Singapore Hokkien Mee (Hokkien Prawn Noodles)

What is Singapore Hokkien Mee?

Singapore Hokkien Mee — also called Hokkien Prawn Mee or Hokkien Char Mee — is one of the city’s most beloved hawker dishes. Yellow wheat noodles and rice vermicelli are braised together in a heady prawn-and-pork stock, then tossed in a screaming-hot wok with prawns, squid, pork belly, egg, and crispy lard. Finished with a squeeze of lime and a smear of sambal, it is pure wok hei umami.

Despite the name, the dish traces back to the Hokkien immigrants from Fujian who settled in Singapore. The soul of the recipe is the stock: prawn heads and shells, scorched and simmered with pork bones, give the noodles their signature briny-sweet depth. Everything else is just a delivery system for that broth.

Ingredients

This serves 3–4 and is best eaten the moment it leaves the wok.

For the prawn stock (the soul)

• 400g large prawns — peel and reserve the heads and shells; keep the meat for the stir-fry
• 500g pork bones or meaty pork ribs
• 1.5 litres water
• 2 slices ginger
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp dried anchovies (ikan bilis), optional, for extra umami

For the stir-fry

• 200g fresh thick yellow Hokkien noodles
• 100g rice vermicelli (beehoon), soaked in warm water 15 minutes and drained
• Prawn meat from above, deveined
• 200g squid, cleaned and cut into rings
• 150g pork belly, boiled until tender then sliced (or use leftover roast pork)
• 2 eggs
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fried pork lard (cracklings) plus 1 tbsp of its oil
• 1 cup prawn stock (from above)
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 stalk spring onion, chopped
• 1 handful bean sprouts, tails pinched off
• 2 tbsp sambal chili
• 2 calamansi or limes, cut into wedges

Method

1. Build the stock. Blanch the pork bones in boiling water for 5 minutes, then rinse. In a pot, combine the pork bones, reserved prawn heads and shells, ginger, salt, optional anchovies, and 1.5 litres of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Strain — you should have a fragrant, pinkish stock. Keep at least 1 cup hot for the stir-fry.
2. Prep the noodles. Rinse the yellow noodles to separate the strands. Soak the vermicelli until pliable and drain.
3. Fire the wok. Heat a wok over high heat until smoking. Add the lard oil, then the minced garlic. Stir-fry 10 seconds until aromatic.
4. Sear the seafood and pork. Add the prawns, squid, and sliced pork belly. Toss for 30–45 seconds — just until the prawns turn pink. Do not overcook.
5. Eggs. Push everything to one side, crack in the eggs, and scramble lightly in the dry part of the wok.
6. Braise the noodles. Add the yellow noodles and pour in 1 cup of the hot prawn stock. Cover and let it braise 3–5 minutes so the noodles drink up the broth.
7. Season. Add the vermicelli, light soy sauce, fish sauce, white pepper, and sambal. Toss vigorously to combine and coat every strand.
8. Finish. Throw in the bean sprouts and spring onion, splash with sesame oil, and give one last toss. The vermicelli should have absorbed most of the liquid but the dish stays glossy, not soupy.
9. Serve. Plate hot with lime wedges and extra sambal on the side. Squeeze the lime over just before eating.

Tips for the best Hokkien Mee

Wok hei is everything. Cook in small batches over the highest heat you can muster. Crowding the wok steams the noodles instead of searing them.

• Don’t skip the lard. Fried pork lard (and its oil) is what separates hawker-style Hokkien Mee from a bland noodle stir-fry. Vegetable oil alone will taste flat.
• Fresh stock, every time. The briny prawn stock is the difference between good and unforgettable. Freeze any extra for your next batch.
• Keep seafood barely done. It cooks again when you braise the noodles, so pull it off the heat the second it changes colour.
• Soak the vermicelli, don’t boil it. It finishes cooking in the prawn stock in the wok.

Serving suggestions

Eat it on its own as a main, or round out a hawker-style spread with other Singapore favourites. A cold tiger beer and extra lime are non-negotiable. Leftovers are rare — but if you have them, a quick re-fry the next morning brings the wok hei back.