For those in Singapore, you will definitely know this dish. Sometimes, it is called Fried Hokkien Mee. Sometimes, it is just Hokkien Mee. Other times, it can be called Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee, Fried Hokkien Sotong Mee or just Fried Prawn Mee. To make this more complicated, how about Rochor Mee or Hainan Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee?
Wait a minute!?!?! Isn't this from the dialect group Hokkien? Since when Hainanese is known to make this dish?
Well, if you are confused, so am I...LOL...When we say Hokkien Mee, there is the black version and the prawn version. When you say Fried Prawn Mee, you refer to the Hokkien Prawn Mee and not the Prawn Noodles soup/dry, which is noodle in prawn broth or tossed in chilli and sauce.
So, we are not talking about Prawn Mee (Picture on the left)
And we are not talking about KL Hokkien Mee or the black Hokkien Mee. Both these dishes seem to have the same origin (I need to research more), but they are cooked differently in Singapore and Malaysia. You can get the black Hokkien Mee in Thailand too.
Now, back to the original intent of this blog. The Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee.
Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee is basically, first fried then braised noodles dish. No matter where you go, they all have similar characteristics
Yellow noodles and Bee Hoon (Thick or Thin)
Prawn broth, made from prawn and sometimes with pork bone etc
Other ingredients pork belly, squid and of course, prawns
The key to good Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee is having the Wok Hei and lots of garlic. Each stall has its own way of cooking this dish, using different stoves and frying the ingredients in a different order.
I will need to write a Part 2 of this blog to discuss the history and sub-type of Fried Hokkien Mee. In the meantime, here's a shortlist of Hokkien Mee to start your gastronomic journey.