Chow Mein or Chao Mian means "fried noodles." The noodles are boiled to crispiness.
Chow Mein via kwout
One method of preparing chow mein noodles is to fry them separately into a “noodle pancake” and then pour the stir-fried meat and vegetables over the fried noodles. The chow mein noodles can also be stir-fried with the meat/poultry and vegetables.
In Chinese, the two characters for Chop Suey are pronounced "tsa sui" in Mandarin or in Cantonese "shap sui," meaning "mixed small bits" or "odds and ends."
Chop Suey via kwout
As a culinary term, shap sui refers to a kind of stew made of many different ingredients mixed together which can include a variety of meat and vegetables in a cornstarch thickened sauce.
Egg Foo Young is often described as a Chinese omelet or egg pancake, fried in a skillet in oil.
Egg Foo Young via kwout
While the egg mixture is cooking and not yet set, other ingredients are sprinkled in, making it more like a frittata that’s been fried rather than baked.
Common ingredients to be added include chopped scallions, greens, peas, sprouts, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and slivers of cooked chicken, ham, pork, or shrimp. Egg Foo Young is often, but not always, served with a glaze of sweet-sour brown sauce.