'Chow mein is back, baby': Fall River's Oriental Chow Mein factory up and running again
FALL RIVER — While no easy feat for Fall Riverites, you made it through no-chow-mein May.
Pat yourselves on the back and celebrate at your favorite local chow mein go-to because this week the region has been blessed with an early Christmas miracle: the temporary noodle drought is finally over, and Oriental Chow Mein Co. has reopened.
The noodle machine at the city's landmark Oriental Chow Mein had been out of operation since early May, sending Fall River-area restaurants into a brief panic as they pulled chow mein dishes off their menu with the loss of their noodle supplier.
Fall River chow mein factory: No more noodles until further notice
But rabid fans — forced to get by without Oriental's famous at-home Hoo-Mee Chow Mein mix — can breathe easy now.
The machine got back up and running June 3, and Oriental Chow Mein Co.'s 42 Eighth St. facility has been a flurry of activity since. On the morning of June 5, a steady flow of customers were in and out of the shop, seeking the only cure for their chow mein withdrawals leaving the business with bags of noodles in hand.
According to Nelson Wong, whose family has run Oriental for nearly eight decades, restaurants have also been running them ragged with orders as patrons not-so-patiently await the return of the iconic chow mein sandwich, a dish made famous in Fall River and now popular well beyond.
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Roger's Family Restaurant in Somerset shared via a June 4 post, 'Breaking news…….. Chow Mein is back, baby! Come & get it!!!!!!' which caught the eye of 500 happy customers on Facebook and counting.
They were one of many restaurants forced to temporarily drop their well-known chow mein sandwich from their menu. Others, such as Mr. Chen at their 210 Rhode Island Ave., Fall River, have experimented with making their own noodles in house in the interim.
This recent shutdown marks the second noodle crisis Oriental Chow Mein fans have faced. In 2009, a fire at the Eighth Street factory forced them to close for six months.
Those currently stocking up in the event of another unforeseen noodle shortage were offered some words of advice from Wong.
'Keep them in the freezer. That's the best place to keep it,' he said on June 5.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Oriental Chow Mein open: Fall River noodle factory back after closure
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