Here’s my Dad’s quick and easy lo-mein recipe:

Fresh egg noodles (you’ll find these in the fridge section of the Asian supermarkets). You can use dried egg noodles, but they’re not as springy and chewy.
Cook the noodles (they’ll only need a few minutes if the noodles are fresh), then drain the water.
Toss the noodles with sesame oil and oyster sauce.
Sometimes Dad would add some sliced spring onions and ginger if we had any in the kitchen, but otherwise that was all. A few simple ingredients.

I first started cooking for myself when I was about 8 years old. By "cooking," I mean something that involved using the stove—so beans heated up in the microwave with toast doesn’t quite count.

While I can't recall the exact dish, the first few meals I cooked were likely inspired by watching my dad prepare food for us, either for breakfast or occasionally after school. These meals were probably an egg sandwich (with the egg fried in a wok), instant noodles (always Nissin noodles sometimes upgraded with vegetables and protein from the big take-away fridges), or most likely lo mein 撈麵— noodles tossed in sauce.

What is your comfort food?

So this is what I think of when people ask me about comfort food. It’s my equivalent of a simple pasta with tomato sauce or pesto. It’s for days when I need a quick lunch or just a little bit of comfort.