Lo mein vs. chow mein
捞面 / 炒面 / 撈麵 / 炒麵 · lāo miàn / chǎo miàn (pinyin)
Lo mein noodles are cooked, then tossed with sauce; chow mein means stir-fried noodles. US menus apply the two names differently by region.
What it means
Lo mein (撈麵) means 'stirred' or 'tossed' noodles. In Cantonese cuisine, Wikipedia describes boiled wheat noodles tossed in a sauce such as oyster sauce, or served with sauce alongside, and not traditionally pan-fried or stir-fried. Toppings may include wontons, char siu, beef brisket or vegetables.
Chow mein (炒麵) simply means stir-fried noodles. Food Network describes the difference in method: chow mein is cooked together in the wok at high heat with semi-cooked wheat noodles, while lo mein noodles are cooked separately and lightly dressed. The Woks of Life describes Hong Kong-style chow mein noodles as thin, yellow noodles that are briefly boiled, rinsed and pan-fried until crisp.
In the US the names are not fixed. Wikipedia says US chow mein comes in crispy and steamed (soft) versions, with East Coast restaurants almost always meaning the crispy kind and West Coast restaurants almost always meaning the soft, steamed kind. It also says lo mein noodles in US Chinese restaurants are typically stir-fried with a soy sauce-based seasoning.
A common mix-up
The dividing line is not a fixed cooking rule on US menus: lo mein may be stir-fried, and 'chow mein' can be crisp or soft depending on region.
Questions people ask
What do 'lo' and 'chow' mean?
'Lo' means stirred or tossed and 'chow' means stir-fried; 'mein' means noodles. Wikipedia gives these meanings for the two names.
Is chow mein always crispy?
No. Wikipedia says East Coast US restaurants usually mean crispy chow mein, while West Coast restaurants usually mean the steamed, softer style.
Sources & further reading
Background and preparation references. Our descriptions are editorial summaries, not restaurant reviews.