[1] The Cantonese use of the character 撈, pronounced lou and meaning "to stir", in its casual form, differs from the character's traditional Han meaning of "to dredge" or "to scoop out of water" in Mandarin, in which case it would be pronounced as laau or lou in Cantonese (lāo in Mandarin).

In northern China, bàn miàn (拌面) can refer to many other types of wheat noodles without egg, including laghman in Xinjiang.

Cantonese lo mein is stirred with a thin sauce and items such as wonton or beef brisket added on top.

Vegetables such as bok choy and cabbage can be mixed in and meats like roast pork, beef or chicken are often added.

[citation needed] In Indonesian Chinese cuisine, lo mein is made using egg noodles or "mie hokkien".