Mei Fun Noodles with BBQ pork and shrimp is one of our favourite dishes to order at Chinese restaurants.
Our homemade Singapore Chow Mei Fun recipe is quick & easy to make at home, ready to serve in under 30 minutes.
Gobble up a bowl of our traditional and authentic Singapore Street Noodles featuring flavourful curry powder, garlic, chili peppers, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, soy sauce and scallions.
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What Are Singapore Chow Mei Fun?
Singapore noodles, as they are known outside of Singapore, are nowhere to be found in Singapore.
The British brought curry to Hong Kong via India and rice noodles were prevalent in Southeast Asia. Combining curry powder and rice noodles was reminiscent of Singapore’s Indian-Chinese fusion, so the dish was called “Singapore noodles”.”
Singapore Street Noodles, also known as Singapore Chow Mei Fun or Mei Fun Noodles, can be found on menus at Cantonese restaurants in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, as well as Chinese take out restaurants throughout America and Canada.
The popular Chinese take out dish typically consists of stir-fried or wok-fried curried rice vermicelli noodles with vegetables, fried egg and meat. Traditional ingredients you’ll find in the flavourful noodle dish include curry powder, rice noodles, fried egg, Chinese roast pork char siu, shrimp, napa cabbage, carrots, onions and scallions.
Travel to Asia by Cooking Mei Fun Noodles at Home
I love traveling through Asia.
My first visit to Asia had me living in South Korea for a year as a teacher and it’s where I was first introduced to fermented vegetables like kimchi.
After my contract ended in Seoul I travelled throughout southeast Asia for 6 months, visiting the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
Growing up in Markham, home to Canada’s largest community of Hong Kongers, helped me fall in love with Singapore Street Noodles at a young age. The dish is most commonly served at Cantonese restaurants, of which there are a plethora in Vancouver, Mississaugua, Scarborough, Markham and Montreal.
I’ve eaten my way through some of Hong Kong’s best Cantonese restaurants during my 5 visits to the bustling East Asian city. After chowing down on Singapore Chow Mei Fun in the iconic Cantonese dishes birthplace, it became one of my favourite Chinese restaurant take out dishes to order at home in Oakville.
Whether you’ve gobbled up steaming bowls of steaming Mei Fun Noodles in Hong Kong or your neighbourhood Cantonese restaurant, it’s no wonder the curry noodle dish is revered around the world as the best Chinese comfort food.
My Family Loves Mei Fun Noodles
My family has always loved ordering Chinese takeout. It helped that we lived in Markham with so many Cantonese restaurant options at our doorstep.
We typically order Chinese takeout on Christmas Eve as my mom likes to avoid having to do a lot of dishes around the holidays. Christmas dinner takes an entire day for us to prepare so enjoying Cantonese take out the night before the big day is a yummy tradition, which involves very little clean up!
I love asking friends what their families favourite Thai, Indian or Chinese takeout orders were growing up. So much of our love for food is passed down by our parents. When a friend mentions a family-favourite Chinese takeout dish I’ve ever tried I always add it to my to do list!
My family’s classic Chinese takeout order always included Egg Rolls, Crispy Ginger Beef, Spicy Szechuan Hot and Sour Soup, Chinese Wonton Egg Drop Soup, Chinese Ginger Garlic Soup, Cong You Bing Green Onion Cakes, Chinese Cucumber Salad and Singapore Chow Mei Fun.
Where To Eat Singapore Mei Fun
If you live in a large North American city you’ll likely have access to a local Cantonese restaurant that serves a traditional Mei Fun recipe.
Haven’t traveled to Hong Kong before? It may be helpful to first sample Singapore Street Noodles at a local Chinese restaurant to better understand how it is served. You can also assess the variety of vegetables used and sample the ideal noodle texture and amount of spicy curry before trying to make the popular noodle dish at home.
In Toronto, popular Chinese restaurants that may serve an authentic Mei Fun recipe include Not Just Noodles, Rol San, Chop Chop, Swatow, Hutaoli, Yueh Tung Hakka Restaurant and Crown Princess.
Health Benefits
Our easy Mei Fun recipe is packed full of healthy ingredients!
It is only recently that scientists have begun to identify the components responsible for garlic’s myriad health benefits. Rich in phytochemicals and potassium, garlic helps boost your immune system, fight cancer and protect your heart.
Scallions are a member of the onion family, a humble vegetable packed with vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Regular consumption of leeks can help boost digestive health and reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
An excellent source of vitamin A and the phytochemical beta-carotene, carrots help keep your eyes and bones healthy, and may help protect against several types of cancer.
An excellent source of vitamins K and C, cabbage helps keep your bones, blood, and immune system healthy.
A useful source of copper, calcium, manganese, and phosphorus, sesame seeds help support circulatory, digestive and skeletal health.
Eggs contain two vital nutrients that are not present in many foods: iodine and vitamin D. Eggs are also rich in tissue-building protein and vitamin B12, which helps your body manufacture blood cells.
Shrimp is a high-protein food that is low in calories, total fat, and saturated fat. High in vitamins and minerals, seafood has been shown to have numerous health benefits including decreasing the risk of heart attack, stroke, obesity, and hypertension.
Pork is an excellent source of protein and provides several important vitamins and minerals. It’s an excellent source of thiamin, selenium, niacin, vitamin B-6 and phosphorus, zinc, riboflavin and potassium.
Cooking Tips
This restaurant-style Mei Fun recipe is quick and easy to make at home. We’ve included a few tips for first time Mei Fun recipe makers!
- As with every stir-fry recipe use a large wok when cooking.
- We’ve used Chinese Shaoxing wine to flavour the noodles. You can substitute with dry sherry if you can’t find it at your local grocery store or Asian market.
- Use a golden Indian curry powder since it contains large amounts of turmeric, imparting a yellow colour to the final dish.
- Singapore Mei Fun is traditionally prepared with char siu (Chinese roast pork) which you can purchase at Chinese markets or order at Chinese restaurants. If you love to DIY in the kitchen why not make your own homemade Chinese roast pork char siu?
- You can substitue Char Siu with Chinese sausage or Virginia ham.
- Our authentic Mei Fun recipe features traditional vegetables like carrot, cabbage, onions and scallions. Once you’ve mastered our recipe feel free to get creative with your wok by adding other healthy vegetables like bean sprouts, mushrooms or broccoli.
- All vegetables should be cut into the same shape and size. This is a noodle dish, so everything (except the shrimp) should be cut into thin strips to mimic the shape of the noodles. This makes for easier eating with chopsticks.
- If you have an Asian market at home you’ll likely have access to hundreds of rice noodles. When making Singapore Street Noodles you only want to use thin vermicelli rice noodles. Avoid mung bean vermicelli (which are clear instead of opaque).
- Some restaurants barely cook the scallion and onion so they still have the fresh raw taste to complement the curry. Alternatively, you can stir-fry the noodles a bit longer so they’re more tender and lose some of their intense raw flavour. We’ve used sweet Vidalia onions but you could also substitute for red onion, shallots or white cooking onions.
What To Serve with Mei Fun Noodles
There’s nothing more comforting on a cold day then cozying up to a bowl of Singapore Chow Mei Fun. Stir-fried with fresh vegetables and rich in proteins like egg, roast pork and shrimp, Singapore Street Noodles are a perfectly balanced meal.
If you’re hosting a large Asian-themed dinner party you we suggest serving our easy Mei Fun recipe alongside a buffet featuring Osaka Okonomayaki, Vietnamese Crepe Bánh Xèo, Gochujang Chicken Wings and Ssamjang Chicken. Serve the recipe with your favourite craft beer, fine wine or cocktails.
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Storing Leftover Noodles
If you have leftover Mei Fun Noodles you can store them in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. To reheat simply zap it in the microwave or simmer in a small saucepan on the stove with the addition of a little chicken stock to help rehydrate the noodles.
How To Make Singapore Mei Fun Noodles
Singapore Mei Fun Noodles
Equipment
- Wok
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- French knife
- mixing bowl
- Colander
- Spatula or Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 5 oz Dried Vermicelli Noodles
- 12 Large Shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2.5 tbsp Canola oil
- 2 Large eggs beaten
- 4 Garlic cloves chopped
- 4 oz Char Siu Chinese Roast Pork
- 3 Dried red chili peppers
- 3 cups Napa Cabbage shredded
- 1 Large Carrot julienned
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 2 tbsp Curry powder
- 1.5 tsp Salt
- 0.5 tsp Sugar
- 1/8 tsp White pepper
- 3 tbsp Chicken stock
- 1 tsp Fish sauce
- 0.5 tsp Sesame oil
- 1.5 tsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Oyster sauce
- 1 Scallion julienned
- 70 g Vidalia onion thinly sliced
Instructions
- Hydrate rice noodles either by soaking in cold water overnight or by soaking in hot water for at least 30 minutes.
- Drain vermicelli noodles in a colander just before you’re ready to cook. It’s ok if the noodles aren’t completely dry. Use kitchen scissors to cut the long strands into 8 inch lengths, so they are easier to stir-fry and eat.
- Heat wok over medium heat, and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the eggs, and once they’ve cooked along the sides, flip them over. Break the egg up into strips with a spatula. Remove chopped egg from the wok and set aside.
- Add 1 ½ tablespoons of oil and the garlic to the hot wok. Cook for 15 seconds, and add the shrimp and sliced Chinese roast pork. Stir-fry for another 15 seconds.
- Add the Shaoxing wine and stir-fry for another 15 seconds. Then add the dried red chili peppers, napa cabbage, and carrots. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, and add the rice noodles. Stir-fry for 1 minute, lifting the noodles with your spatula to keep them loose so they don't stick together.
- Sprinkle curry powder, salt, sugar and white pepper over the noodles.
- Stir-fry using a scoop and lift motion to loosen the noodles and combine them with the spices, vegetables and meat. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the wok with your spatula to prevent sticking.
- Add chicken stock to keep the noodles from becoming dry. Add the sesame oil, fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce and the cooked egg. Mix thoroughly again for another minute until everything is combined and heated through.
- Add the scallions and onion, continuing to stir-fry for another 20 seconds. Serve on a large plate and enjoy at the table family-style.
Nutrition
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