Hokkien Mee

福建虾面 (HOK-kien MEE)

Hokkien Prawn Noodles

⏱ Prep Time 1 hour

📈 Difficulty Hard

👥 Servings

🔥 Calories 540 kcal

A luscious tangle of thick yellow noodles and white bee hoon braised in rich prawn-and-chicken stock until the noodles absorb every drop of umami, finished with plump prawns, squid, and a squeeze of calamansi.

Nutrition & Info

Protein 28.0g

Carbs 62.0g

Fat 20.0g

Protein Carbs Fat

Dietary

dairy-free nut-free

Allergen Warnings

⚠ shellfish ⚠ soy ⚠ eggs ⚠ gluten

Equipment Needed

large wok stock pot wok spatula

Presentation Guide

Vessel: flat plate lined with banana leaf

Garnishes: calamansi halves, fried shallots

Accompaniments: sambal belacan

Ingredients

200g thick yellow noodles
100g thin bee hoon (rice vermicelli), soaked
200g prawns, shell-on
100g squid, sliced into rings
2 eggs
100g bean sprouts
4 cloves garlic, minced
500ml prawn stock (from prawn heads and shells)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp vegetable oil
White pepper
Sambal belacan
Calamansi limes

Instructions

1
Make stock by frying prawn heads and shells until red, then simmering in water for 20 minutes. Strain.
2
Heat wok until smoking, add oil. Fry garlic until golden, add prawns and squid, sear 1 minute.
3
Add yellow noodles and bee hoon, toss briefly, then pour in the prawn stock.
4
Crack eggs in, stir, and let the noodles braise in the stock over high heat for 5-6 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the stock is almost fully absorbed.
5
Add bean sprouts in the last 30 seconds. Season with soy sauce, fish sauce, and white pepper.
6
Serve on a plate with sambal belacan and calamansi halves on the side.

💡

Did You Know?

The dish was created by Hokkien sailors who fried noodles at the Singapore docks using leftover prawn stock — it was originally called "sailors' noodles."

Chef's Notes

Equipment Tips

large wok
stock pot
wok spatula

Garnishing

calamansi halves, fried shallots

Accompaniments

sambal belacan

The Story Behind Hokkien Mee

Singapore Hokkien mee was born in the post-WWII era at the Singapore River docks, where Hokkien sailors and dockworkers fried noodles using the rich stock from prawn and seafood trading. Unlike the Penang version which is a soup, Singapore's Hokkien mee is a semi-dry, stock-braised noodle dish. The best hawkers guard their stock recipes jealously, and the dish is considered one of Singapore's most technically demanding hawker foods.

🕐 Traditionally enjoyed lunch or dinner 📜 Origins: Post-WWII, Hokkien sailors

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