#Chop suey chow mein how to#

People stopped her on the street wanting to know when the noodles would be back. She got so many calls she disconnected her business phone. When a fire in 2009 destroyed the factory on Eighth Street, Barbara Wong was besieged by customers wanting to know if she would rebuild. It is the only company that makes chow mein noodles in the region. Then Barbara joined the business with her brothers-in-law and became the gregarious, well-loved face of the Oriental Chow Mein Company, greeting customers with hugs. Albert took over from his father, churning out Hoo-Mee chow mein noodles until his death in the 1990s. She also married into the family business. “I thought it was great,” she said.īarbara married Albert in 1953. It was the early 1950s when Albert brought Barbara to see the family business. They were a part of the Fall River school lunch menu well into the 1990s. Popular chef Emeril Lagasse, who also grew up in Fall River, has expressed his love for the chow mein sandwich. So did the need for cheap and filling food in a city that never recovered from the Great Depression.įall River native Elise Johnson remembers the staple meal: chow mein sandwich, French fries and an orange soda. The distinctive crunch and flavor of the Hoo-Mee chow mein noodles ensured the chow mein sandwich would remain a favorite in the Fall River area long after it faded elsewhere.

The timing was perfect: In 1942 chow mein was added to the U.S. But just before World War II, he started to package the crunchy chow mein noodles and a packet of gravy in bright yellow boxes under the Hoo-Mee brand name. At first he sold only to local restaurants. From there he made chow mein mix, crispy noodles and bean sprouts. He opened the the Oriental Chow Mein Company in the brick building on Eighth Street in 1938. After 10 years in the restaurant business, he knew what appealed to local tastes: chow mein, with its soft vegetables in a brown sauce that resembled Yankee cooking. Like most Chinese immigrant cooks, Frederick Wong tailored his food to the taste of the area’s population.

The Fall River textile mills employed a large immigrant population, mostly from Quebec, Ireland and England. He spent the next 10 years frying noodles in the back of the restaurant, saving to start his own business. Frederick decided he’d rather go into the restaurant business. He stopped in Fall River to visit an uncle who owned the Hong Kong Restaurant. He brought her to the brick factory on Eighth Street in Fall River.Īlbert’s father Frederick Wong had left Canton, China, in 1926 to study at Salem State University. Five years after her arrival, Barbara met Albert Wong, the son of the owner of the Oriental Chow Mein Company. chow mein' debate.You can’t have a Fall River chow mein sandwich without this.īarbara Wong came to Fall River to reunite with her father, who she only knew through letters. That's easy! Find a Chinese restaurant nearest you, and decide which is the winner of the 'chop suey vs. Is There a System of a Down Song Named After It? No, not yet.The Variations: Sometimes, you'll see this same dish, but with steamed noodles.If there are noodles, it's probably chow mein. In fact, this is the easiest way to spot the difference between chow mein and chop suey. The Base: It's crispy stir-fried noodles.

#Chop suey chow mein how to#

Here's how to tell if what you're eating is chow mein: Both are Chinese-American staples, but there are a few distinct differences. Is There a System of a Down Song Named After It? Yes, a 2001 song that was a big hit!Ĭhow mein (pictured above) does share some similarities with chop suey: notably, it's made with meat (chicken, beef, pork, seafood, or tofu), vegetables, and a sauce.The Variations: There are too many to count-basically, chop suey is a kind of dish, with little differences at every Chinese restaurant you go to.The Sauce: It's topped with a thick, starch-based gravy.You might occassionally see it with steamed noodles. The Base: It's typically served with rice as its base.After that, there are a few other distinguishing features: While its specific definition can vary from chef to chef, chop suey almost always includes some kind of meat (beef, chicken, pork, or seafood) paired with vegetables and sometimes an egg. While it has roots in southern China, chop suey (pictured above) is one of the most popular kind of dishes in Americanized Chinese food. Read on, and we'll explain the difference, then direct you to some Chinese restaurants where you can taste the difference for yourself. (Don't worry, we had to look this up, too.) Of course, to end the debate, you have to know what is the difference between chow mein and chop suey, exactly. Because you'll see both dishes on menus throughout the world, trying to pick which classic Chinese-American dish you want most- chop suey vs.