Hokkien mee
Fried Hokkien prawn noodles
Just Tell Me
In Singapore, Hokkien mee usually means yellow noodles and bee hoon fried in prawn and pork stock, commonly served with prawns, squid, chilli and lime.
Also called: Fried Hokkien prawn noodles, Fried Hokkien mee, Singapore Hokkien mee
Explain Like I’m Five
The stock is part of the noodles’ flavour, rather than a separate bowl of soup. The noodles are fried and then absorb the stock, giving the dish its savoury seafood character. Yellow wheat noodles and white bee hoon are usually mixed together.
Where You’ll Run Into It
On stall signs and menus at hawker centres. It names a noodle dish, whereas a kopitiam names an eating place. If someone asks to dabao Hokkien mee, they want the dish packed for takeaway.
Example
“One Hokkien mee, takeaway please.”
At a Singapore stall selling this dish, the customer is ordering fried prawn noodles to take away, rather than asking for prawn noodle soup.
The Part People Get Wrong
The name does not identify the same dish everywhere. In Kuala Lumpur it commonly refers to thick noodles in a dark sauce; in Penang it refers to prawn noodle soup. The Singapore meaning needs its local context, especially when people compare meals across the border.
Sources
Related
- foodDabaoUpdated
Dabao means ordering food or a drink to be packed for takeaway instead of eating or drinking it at the stall.
- foodHawker centreUpdated
A hawker centre is a shared Singapore dining space where many independent stalls sell a wide range of prepared food and drinks.
- foodKopitiamUpdated
A kopitiam is a local coffee shop where drink and food stalls share a casual dining space serving a neighbourhood or nearby workers.