Hokkien Mee

Yellow egg noodles and rice vermicelli are fried then braised in a sweet prawn-and-pork stock with squid, prawns and pork belly until the broth all but disappears into the strands. A squeeze of lime and dab of sambal finish it.

Hokkien Mee traces its roots to the Hokkien Chinese community that settled in Southeast Asia, though its exact origins are debated - some link it to Fujian-style noodle cooking, while others credit mid-20th-century street hawkers in Singapore for creating the braised version that became iconic. The dish emerged from the hawker culture of the region, where vendors adapted available ingredients like yellow noodles, rice vermicelli, and a rich prawn-pork stock to serve a quick, satisfying meal to labourers and late-night crowds.

Across the region, Hokkien Mee varies significantly: the Singapore style is stir-fried and braised until the broth is absorbed, while the Penang version in Malaysia is a soupy noodle dish with a distinct prawn-and-chilli sauce. In Singapore, it remains a beloved hawker-centre staple, celebrated for its wok hei (charred aroma) and the balance of sweet, savoury, and spicy flavours from the accompanying sambal and lime. Its enduring popularity reflects the city-state's multicultural street-food heritage, where Chinese, Malay, and Peranakan influences converge on a single plate.