[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":427},["ShallowReactive",2],{"recipe:singapore-hokkien-mee":3,"recipe:country:singapore":214},{"slug":4,"title":5,"nativeName":6,"pronunciation":7,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"emoji":10,"summary":11,"intro":12,"story":13,"whyThis":14,"tips":19,"substitutions":26,"variations":43,"serveWith":53,"storage":55,"faq":56,"equipment":72,"baseServings":77,"prepMinutes":78,"cookMinutes":79,"difficulty":80,"course":81,"diet":83,"mainIngredients":85,"ingredients":90,"instructions":165,"nutrition":196,"images":202,"keywords":206,"publishedAt":212,"updatedAt":212,"authorSlug":213},"singapore-hokkien-mee","Hokkien Mee (Singapore Prawn Stock Fried Noodles)","福建面","HOK-kien MEE","singapore","Islandwide","🍜","Yellow noodles and rice vermicelli braised in a deep prawn-and-pork stock until they drink it up, finished with crisp lard, squid, prawns, sambal and a squeeze of lime.","Singapore hokkien mee is a wet fried noodle dish: thick yellow alkaline noodles and rice vermicelli tossed with egg and then braised in a concentrated prawn-shell and pork-bone stock until the noodles swell and the liquid has almost disappeared into them. What is left on the plate is glossy and just barely soupy, tasting overwhelmingly of prawn, with pork fat behind it and the alkaline tang of the yellow noodles cutting through. It is served with a spoonful of chile-shrimp sambal on the side and a wedge of calamansi lime to squeeze over, and both are compulsory — the sourness is what stops the richness from flattening halfway through the plate. Do not confuse it with the black Kuala Lumpur dish or the soup version from Penang; those are different noodles with the same name.","The dish belongs to the Hokkien community, southern Chinese from Fujian who made up the largest dialect group in Singapore, and the standard account has it starting after the Second World War with sailors and noodle-factory workers frying up surplus noodles over charcoal by the roadside in the Rochor area. Whether or not that specific origin is exact, the shape of the story is right: it is thrift food, built from prawn shells and pork bones that would otherwise be discarded, and from noodles that needed selling. The stock is the only expensive thing in it, and it costs time rather than money.\n\nThe name causes constant confusion across the region, because three unrelated dishes share it. In Singapore, hokkien mee is this pale, prawn-stock braised noodle. In Kuala Lumpur, Hokkien mee is thick noodles fried black with dark caramel soy and crisp pork lard. In Penang, Hokkien mee is a prawn and pork soup with noodles in it, so bright orange-red that visitors regularly order the wrong thing in the wrong city. All three come from the same community and diverged locally, and none of them is a corruption of the others.\n\nAt a stall the cooking is fast and violent: a scoop of lard into a screaming wok, garlic, prawns and squid seared and pulled out, egg broken in, noodles thrown on top, then ladles of stock poured in and the whole mass pushed around and pressed down while it reduces. Some stalls cover the wok for a minute to force the noodles to absorb; some finish the plate on a piece of opeh leaf, the dried palm sheath that adds a faint dry perfume and is a reliable sign of an old-school seller. What you cannot get at home is wok hei, the scorched aroma of a burner running at a heat no domestic stove approaches. You can get most of the way there by cooking in two batches on the biggest flame you have, and the stock matters more than the char anyway.",[15,16,17,18],"A real prawn-shell and pork stock, roasted first, which is the entire flavour of the dish and cannot be faked with cubes.","The two-noodle mix in the ratio stalls actually use, so the vermicelli soaks while the yellow noodles keep their bite.","Home-rendered lard cubes for the crisp fatty bits, with an honest workaround if you would rather not render fat.","Batch-cooking instructions for domestic burners, which cannot heat a full wok load properly in one go.",[20,21,22,23,24,25],"Squeeze the prawn heads hard as you brown them — the orange fat that runs out is the single biggest flavour contributor in the stock.","Rinse and loosen the yellow noodles in warm water before they hit the wok; packaged ones carry an alkaline smell and stick together in a block.","Cook in two batches. A domestic burner cannot bring a full wok back up to heat, and the difference between one batch and two is the difference between fried and stewed.","Add the stock in three ladlefuls, not all at once, letting each one absorb before the next. Dumping it in leaves you with noodle soup.","The finished plate should be wet but not swimming — tilt it and a little liquid should pool at the low edge, no more.","Do not put the sambal in the wok. It goes on the side so each person controls the heat, and stirring it through mutes the prawn flavour.",[27,31,35,39],{"original":28,"swap":29,"note":30},"Pork lard and lard cubes","Neutral oil plus 60 g of diced bacon fried crisp","Bacon brings smoke that lard does not have, so the flavour shifts slightly, but you keep the crunch and the fat. Plain oil alone works and the dish is still good, just less rich.",{"original":32,"swap":33,"note":34},"Fresh thick yellow noodles","Fresh udon, or dried yellow noodles cooked one minute short","You want a thick, chewy wheat noodle that survives braising. Thin egg noodles fall apart and thin spaghetti has the wrong texture entirely.",{"original":36,"swap":37,"note":38},"Calamansi lime","Lime wedges","Calamansi is more perfumed and slightly bitter, but ordinary lime does the same essential job of cutting the fat. Lemon is too sharp and one-dimensional here.",{"original":40,"swap":41,"note":42},"Squid","More prawns, or thin slices of fish cake","Squid adds bounce and chew rather than flavour, so leaving it out costs you texture but not taste.",[44,47,50],{"name":45,"description":46},"Opeh leaf hokkien mee","The traditional service: the finished noodles are turned out onto a square of dried palm sheath, which holds heat, absorbs excess liquid and lends a faint dry grassy aroma. Old-school stalls still charge extra for it.",{"name":48,"description":49},"Drier stall style","Some cooks reduce the stock almost completely away so the noodles are glossy and barely wet. Singaporeans have firm preferences between wet and dry versions and will queue at different stalls accordingly.",{"name":51,"description":52},"Kuala Lumpur Hokkien mee","The Malaysian dish of the same name: thick noodles fried in dark caramel soy until nearly black, with crisp lard, cabbage and pork. Same community, completely different plate.",[54],"Sambal belacan and calamansi wedges on the rim of the plate, plus a glass of iced barley water or lime juice to cut the fat.","This does not keep. The noodles continue absorbing liquid as they sit and go soft and pasty within an hour, and reheated seafood turns rubbery. Cook only what you will eat. The stock, though, is worth making in advance and in quantity — it keeps 3 days refrigerated and freezes well for 3 months, so a weekend prawn feast can pay for several fast weeknight plates. Rendered lard keeps for months in a sealed jar in the fridge, and the crisp lard cubes keep about a week in an airtight container at room temperature.",[57,60,63,66,69],{"question":58,"answer":59},"What is the difference between Singapore, KL and Penang Hokkien mee?","Three different dishes with one name. Singapore hokkien mee is pale yellow noodles and vermicelli braised in prawn and pork stock, served wet with sambal and lime. Kuala Lumpur Hokkien mee is thick noodles fried almost black in dark caramel soy with crisp lard. Penang Hokkien mee is a prawn and pork soup with noodles served in the broth. All three came from Hokkien communities and diverged locally.",{"question":61,"answer":62},"Can I make it without pork?","Yes, though it changes the dish. Build the stock from prawn shells and heads alone, roasted hard and simmered with a little dried shrimp and dried scallop for depth, and use neutral oil in place of lard. You lose the round fatty background but the prawn flavour, which is the dominant note, is untouched. Skip the belly pork and add extra prawns and squid.",{"question":64,"answer":65},"Why did my noodles turn to mush?","Usually too much stock added at once, or the noodles were fully cooked before they went into the wok. Yellow noodles should go in barely loosened and vermicelli should be soaked rather than boiled, since both continue cooking as they absorb stock. Add liquid in stages and stop when the noodles are still slightly chewy in the centre.",{"question":67,"answer":68},"Do I need a wok or wok hei to make this?","A wok helps but is not essential; a wide heavy frying pan works if you cook in two batches. Real wok hei — the scorched, faintly smoky aroma of food cooked in a very hot wok over a roaring burner — is genuinely not achievable on a domestic stove. Accept that, and lean on the stock and the lard instead, which carry most of the flavour anyway.",{"question":70,"answer":71},"Can I use ready-made stock instead of making my own?","You can, but the dish is essentially noodles plus stock, so weak stock means a weak plate. If you are short on time, simmer a litre of shop-bought chicken stock with the shells and heads of the prawns you are using for 25 minutes — that alone gets you a long way for very little effort.",[73,74,75,76],"Large wok or wide heavy frying pan","Stockpot for the prawn and pork stock","Fine sieve","Small pan for rendering lard",4,30,75,"medium",[82],"main",[84],"dairy-free",[86,87,88,89],"shrimp","egg-noodles","pork-belly","squid",[91,97,100,103,108,113,117,121,125,130,133,136,141,144,148,152,155,159,163],{"ref":86,"qty":92,"unit":93,"name":94,"note":95,"group":96},600,"g","head-on shell-on prawns","peeled for the wok, shells and heads reserved for stock","For the stock",{"qty":98,"unit":93,"name":99,"group":96},500,"pork bones or pork ribs",{"ref":88,"qty":101,"unit":93,"name":102,"group":96},250,"pork belly, in one piece",{"ref":104,"qty":105,"unit":106,"name":107,"group":96},"garlic",6,"clove","garlic, crushed",{"ref":109,"qty":110,"unit":111,"name":112,"group":96},"white-pepper",1,"tsp","white peppercorns, cracked",{"qty":114,"unit":115,"name":116,"group":96},2,"l","water",{"ref":87,"qty":118,"unit":93,"name":119,"group":120},400,"fresh thick yellow noodles, loosened in warm water","For the noodles",{"ref":122,"qty":123,"unit":93,"name":124,"group":120},"rice-noodles",150,"thick rice vermicelli, soaked until pliable",{"qty":126,"unit":93,"name":127,"note":128,"group":129},120,"pork back fat, in 1 cm cubes","renders into cooking lard plus the crisp cubes scattered on top","For the wok",{"ref":89,"qty":131,"unit":93,"name":132,"group":129},200,"squid, cleaned and cut into rings",{"ref":104,"qty":134,"unit":106,"name":135,"group":129},5,"garlic, finely chopped",{"ref":137,"qty":138,"unit":139,"name":140,"group":129},"eggs",3,"piece","eggs, lightly beaten",{"ref":142,"qty":123,"unit":93,"name":143,"group":129},"bean-sprouts","bean sprouts",{"ref":145,"qty":146,"unit":93,"name":147,"group":129},"chives",60,"garlic chives, in 4 cm lengths",{"ref":149,"qty":110,"unit":150,"name":151,"group":129},"fish-sauce","tbsp","fish sauce",{"ref":153,"qty":110,"unit":150,"name":154,"group":129},"soy-sauce","light soy sauce",{"qty":156,"unit":157,"name":158,"group":129},null,"to taste","white pepper and salt",{"ref":160,"qty":77,"unit":139,"name":161,"group":162},"lime","calamansi limes, halved (or 2 limes, quartered)","To serve",{"qty":77,"unit":150,"name":164,"group":162},"sambal belacan",[166,171,175,179,182,186,190,193],{"title":167,"text":168,"timerSeconds":169,"tip":170},"Roast the prawn shells","Peel the prawns and keep the shells and heads. Dry-fry them in a hot stockpot with a splash of oil for 4–5 minutes, pressing down hard on the heads with a spatula, until they turn deep orange-red, the pot smells strongly of roasted prawn and orange fat streaks the bottom of the pan.",300,"This pressing step is where the stock gets its colour and most of its flavour. Do not skip it or rush it.",{"title":172,"text":173,"timerSeconds":174},"Simmer the stock","Add the pork bones, pork belly, crushed garlic, cracked white peppercorns and 2 litres of water. Bring to a boil, skim off the grey scum, then simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Lift out the belly after 30 minutes, cool it and slice it thinly. Strain the stock and reduce it to about 900 ml — it should taste concentrated and slightly sweet.",2700,{"title":176,"text":177,"timerSeconds":178},"Render the lard","Put the cubed back fat in a small cold pan with a tablespoon of water and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, until the cubes shrink to crisp golden nuggets swimming in clear fat. Scoop out the cubes and reserve both them and the rendered lard separately.",900,{"title":180,"text":181,"timerSeconds":123},"Sear the seafood","Heat a tablespoon of lard in the wok over the highest heat you have. Sear the peeled prawns for 60 seconds a side until just pink and firm, then the squid rings for 30 seconds until they curl and turn opaque. Remove both immediately — they will finish cooking in the noodles and rubbery seafood is the fastest way to ruin this plate.",{"title":183,"text":184,"tip":185},"Egg and noodles","Add another tablespoon of lard and the chopped garlic to the wok, and as soon as it smells sweet pour in the beaten egg. Let it set for 15 seconds, then break it up and pile in half the yellow noodles and half the vermicelli, tossing hard so the noodles are coated in egg and fat.","Work in two batches from here. Half the noodles at a time is what a home burner can actually handle.",{"title":187,"text":188,"timerSeconds":189},"Braise in the stock","Ladle in about 200 ml of the reduced stock and let it bubble furiously, pushing and pressing the noodles into the liquid. As it disappears, add a second ladle, then a third, cooking for 6–8 minutes total until the noodles are plump, glossy and only just wet, with a shallow pool of gravy at the low edge of the wok.",420,{"title":191,"text":192},"Finish the batch","Throw in half the bean sprouts, garlic chives, sliced pork belly, prawns and squid, season with half the fish sauce and soy sauce and a heavy pinch of white pepper, and toss for 30 seconds — just long enough for the sprouts to lose their raw squeak while keeping their snap. Turn out onto a plate and repeat with the second batch.",{"title":194,"text":195},"Serve with sambal and lime","Scatter the crisp lard cubes over the noodles, spoon the sambal belacan onto the rim of each plate and tuck in the calamansi halves. Squeeze the lime over the noodles at the table, just before eating, and stir the sambal in a little at a time to your own heat level.",{"calories":197,"protein":198,"carbs":199,"fat":78,"fiber":77,"sugar":77,"sodium":200,"estimated":201},680,42,62,1420,true,[203],{"src":204,"alt":205},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsingapore-hokkien-mee\u002Fhero.svg","Glossy yellow noodles and vermicelli in prawn gravy topped with prawns, squid and crisp lard, with sambal and lime on the plate rim",[207,208,209,210,164,211],"hokkien mee","singapore hokkien mee","prawn stock noodles","fried yellow noodles","hawker noodles","2026-08-21","dishroute-kitchen",{"items":215,"total":424,"page":110,"limit":425,"hasMore":426},[216,239,262,284,291,314,340,360,382,403],{"slug":217,"title":218,"nativeName":219,"romanized":220,"countrySlug":8,"region":221,"baseServings":77,"prepMinutes":222,"cookMinutes":223,"difficulty":224,"course":225,"diet":227,"mainIngredients":228,"images":229,"keywords":233,"publishedAt":212,"updatedAt":212,"authorSlug":213},"singapore-bak-kut-teh","Bak Kut Teh (Peppery Pork Rib Broth)","肉骨茶","bak kut teh","Teochew Singapore",15,105,"easy",[226,82],"soup",[84],[109,104,153],[230],{"src":231,"alt":232},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsingapore-bak-kut-teh\u002Fhero.svg","Bowl of clear peppery pork rib soup with a whole soft garlic head, beside rice and torn dough fritters",[220,234,235,8,236,237,238],"pork rib soup","white pepper","teochew","clear broth","you tiao",{"slug":240,"title":241,"nativeName":242,"countrySlug":8,"baseServings":77,"prepMinutes":243,"cookMinutes":79,"restMinutes":244,"difficulty":80,"course":245,"diet":248,"mainIngredients":251,"images":253,"keywords":257,"publishedAt":212,"updatedAt":212,"authorSlug":213},"chai-tow-kway","Chai Tow Kway (Singaporean Fried Radish Cake)","菜头粿",25,480,[246,247],"street-food","breakfast",[249,84,250],"vegetarian","nut-free",[252,137,104],"daikon",[254],{"src":255,"alt":256},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fchai-tow-kway\u002Fhero.svg","Golden cubes of fried radish cake tangled with set egg, chopped preserved radish and sliced scallions on a plate",[258,259,260,252,261,236],"chai tow kway","fried radish cake","carrot cake singapore","hawker food",{"slug":263,"title":264,"nativeName":265,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"baseServings":77,"prepMinutes":78,"cookMinutes":146,"restMinutes":266,"difficulty":80,"course":267,"diet":268,"mainIngredients":269,"images":274,"keywords":278,"publishedAt":212,"updatedAt":212,"authorSlug":213},"hainanese-chicken-rice","Hainanese Chicken Rice (Poached Chicken with Stock Rice)","海南鸡饭",20,[82],[84],[270,271,272,273],"chicken","jasmine-rice","ginger","scallions",[275],{"src":276,"alt":277},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fhainanese-chicken-rice\u002Fhero.svg","Sliced poached chicken with glossy skin over a mound of stock-cooked rice, with cucumber, chile sauce and ginger-scallion oil",[279,280,281,282,283,261],"hainanese chicken rice","poached chicken","singapore national dish","chicken stock rice","ginger scallion oil",{"slug":4,"title":5,"nativeName":6,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"baseServings":77,"prepMinutes":78,"cookMinutes":79,"difficulty":80,"course":285,"diet":286,"mainIngredients":287,"images":288,"keywords":290,"publishedAt":212,"updatedAt":212,"authorSlug":213},[82],[84],[86,87,88,89],[289],{"src":204,"alt":205},[207,208,209,210,164,211],{"slug":292,"title":293,"nativeName":294,"countrySlug":8,"baseServings":77,"prepMinutes":266,"cookMinutes":146,"restMinutes":126,"difficulty":224,"course":295,"diet":297,"mainIngredients":299,"images":302,"keywords":306,"publishedAt":212,"updatedAt":212,"authorSlug":213},"singapore-ice-kachang","Ice Kachang (Singaporean Shaved Ice with Beans and Syrups)","Ais kacang",[296],"dessert",[249,298,250],"gluten-free",[300,301],"corn","condensed-milk",[303],{"src":304,"alt":305},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsingapore-ice-kachang\u002Fhero.svg","A tall mound of shaved ice streaked with pink rose syrup and dark palm sugar over red beans, corn and grass jelly",[307,308,309,310,311,312,313],"ice kachang","ais kacang","shaved ice","gula melaka","singapore dessert","red beans","attap chee",{"slug":315,"title":316,"nativeName":317,"countrySlug":8,"region":318,"baseServings":77,"prepMinutes":319,"cookMinutes":320,"difficulty":321,"course":322,"diet":323,"mainIngredients":325,"images":328,"keywords":332,"publishedAt":212,"updatedAt":212,"authorSlug":213},"katong-laksa","Katong Laksa (Singapore Coconut Curry Noodle Soup)","Katong laksa","Katong, East Coast",40,55,"hard",[226,82],[324,84],"pescatarian",[122,326,86,327],"coconut-milk","dried-shrimp",[329],{"src":330,"alt":331},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fkatong-laksa\u002Fhero.svg","Bowl of orange coconut laksa gravy with short-cut rice noodles, prawns, fish cake slices and shredded laksa leaf",[333,334,335,336,337,338,339],"katong laksa","singapore laksa","coconut curry noodles","peranakan","rempah","dried shrimp","laksa lemak",{"slug":341,"title":342,"nativeName":343,"countrySlug":8,"baseServings":77,"prepMinutes":222,"cookMinutes":344,"difficulty":224,"course":345,"diet":346,"mainIngredients":347,"images":349,"keywords":353,"publishedAt":212,"updatedAt":212,"authorSlug":213},"kaya-toast","Kaya Toast (Singaporean Coconut Jam Toast with Soft Eggs)","咖椰吐司",45,[247],[249,250],[326,137,348],"butter",[350],{"src":351,"alt":352},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fkaya-toast\u002Fhero.svg","Crisp toast fingers filled with dark coconut kaya jam and thick butter slabs beside a dish of runny soft-boiled eggs",[354,355,356,357,358,359],"kaya toast","coconut jam","kopitiam","singapore breakfast","pandan","soft boiled eggs",{"slug":361,"title":362,"nativeName":363,"countrySlug":8,"baseServings":77,"prepMinutes":319,"cookMinutes":364,"difficulty":321,"course":365,"diet":367,"mainIngredients":368,"images":372,"keywords":376,"publishedAt":212,"updatedAt":212,"authorSlug":213},"singapore-popiah","Popiah (Singaporean Fresh Spring Roll with Braised Turnip)","薄饼",70,[366],"appetizer",[324,84],[327,369,370,371],"carrot","peanuts","tofu",[373],{"src":374,"alt":375},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsingapore-popiah\u002Fhero.svg","Sliced fresh popiah rolls showing braised jicama, shredded omelette, peanuts and lettuce inside a soft wheat skin",[377,378,379,336,8,380,381],"popiah","fresh spring roll","jicama","bangkuang","hokkien",{"slug":383,"title":384,"nativeName":385,"countrySlug":8,"region":386,"baseServings":77,"prepMinutes":78,"cookMinutes":243,"difficulty":80,"course":387,"diet":388,"mainIngredients":389,"images":392,"keywords":396,"publishedAt":212,"updatedAt":212,"authorSlug":213},"singapore-chilli-crab","Singapore Chilli Crab (Crab in Sweet Chili Tomato Gravy)","辣椒螃蟹","East Coast",[82],[84],[390,391,137,104],"crab","tomato",[393],{"src":394,"alt":395},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsingapore-chilli-crab\u002Fhero.svg","Cracked crab pieces coated in thick orange-red chile tomato gravy with egg ribbons, fried mantou buns alongside",[397,398,399,400,401,402],"chilli crab","singapore chilli crab","mud crab","sweet chili tomato gravy","fried mantou","seafood",{"slug":404,"title":405,"nativeName":406,"countrySlug":8,"region":407,"baseServings":77,"prepMinutes":243,"cookMinutes":319,"difficulty":80,"course":408,"diet":409,"mainIngredients":410,"images":414,"keywords":418,"publishedAt":212,"updatedAt":212,"authorSlug":213},"singapore-fish-head-curry","Singapore Fish Head Curry (Snapper Head in Tamarind Curry)","Fish head curry","Little India",[82],[324,84,298],[411,412,413,326],"white-fish","tamarind","okra",[415],{"src":416,"alt":417},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsingapore-fish-head-curry\u002Fhero.svg","Split snapper head simmering in a red tamarind curry with whole okra, eggplant batons and curry leaves",[419,8,420,421,422,413,423],"fish head curry","tamarind curry","snapper","little india","south indian",10,24,false,1787360060226]