Yo Po Mian

Name: Yo Po Mian
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: Kosher salt; 12 ounces dried wide wheat noodles; 4 heads baby bok choy (about 12 ounces), trimmed and sliced lengthwise into 4 pieces; 4 small garlic cloves, peeled and grated; 8 teaspoons soy sauce; 4 teaspoons black vinegar; 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste; 2 scallions, thinly sliced; 1 handful cilantro leaves; 8 tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Published May 13, 2021

Total Time: 20 minutes
Rating: 4(1,899)
Comments: Read comments

A staple dish from the Shaanxi Province in China’s central northwest, yo po mian literally means “oil sprinkled noodles.” It’s traditionally made with biang biang, or hand-torn flat noodles, but wide wheat noodles are used here for a quick weeknight meal. (In a pinch, any dried noodles will work.) This dish packs a lot of flavor, but its preparation is deceptively simple: Noodles and greens are topped with raw garlic and chiles, then hot oil is poured over the top, which coaxes the flavor out of the aromatics. Yo po mian is typically very garlicky, but that’s been dialed back here with just four cloves. (Use more or less, depending upon your personal preference.) You could add ground Sichuan peppercorns for tangy spice, and if you have dark soy sauce, you can substitute it for half of the soy sauce in this recipe, as it will add deep sweetness and rich caramel flavor.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

Kosher salt
12ounces dried wide wheat noodles
4heads baby bok choy (about 12 ounces), trimmed and sliced lengthwise into 4 pieces
4small garlic cloves, peeled and grated
8teaspoons soy sauce
4teaspoons black vinegar
1teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
2scallions, thinly sliced
1handful cilantro leaves
8tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package directions until just al dente. When they are about 45 to 60 seconds from being done, add the bok choy and press the greens down to submerge them. Cook for 45 to 60 seconds, until they are bright green and just tender. Drain, and divide the noodles and greens between 4 deep noodle bowls.
Step 2
Divide the garlic between the four bowls of noodles, then top each bowl of noodles with 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon black vinegar, ¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, some scallions and a small bundle of cilantro leaves.
Step 3
In a small saucepan (if you have one with a spout, it is very helpful for pouring the oil), heat the oil over high until it is smoking. (To test, touch the oil with a wooden chopstick or skewer; the oil should bubble vigorously.) Very carefully pour the oil over the garlic and toppings, dividing it evenly among the bowls. Toss to coat the noodles and serve immediately.

Ratings

4 out of 5

1,899 user ratings

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Comments

Nana4 years ago

This is a dish that my grandmother always made for me growing up. Of course she’d pull the noodles from scratch. But using packaged noodles, this dish is simple and fast, yet packed with flavor. I recommend using chili pepper powder from Shaanxi instead if you can find it in your local Asian grocery store. It is less spicy and much more fragrant! Other chili peppers work, but probably won’t taste the same as the yo po mian you find in Xi’an.

Tasha4 years ago

8 tablespoons oil? That's half a cup. Why not make life easy? 8 teaspoons? Who's going to measure that? Why not 2 tablespoons plus a shy one? Or just round up to 3 tablespoons. Really. Life is too short.

Barb4 years ago

Could something like pappardelle be used here?

wmc10 months ago

8 tbsp = 1/2 cup 8 tsp = 1.33 oz = 40 ml 4 tsp = 0.66 oz = 20 ml

Ewurama1 year ago

I love this recipe so much!! I've been making it for years. I add a bit of silken tofu at the end for some protein (after pouring the oil on), and it melds really nicely with the dish.

Gretchen1 year ago

This was delicious. I used wide rice noodles (because I’m GF unfortunately) and threw some sliced skirt steak on top. Also subbed some chili crisp bits for red pepper flakes, while being careful not to add any extra oil. All who dined were delighted! Thanks NYT!

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