Shrimp Mei Fun

My first memory of shrimp mei fun is my mom ordering it from a food cart in our neighborhood. I smelled sesame oil wafting up from the cart and felt my mouth water as I opened the styrofoam clamshell box and watched steam rise from the noodles. I’ve had mei fun many times since then, often at family gatherings. It makes for a great party dish, appealing to both picky eaters and the most traditional lo wah kiu (roughly meaning “old timers” in Cantonese).

You’ll often see this dish (a version of chow mai fun, 炒米粉, meaning “stir-fried rice vermicelli”) spelled “mei fun,” though “mai fun” (MY fun) is a bit closer to how it’s pronounced in Cantonese. It’s very similar to Singapore noodles, though is not to be confused with chow fun, which uses wide, flat rice noodles.

Rice vermicelli is uncommon outside of Asian and Asian American kitchens like the one I grew up in, which is a shame because they’re some of the springiest noodles out there, capable of easily absorbing any sauce. This shrimp mei fun recipe is my spin on the street cart dish of my childhood.

What is shrimp mei fun?

The recipe has had many permutations across time, but shrimp mei fun is essentially a dish made of stir-fried rice vermicelli, shrimp and vegetables. The ingredients in this recipe best capture the traditional flavors of homestyle Cantonese cooking. It’s a great introduction to Chinese vegetables and the Chinese pantry, but feel free to use the recipe as a springboard for improvisation based on your personal tastes and the ingredients available in your area.

This dish is best made in a well-seasoned carbon steel wok, so the ingredients don’t stick to the pan. Using a wok also helps achieve the smoky flavor of wok hei literally (“wok breath”). You can also use a cast-iron pan, Dutch oven or other large skillet.

Shrimp Mei Fun Ingredients

• Gingerroot: Use a Microplane to zest fresh ginger for this recipe.
• Garlic: You’ll need approximately four cloves of garlic.
• Shallots: Shallots have a milder flavor than onions.
• Napa cabbage: In this recipe, Napa cabbage is essential; don’t replace it with a thicker, tougher head of cabbage.
• Carrots: To julienne carrots, use a chef’s knife or a special julienne peeler.
• Chinese celery: Chinese celery has a stronger celery flavor, which is why I prefer it, but western celery will also work.
• Shrimp: To save time, look for deveined shrimp. The bag will say “deveined” or “E-Z peel.”
• Scallions: Scallions, also known as spring onions or green onions, have a milder taste than regular onions.
• Mung bean sprouts: Look for sprouts in the Asian aisle at the supermarket or at a specialty grocery store.
• Garlic chives: This herb can be tough to find in the product department, so it’s an excellent candidate for your kitchen herb garden.
• Mei fun: Some brands of noodles are better than others. Find the thinnest rice vermicelli possible, like Tiger Brand.
• Shiitake mushrooms: Dried mushrooms have the best umami flavor, but fresh shiitake mushrooms will do.
• Oil: Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, like canola oil or soybean oil.
• Soy sauce: Look for a brand of soy sauce that performed well in the Test Kitchen’s soy sauce taste test, like Lee Kum Lee or Kikkoman.
• Oyster sauce: Keep oyster sauce handy; it’s an essential Asian sauce.
• Shaoxing wine: This rice wine is a pantry staple for anyone interested in Chinese cooking.
• Sesame oil: Use sesame oil to add a toasted, nutty flavor to the finished dish.

Directions

Step 1: Soak the shiitake mushrooms and mei fun

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Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in a bowl with room temperature water until they’re soft and pliable. The soak time will vary depending on the kind of dried mushrooms, but plan for 30 to 40 minutes. Soaking them overnight produces the best results.

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Soak the mei fun in a bowl of room temperature water for at least 30 minutes (ideally one hour for the best texture). Drain the noodles. In a large bowl, toss the noodles with sesame oil then set them aside.

Editor’s Tip: If using whole mushrooms instead of sliced ones, cut off their stems and julienne the caps once the mushrooms have rehydrated. If you’re in a hurry, soak the mushrooms in very hot water for about 20 minutes. The mei fun can be cooked in boiling water for one minute.

Step 2: Sear the shrimp

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Heat a wok or large nonstick skillet to medium heat and add in a tablespoon of oil. Cook the shrimp until they’re no longer pink, two to three minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon and set them aside.

Step 3: Cook the vegetables and mushrooms

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In the same skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the carrots and celery and cook until they’re just tender, four to five minutes.

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Add the reserved mushrooms and cabbage. Stir-fry them for four to six minutes or until the vegetables are crisp-tender.

Step 4: Make the sauce

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In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic, ginger and wine.

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Add the sauce to the pan and toss to coat the vegetables.

Step 5: Add the mei fun and shrimp

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Fold in the shrimp, rice noodles and green onions.

Editor’s Tip: The mei fun should turn a light brown color. Tongs or chopsticks may be helpful for this step!

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Recipe Variations

• Add an egg: Scramble up an egg and mix it into the noodles at the end.
• Singapore noodles: For the Singaporean version of the dish, add char siu pork while stir-frying the shrimp and sprinkle in some curry powder at the end.
• Use a different protein: Swap the shrimp in this recipe with pork, chicken, beef or another protein.
• Deepen the color: Add a dash of dark soy sauce at the end to enhance the color of the noodles.

How to Store Shrimp Mei Fun

Store cooked shrimp mei fun in a sealed container in the refrigerator for three to four days. You can also freeze leftovers for three to four months. This is a great dish to meal prep because it doesn’t get soggy during storage and the flavors continue to meld in the refrigerator.

Shrimp Mei Fun Tips

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What’s the difference between shrimp mei fun and shrimp chow fun?

The difference is largely in the kind of noodles used. Mei fun refers to thin rice vermicelli, while chow fun often refers to thick, flat rice noodles called ho fun (pronounced HAW fun).

How do you serve shrimp mei fun?

Shrimp mei fun is best served alongside a variety of protein and vegetable dishes like choy (the Cantonese word for leafy greens). Often, when I go to yum cha (“drink tea,” a Cantonese phrase often used to refer to the act of going for dim sum) with groups, mei fun is one of the noodle dishes we order to round out the small dishes pushed around on the carts. Shrimp mei fun can also be served for lunch, as a snack or for dinner.