Xiamen Chow Mei Fun (厦门炒米粉) is a tasty rice noodle dish served at many Chinese restaurants and often served at weekend dim sum brunches.
Although it’s probably not as well-known as the curry-spiced Singapore Noodles (not from Singapore, but from Hong Kong), it’s just as delicious!
Note: This recipe was originally posted on November 14, 2014. We have since updated it with clearer photos and instructions, nutritional info, and metric measurements. Enjoy!
Origins of Xiamen Chow Mei fun
Xiamen (厦门) is a city in the Fujian Province of southern China. We have also seen this dish on menus translated as “Amoy Fried Rice Noodle,” as Amoy is the pronunciation of the city’s name in the local dialect.
If you’re ever in doubt as to whether you’re ordering this dish from a Chinese menu, simply look at the Chinese translation. If you see the city, 厦门, in the Chinese name of the dish, you’ll know that you’re getting Xiamen Chow Mei Fun!
“Chow” in Cantonese means “stir-fried,” while “mei fun” refers to thin rice vermicelli noodles. For more recipes using this noodle, check out our Singapore Mei Fun and Judy’s Chicken Mei Fun. We also have a delicious Mushroom Mei Fun recipe in our new cookbook!
These thin rice vermicelli noodles are popular throughout Southern China, and the Xiamen-style dish usually features Chinese BBQ pork (char siu), ham, shrimp, and eggs.
For those of you who like a little heat, break out the chili oil to serve with this chow mei fun! What could be better?
Xiamen Mei Fun: Recipe Instructions
Be sure to start soaking the noodles about an hour before you’re ready to start preparing the rest of the dish.
They are very brittle right out of the package, and need to be soaked until softened before stir-frying.
When you’re ready to cook, start by heating a tablespoon of oil in your wok. Scramble the eggs and set aside.
Add a little more oil, turn the heat up to high, and sear the shrimp just until they’re cooked through and a little crisp on the outside. Remove from the wok, and set aside.
(You’ll noticed that in the finished photo of the dish, the tails are still on the shrimp. Below, the tails have been removed. Your choice! The tails give the noodles a little extra flavor, and it’s less work if you bought peeled, deveined tail-on shrimp. But you can also peel them completely.)
Heat another 2 tablespoons oil in your wok until it just starts to smoke. Add the Chinese roast pork and stir-fry for about 20 seconds.
Add the onion, garlic, and pepper, and stir-fry for another minute. The heat should still be high, and you should be stirring constantly. We used a mix of red and white onion, but you can use either!
You want enough sizzle to produce that “wok hei” (literally translated to: ‘breath of the wok’) seared flavor.
Add the ham, and stir-fry for another 30 seconds.
Add the soaked rice noodles, and give everything a good stir.
Toss in the eggs and shrimp and stir-fry until the noodles are heated through (about 3-5 minutes).
Add the Shaoxing wine, sugar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Mix well. If your noodles begin to stick, the wok is probably not hot enough.
Just use your metal wok spatula and make sure to scrape anything off the bottom of the wok so it doesn’t burn!
Finish with the scallions, and continue to mix until the scallions are cooked to your liking. I like them barely heated for this dish myself. Serve with your favorite hot sauce or Kaitlin’s delicious chili oil!
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Recipe
Xiamen Mei Fun Rice Noodles
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil)
- 2 large eggs (beaten)
- 8-10 shrimp (medium to large size, peeled and deveined)
- 4 ounces Chinese roast pork (thinly sliced)
- 1 medium onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 small green or red bell pepper (julienned)
- 4 ounces Virginia ham or boiled ham (thickly sliced and cut into matchsticks)
- 10 ounces dried rice noodles soaked in warm water for 30 minutes to an hour (use kitchen shears to cut the noodles to about a 10-inch length so they don’t bunch up when stir-frying)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1/8 teaspoon sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 scallion (cut into 2-inch/5cm pieces)
Instructions
- Start by heating your wok over high heat until it's lightly smoking. Add 1 tablespoon oil, scramble the eggs, and set aside. Still over high heat, add 1 tablespoon more oil, and sear the shrimp just until they're cooked through and a little crisp on the outside. Remove from the wok, and set aside.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in your wok until it just starts to smoke. Add the roast pork, and stir-fry for about 20 seconds. With the heat still high, add the onion, garlic, and pepper, and stir-fry constantly for another minute.
- Add the ham, and stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Add the soaked noodles and give everything a good stir. Toss in the eggs and shrimp, and stir-fry until the noodles are heated through (about 3-5 minutes).
- Add the Shaoxing wine, sugar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Mix well. If your noodles begin to stick, the wok is probably not hot enough. Just use your metal wok spatula to scrape anything off the bottom of the wok so it doesn't burn!
- Finish with the scallions, and continue to mix until the scallions are just wilted. Serve with your favorite chili oil or hot sauce!
