KL Hokkien Mee as Inspired by Rasa Malaysia

My fondest memory of our trip to Kuala Lumpur some years ago was the hawker foods that I enjoyed so much. I wont forget the kind of Bakuteh that we ate in one of the stalls there. After that experience, I never eat Bakuteh in Singapore again. Whenever I feel like eating Bakuteh, I will just go back to that fondest memory in my heart and in my palate...ahhh Kuala Lumpur and its food ! Several weeks ago, my friend and I decided to go to Johor Bahru and in one of the malls, there's this eatery that offers Bakuteh. We decided to try to, we both enjoyed it but still I prefer the Bakuteh in Kuala Lumpur...nothing can beat that. Oh dear me.. I talked of Bakuteh where in fact, I am bringing you my KL Hokkien Mee today. LOL!

Singapore Hokkien Mee is different from KL Hokkien Mee in texture, color, variation and even in taste. I would say that the first one is very light, fresh and comforting to the stomach. The KL Hokkien Mee is dark with crispy pork fat, with thick sauce, medium prawns, pork belly and sliced fish balls. The taste of soy sauce is kinda strong but the prawn broth and pork fat has made all the difference. If you like comfort and freshness with the slight acidity of native calamansi and sambal, then Singapore Hokkien Mee would be nice. It has prawns, sotong and sliced pork too. Well, I couldn't say more but I think that after this, I will be having Singapore Hokkien Mee and will get back on you guys to show it, tell you about it.

And now for a short history taken from Mr Wiki:

Types

There are three distinct types of Hokkien mee, with each being ubiquitous in specific localities in and Singapore and Malaysia.

Type

Penang hae mee (prawn noodles)

Singapore hae mee (prawn noodles)

Hokkien char mee (fried noodles)

Origin

Penang

Singapore

Kuala Lumpur

Cooking method

Broth-based

Stir fried

Ingredients

Egg noodles and rice noodles

Fat yellow noodles

No dark soya sauce used

Dark soya sauce is used

Prawn is the main ingredient, with slices of chicken or pork, squid, fish cakes, kangkung and sambal added as well.

Prawn is the main ingredient with slices of chicken or pork, squid and fish cake.

Slices of chicken or pork, squid and cabbage

While both the Penang and Singapore versions are commonly known as hae mee (福建蝦麵), and consist of prawns as their main ingredients, the two variants are prepared differently. The Singapore hae mee is stir fried and has a lighter colour, while the Penang variant is cooked in a prawn-based spicy broth. On the other hand, Hokkien char mee, which is more common in central Peninsular Malaysia and particularly the Klang Valley, was originally developed in Kuala Lumpur. By default in the Klang Valley, the term Hokkien mee refers to this darker, stir fried variant. The Penang variant is sometimes referred to as mee yoke.

For the recipe:

250 grams of pork belly, thinly sliced and marinated with the combination of:

2 cloves grated garlic,

1 tbsp soy sauce,

1/2 tsp oyster sauce,

1 tsp ground white pepper,

1 tsp sesame oil and 1 tsp corn flour.

Set aside in the fridge for 30 minutes.

150 grams crispy pork fat :

dice the pork fat, use a deep pot, put 2 tbsp of oil and cook over medium low heat, cover partially and stir from time to time until its crispy and golden. Drain on paper towel and keep in the jar. Set aside the oil

12 pcs medium prawn:

peeled, deveined, tails and head removed, in a pot put the scrap from prawn, add 1 1/2 cup water and boil to make a stock. Set aside

10 pcs fish balls sliced into 3

6 cloves garlic, grated

500 gms thick Hokkien noodles, wash with warm water and drained

6 pcs leaf of chinese cabbage, washed and sliced into 1 cm thickness

2 tbsp pork fat oil

2 - 3 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tsp ground white pepper

2 tbsp cornflour mix with 1/4 cup water

2 tsp white sugar

1 1/2 cup shrimp stock

crispy brown pork fat

Direction:

In a wok or pan, add pork oil and heat until smoking, add the marinated pork belly and fry briskly until brown.

Add the shrimp, fish balls, and grated garlic, fry for a minute.

Toss in the cabbage and fry for 30 seconds.

Add the noodles and give a quick toss.

Add the dark soy sauce and light soy sauce and mix to coat the noodles

Add the shrimp stock, sugar, white pepper and crispy pork fat.

Taste according to your preference.

Add in the cornflour water mixture and toss until the sauce has thickened.

Serve immediately, good for 4 person.

Hokkien Mee noodles is also one of my favorites. But I decided to cook the Kuala Lumpur version. The result is similar to what I eat in Hawker stalls. I still prefer the Singapore style because I find Dark Soy Sauce too overwhelming.