce on Gon Lo Mein?

The sauce for this Gon Lo Mein is quite simple. It has three ingredients: oyster sauce, shoyu (soy sauce), and sugar. If you need a substitute or healthier option for oyster sauce, you can always use Vegan Mushroom Sauce.

There is enough sauce to coat the noodles and veggies since it is salty from the oyster sauce and shoyu. The sugar helps balance out the saltiness.

What type of noodles do you need?

The type of noodles needed for this Gon Lo Mein dish are thin egg noodles. You could use these noodles, but you can also use any dried ramen noodles. Just be sure to not overcook the noodles so it doesn’t turn out to be soggy and sticky noodles.

Simply bring a pot to a rolling boil and cook it long enough that the noodles aren’t exactly al dente. If it is cooked past this part, the noodles will be harder to stir fry since it will be too sticky to toss in the wok.

What are the ingredients for Gon Lo Mein?

Every household or restaurant has their own version of Gon Lo Mein. Here in Hawaii we usually have these common ingredients in our Gon Lo Mein dishes:

• Char siu
• Chicken
• Beef
• Kamaboko
• Spam
• Bean sprouts
• Carrots
• Celery
• Green onion
• Shoyu
• Oyster Sauce
• Oil
• Chow mein

Extra tips or FAQ for Gon Lo Mein?

As a TLDR, be sure to not overcook your noodles. You don’t want sticky or soggy noodles to stir fry. It’s near impossible to prevent the noodles from sticking to the pot or pan.

If you want a healthier option to oyster sauce, you can use  Vegan Mushroom Sauce (it has no MSG).

You can buy pre-made Char Siu if you’d like to save on time or you can check out my recipe on how to make your own Char Siu at home!

How to make Gon Lo Mein

1. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Follow the cooking instructions for your noodles or cook it for a brief moment, about 2-3 minutes for dried noodles and 1 minute for fresh frozen noodles.
2. Drain and rinse the noodles in cold water. Set aside to dry in the meantime.
3. Combine the sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
4. In a wok or non-stick pan, combine half a tablespoon of vegetable oil and sesame oil. Heat it over high heat and add in each vegetable. Stir fry each vegetable for about a minute. Stir fry until all vegetables are tender and remove from the wok/pan.
5. Using the same wok, add in the rest of the oils then add in the cooked noodles. Stir fry to slightly crisp the noodles.
6. Add in the sauce and stir fry to coat all over the noodles. Then add the veggies back to the wok/pan. Stir fry to evenly distribute all ingredients. Serve hot and enjoy!

Give this onolicious recipe a try! If you did give it a try, please leave a comment with a star rating below. Mahalo!