By Brian J. Lowney, Standard-Times correspondent
Photos by JOHN SLADEWSKI/The Standard-Times
Barbara Wong and her son Fred are the owners and operators of the Oriental Chow Mein Company in Fall River. Mrs. Wong said her business is the only producer of fried chow mein noodles in the United States. |
If you ask any transplanted SouthCoast native what he misses most about the area, he might tell you that he yearns for a good chow mein sandwich.
"I have customers in Florida, Arizona, Texas and California," notes Barbara Wong, the delightful and energetic owner of the Oriental Chow Mein Company, a family-operated business that has been supplying Southern New England's Asian restaurants and retail customers with chow mein noodles and other Asian food products for more than 50 years.
Area retailers report that chow mein noodles and gravy mix, along with coffee syrup, frozen lemonade mix, meat pies, chourico and linguica are the most popular food products purchased by relatives seeking to send a touch of home to loved ones now living in other states.
According to Mrs. Wong, a native of Canton, China, the well-known Fall River establishment is the only producer of fried chow mein noodles in the United States.
"This is strictly a Fall River product," she continues, adding that chow mein noodles served in other parts of this country and in Asia vary in taste and texture. In China, for example, chow mein noodles are soft when brought to the table.
According to Mrs. Wong's brother-in-law and plant manager Alfred Wong, the plan to produce fried noodles was conceived by his late father Frederick, operator of the popular Hong Kong Restaurant, a city landmark located in the then-bustling downtown section for almost 20 years, before it closed in the early 1950s. The noodle business was developed as a sideline, and eventually expanded. Today the company sells more than 10,000 pounds of fried chow mein noodles a week, in addition to two varieties of lo mein noodles, egg roll wrappers and gravy mix.
The company also sells bean sprouts, which are grown from seeds planted in a computer-driven hot house, which was designed by Mrs. Wong's late husband Alfred, an MIT-trained engineer. The sprouts are not only popular with cooks of Asian cuisine, but also with vegetarians and those who are trying to develop healthier menus.
According to Mrs. Wong, producing the chow mein noodles is a very labor intensive operation. Flour, salt and water are first combined in a large mixer. The dough is then rolled out into large sheets before it's placed in a noodle cutting machine. The noodles are then cut, fried, cooled and then boxed or bagged. The company employs 12 workers and operates a fleet of four trucks.
Three of Mrs. Wong's children are involved in operating the small company: son Frederick helps to oversee the plant's operation, daughter Margaret serves as the bookkeeper, and son Nelson works as a driver, delivering Oriental Chow Mein products to Asian restaurants and supermarkets throughout Southern New England.
When pressed for a recipe or two using her company's products, Mrs. Wong graciously defers to customer Jo Anne De Medeiros of Westport, who has enjoyed chow mein sandwiches for decades.
"I've been coming here since I was big enough to hold the money," the inventive cook reminisces, adding that the fried noodles and gravy mix, sold in supermarkets under the Hoo Mee brand, are staples in her kitchen. "I make chow mein sandwiches for a quick meal, or I make smothered hamburgers by adding some Gravy Master, a little hot sauce and some fried onions to the gravy mix and simmering the patties in the gravy."
Noting the gravy mix's versatility, the talented cook says that she uses the mix to make gravy for chicken, pork and meat loaf. She adds different seasonings depending on the dish she's creating and the taste buds of those being served.
"My husband likes things hot and he's a great eater," she quips.
For another quick meal, Mrs. De Medeiros makes egg rolls by using filling wrappers with sliced chicken breast or other meats, bean sprouts, chopped lettuce and other vegetables.
"It's a great way to use leftovers," she observes. "All I do is roll them up and fry them."
Both ladies agree that every cook has his own recipe for chow mein. Some cooks add shrimp, crabmeat, lobster, diced chicken, pork or marinated beef strips. Mrs. De Medeiros usually adds peapods, bean sprouts, cooked hamburger and a can of water chestnuts.
"I've even used turkey after Thanksgiving," she adds proudly. "Sometimes you just don't know what to do with all that turkey after the holidays."
While Mrs. Wong admits to being a traditional cook, she laughs when she tells about one customer, an elderly man who has been visiting the retail shop for more than 30 years, who has a big bowl of chow mein noodles with milk and sugar every morning instead of cereal.
"Everyone has their own way of using the products," she concludes, offering the following recipe for a delicious sweet snack made with chow mein noodles
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