Shrimp sauce is an unusual addition to a noodle dish, but I
liken it to anchovy paste, which is used in many dishes to enhance flavor. Like
anchovy paste, even though it is a fish/shrimp based ingredient, there’s no
fishy taste once it’s cooked. Shrimp sauce is an unusual shade of purple out of
the bottle, but don’t let that stop you from using it. An alternative to use,
if shrimp paste is not available, is fish sauce.
Chow fun noodles should be fresh and unrefrigerated before
cooking. The texture of the noodles becomes hard once refrigerated, so to keep
the soft texture they should be bought and used the same day. In California,
where I live, there is a law that allows chow fun noodles to be sold
unrefrigerated. If only refrigerated chow fun noodles are available,
microwaving the noodles will soften them, but the texture will not be the same
as fresh.
Enjoy!