Long noodles, long life… and honestly, long seconds because everyone goes back for more. These Longevity Noodles (Yi Mein) with Ginger Chive Chicken are the kind of dish that makes you pause after the first bite and say, "Oh wow."
Silky wheat noodles get tossed in a savoury soy and sesame sauce, then topped with tender, gently poached chicken and that vibrant ginger-chive oil that sizzles when it hits the bowl. It's fresh, punchy, and full of texture, especially once you add cool cucumber and a spoonful, or three, of chili crisp.
We love this for Lunar New Year or birthday celebrations, but it's just as perfect on a random Tuesday when you want something comforting that still feels special. The ginger-chive sauce is the star here. When the hot oil hits the chives and ginger, it wakes everything up and takes the noodles to another level.
Serve it family-style, right from the pan, and let everyone build their bowl exactly how they like it. Extra chili crisp? Always.
Jump to:
Why We Love This Recipe
- Symbolic & Festive: Traditionally served during Lunar New Year and birthday celebrations to represent a long, healthy life.
- Textural Harmony: The contrast between the soft, porous Yi Mein noodles and the crunchy julienned cucumbers is incredible.
- The “Sizzle” Factour: Pouring hot oil over fresh chives and ginger unlocks an aromatic depth you can’t get from sautéing alone.
- Customizable Heat: By serving the chili crisp on the side, everyone can control their own spice level.
Ingredients
Noodles
- dried wheat noodles (Yi Mein, E-fu or Yee mein noodles are traditional for longevity)
Chicken and Poaching Liquid
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- water
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ginger, sliced
- Garlic
Ginger Chive Sauce
- Chinese chives, finely sliced
- Fresh ginger
- Kosher salt
- Sugar
- Avocado oil (or another neutral oil)
- Light soy sauce
- Warm chicken poaching liquid
Longevity Noodle Sauce
- Light soy sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Dark soy sauce (optional)
- Toasted sesame oil
- Sugar
- White pepper
- Warm chicken poaching liquid
To Finish
- Chili crisp
- Toasted sesame oil, optional
- Cucumber
- Toasted sesame seeds
See the recipe card below for exact quantities.
Instructions
Cook the Yi Mein Noodles
Bring a large 8-quart stockpot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to the package instructions (usually about 1-2 minutes) until just tender. Reserve 1 cup of noodle water, then drain and rinse the noodles. They are often pre-fried, so they cook very quickly and can become mushy if left in the water too long.
Poach the Chicken
Place the water, salt, ginger, and garlic in a 3.5-quart sauté pan. Bring to a full boil. Add the chicken thighs and return to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low so the liquid barely bubbles. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let the chicken rest in the liquid for 8 to 10 minutes.
Tip: Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C). This “passive poaching” method keeps the thighs incredibly succulent. Slice the chicken after it has rested for 5 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the poaching liquid.
Make the Ginger-Chive Sauce
Place the sliced Chinese chives, grated ginger, salt, and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Stir to combine.
Heat 6 tablespoon (90 ml) of neutral oil in a small skillet until it is shimmering. Look for the very first wisps of smoke to rise from the pan.
The Sizzle Test: Drop one piece of chive into the oil; it should bubble and sizzle instantly. If it does, carefully pour the hot oil over the chive mixture. It will foam and sizzle loudly, this is exactly what you want! Once the bubbling stops, stir in the light soy sauce and 2 tablespoon of the warm poaching liquid. This “flash-fries” the aromatics, removing their raw bite while locking in their bright green colour.
Create the Noodle Sauce
In the 3.5-quart sauté pan over medium heat, combine the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, white pepper, and ⅓ cup of the reserved chicken poaching liquid. Whisk together and warm for 2 minutes until the sugar dissolves.
Toss and Assemble
Add the cooked noodles to the sauté pan with the sauce. Toss gently for 1 to 2 minutes over medium-low heat until the noodles are glossy and have absorbed the flavours. If the noodles seem too dry, add a splash of the reserved noodle water.
Serving
Arrange the sliced chicken over the noodles. Spoon a generous amount of the Ginger Chive Sauce over the meat. Top with julienned cucumbers, toasted sesame seeds, and as much chili crisp as your heart desires. Serve family-style directly from the pan and extra chive sauce on the side.
Tips, Substitutions & Serving Suggestions
- Substitutions: If you cannot find Chinese chives (Gow Choy), you can use the green parts of scallions. For a vegetarian version, swap the chicken for thick slices of king oyster mushrooms and use vegetarian mushroom “oyster” sauce.
- Sourcing Ingredients: Chinese chives and Yi Mein, E-fu or yee mein noodles are available in most asian grocery stores.
- Pro Tip: Do not overcook the Yi Mein noodles! They are often pre-fried, so they cook very quickly and can become mushy if left in the water too long.
- Serving Suggestion: Serve this with a side of blanched bok choy or gai lan (Chinese broccoli) to balance the richness of the oils.
- Chili Crisp: If your chili crisp is too thick, whisk it with 1 tablespoon of neutral oil to create a “drizzly” consistency that coats the noodles better.
Other Lunar New Year Recipes to try Next:
- Crispy Roasted Duck (Peking-Style)
- Easy Homemade Ginger Scallion Sauce
- Shanghai-Style Braised Pork Belly (Hong Shao Rou)
- Sweet Chili Shrimp and Noodle Stir Fry
Equipment Used: We built this dish entirely in Hestan Culinary ProBond Luxe. We used the 8-Quart Stockpot for the yi mein noodles, poached the chicken in the 3.5-Quart Sauté pan, then served it in the same pan. The 8.5-inch clad stainless steel skillet heated the neutral oil evenly for the ginger and chives. The Provisions mixing bowls gave us the space to build the sauce beautifully. All opinions in this post are our own.
📖 Recipe
Longevity Noodles (Yi Mein) with Ginger Chive Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken and Poaching Liquid
- 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs 680 g
- 6 cups water 1.4 L
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 oz fresh ginger, sliced 25 g
- 2 cloves garlic lightly smashed (optional)
Ginger Chive Sauce
- 1 cup 45 g Chinese chives, finely sliced
- 2 tablespoon 20 g fresh ginger, very finely grated
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 6 tablespoon 90 ml avocado oil (or another neutral oil)
- 2 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon warm poaching liquid plus more if needed
Noodles
- 15 oz dried wheat noodles (Yi Mein, E-fu or yee mein noodles are traditional for longevity) 440 g
Longevity Noodle Sauce
- 3 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoon dark soy sauce optional, for a deep colour
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ⅓ cup warm chicken poaching liquid 80 ml
To Finish
- 3 to 4 tablespoon chili crisp to taste
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil optional to make a more "drizzly"
- ½ large English cucumber julienned
- Toasted sesame seeds
To finish
- 3 to 4 tablespoon chili crisp to taste
- 1 to 2 tablespoon neutral oil (optional, to make a more "drizzly" chili crisp oil) 15 to 30 ml
- 1 large cucumber julienned (optional, for crunch and freshness)
- Toasted sesame seeds optional
Instructions
Poach the Chicken
- Place the water, salt, ginger, and garlic in a 3.5-quart sauté pan. Bring to a full boil. Add the chicken thighs and return to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low so the liquid barely bubbles. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let the chicken rest in the liquid for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Expert Tip: Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C). This "passive poaching" method keeps the thighs incredibly succulent. Slice the chicken after it has rested for 5 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the poaching liquid.
Cook the Noodles
- Bring a large 8-quart stockpot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to the package instructions until just tender. Reserve 1 cup of noodle water, then drain and rinse the noodles.
Make the Ginger-Chive Sauce
- Place the sliced Chinese chives, grated ginger, salt, and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Stir to combine.
- Heat 6 tablespoon (90 ml) of neutral oil in a small skillet until it is shimmering. Look for the very first wisps of smoke to rise from the pan.
- The Sizzle Test: Drop one piece of chive into the oil; it should bubble and sizzle instantly. If it does, carefully pour the hot oil over the chive mixture. It will foam and sizzle loudly, this is exactly what you want! Once the bubbling stops, stir in the light soy sauce and 2 tablespoon of the warm poaching liquid. This "flash-fries" the aromatics, removing their raw bite while locking in their bright green colour.
Create the Noodle Sauce
- In the 3.5-quart sauté pan over medium heat, combine the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, white pepper, and ⅓ cup of the reserved chicken poaching liquid. Whisk together and warm for 2 minutes until the sugar dissolves.
Toss and Assemble
- Add the cooked noodles to the sauté pan with the sauce. Toss gently for 1 to 2 minutes over medium-low heat until the noodles are glossy and have absorbed the flavours. If the noodles seem too dry, add a splash of the reserved noodle water.
Serving
- Arrange the sliced chicken over the noodles. Spoon a generous amount of the Ginger Chive Sauce over the meat. Top with julienned cucumbers, toasted sesame seeds, and as much chili crisp as your heart desires. Serve family-style directly from the pan and extra chive sauce on the side.
💬Tried this recipe?
- We'd really appreciate a rating and quick review! It helps more home cooks find the recipe, and we love hearing what you think.
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