1Combine 2 1/2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 1/2 tablespoons of rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce, and 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil in a small bowl and whisk.
2Whisk in 2 teaspoons of corn starch until completely combined.
3Season a wok with vegetable oil by adding just enough to make a small puddle, heating over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the edges until it smokes, discarding the oil, and wiping out the pan with a paper towel.
4Boil a large pot of water over medium-high heat.
5Add 400g of fresh chow mein or stir-fried noodles to the boiling water.
6Boil the noodles for about 10-20 seconds, or according to package directions, then immediately drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
7Add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the wok and heat over medium-high heat until hot.
8Add 340g of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into half-inch cubes, to the wok in two batches to avoid overcrowding.
9Cook the chicken until every piece is cooked through and has a nice brown color.
10Finely chop 7 cloves of garlic and set aside.
11Julienne 1 whole carrot.
12Finely dice 2 ribs of celery.
13Cut 2 green onions into 1-inch segments.
14Slice 315g of Napa cabbage nice and thin.
15Remove the cooked chicken from the wok and set aside.
16Add the green onions to the wok and stir-fry for about 30 seconds until wilted and starting to char.
17Add three-quarters of the finely chopped garlic to the wok and stir-fry until the garlic turns a toasted golden brown.
18Add the celery and carrots to the wok and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until softened.
19Add the cabbage to the wok, crank the heat to high, and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until wilted and slightly charred.
20Turn the heat to medium-high, add the chicken back to the wok, and stir-fry for about 30 seconds until the chicken is hot again.
21Add 85g of bean sprouts to the wok.
22Add the noodles to the wok and stir-fry for about 45 seconds.
23Pour all of the chow mein sauce into the wok and stir-fry and toss until completely coated.
24Add 2 tablespoons of water to the wok and stir-fry and toss repeatedly for about 1 minute, or until the noodles are beautifully glazed and coated.
25Cut the heat and finish by tossing with the remaining garlic.
26Add additional soy sauce to taste, if needed.
27Serve in the pan or dish up individually with green onions on top.