Learn how to make one of Singapore’s iconic hawker foods, lor mee, at home. Noodles are smothered in a savory, and tangy thick dark gravy accompanied by slices of pork belly and other toppings.
Singapore Lor Mee (Braised Noodles)
Inspired by the lor mee that I have had before at Bukit Purmei (which is now no longer there?), I’m trying to make this lor mee at home the best I could remember it. I can’t say it’s 100% like the one I’ve eaten in Singapore, but it’s close enough to satisfy that craving when you are thousands of miles away.
What is Singapore lor mee or Hokkien lor mee?
Lor means to braise or stew and mee means noodles in Hokkien dialect. There are many different kind of lor mee varieties out there. This Hokkien lor mee has a thick dark gravy. The gravy is usually prepared by using pork belly along with aromatics like Chinese five-spice powder, cinnamon, star anise and seasonings such as dark soy sauce, soy sauce, and oyster sauce which contributes to its dark color. The gravy is then thickened with starches. I use tapioca starch to thicken the gravy, but some people also use potato starch or corn starch to thicken the gravy. The lor mee is also served with garlic paste, chili, and Chinese black vinegar. The lor mee is also often served with slices of fried fish cakes, fried wonton, and/or fried ngoh hiang. So it has some contrast of texture there.
How to make Singapore lor mee/Hokkien lor mee at home
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil
2. Then add the ginger, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and seasonings. Give it a stir and then add the pork belly pieces and the mushrooms. Bring it to a boil and then lower the heat to let it simmer and cover with a lid. Be careful to make sure it’s simmering so it won’t boil over. Let it simmer for 30 minutes or until the pork is tender
3. Have a taste and adjust the taste by adding more soy sauce or sugar to your taste. It should be savory and slightly sweet. Remove the pork belly, hard-boiled eggs and mushrooms from the pot. Take out all the spices too. Let the pork rest before slicing
4. Combine tapioca starch with water. Bring the gravy back to a simmer. While one hand is stirring the gravy, slowly pour in the tapioca starch to thicken the gravy
5. Then gradually add the beaten egg as you stir the gravy, just like making an egg drop soup. The gravy will be smooth and shiny
6. Portion the noodles, bean sprouts, and pork belly slices and other topping you want to go with the lor mee into an individual serving bowl. Ladle the gravy generously over the noodle. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro leaves. Serve with black vinegar, garlic paste, and red chilis on the side. Serve the noodles immediately
I like my lor mee with lots of Chinese black vinegar 🙂
Did you make this Singapore lor mee recipe?
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Singapore Lor Mee / Hokkien Lor Mee (Braised Noodles)
Ingredients
- 500 gr Hokkien noodles
- 250 gr rice noodles
- 2 cups beansprouts
- 5 dried shiitake mushrooms
Gravy:
- 8 cups water
- 800 gr pork belly see notes 1
- 2 slices 1/4-inch thick and about 3-inch long peeled ginger
- 1 tsp five-spice powder
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anises
- 6 Hard-boiled eggs
Seasonings:
- 3 Tbsp dark soy sauce more if you want the gravy to be darker
- 3 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce or more to taste
- 1 ½ tbsp sugar or more to taste
- ½ tsp ground white pepper
- Salt to taste
To thicken gravy
- 80 gr tapioca starch mix with 100 ml of water you can add more if you want the gravy to be thicker
Serve with:
- Fried fish cake slices
- Fried wontons
- Ngo hiang
- Chinese ChinKiang Black Vinegar
- Garlic paste use food processor or garlic press for best result
- Fresh red chilis finely chopped
- Fresh cilantro leaves finely chopped
Instructions
- Soak shiitake mushrooms until soft and then cut into slices
- Blanch the beansprouts in boiling water for 1 minute and then refresh in cold water and set aside. Cook the rice noodles according to instructions on package. If you get fresh/refrigerated Hokkien noodles, they usually only need to be blanched in water for a minute or two. For dried version, cook according to the instruction on the package. Portion them into an individual serving bowl
Prepare the gravy:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and then add the ginger, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and seasonings. Give it a stir and then add the pork belly pieces and the mushrooms. Bring it to a boil and then lower the heat to let it simmer and cover with a lid. Be careful to make sure it's simmering so it won't boil over. Let it simmer for 30 minutes or until the pork is tender
- Have a taste and adjust the taste by adding more soy sauce or sugar to your taste. It should be savory and slightly sweet. Remove the pork belly, hard-boiled eggs and mushrooms from the pot. Take out all the spices too. Let the pork rest before slicing
Thicken the gravy:
- Combine tapioca starch with water. Bring the gravy back to a simmer. While one hand is stirring the gravy, slowly pour in the tapioca starch to thicken the gravy
- Then gradually add the beaten egg as you stir the gravy, just like making an egg drop soup. The gravy will be smooth and shiny
When ready to serve:
- Portion the noodles, bean sprouts, and pork belly slices and other topping you want to go with the lor mee into an individual serving bowl
- Laddle the gravy generously over the noodle. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro leaves. Serve with black vinegar, garlic paste, and red chilis on the side. Serve the noodles immediately
Notes
- You can also use half pork belly and half pork shoulder for a less oily version. You can also use chicken pieces for halal version
6 comments
Hi,
The recipe looks yummy and I really want to try it out. But I just want to clarify step 2:
“Heat oil in a large pot. Add in ginger, pepper, star anise, five-spice powder, sugar, garlic and shallots. Saute until fragrant. Add in pork belly and cook until it turns color, 5 minutes”
Do you have the amount for star anise? I can’t find it in the ingredients list.
Should we fry the sugar in oil?
Do you marinate the pork belly before frying? It looks like it has a nice colouration and most of the videos I’ve watch don’t have this.
Hi Anna, So sorry for the confusion. I have recently made this lor me again but I just haven’t had a chance to update the recipe. I have just updated the improved recipe and also with clear instructions (I hope!). I apologize the previous recipe typing was a mess! The pork belly and hard-boiled eggs are braised in seasonings and that’s why they have nice coloration. Please let me know if anything still unclear with this improved recipe. Thank you for your patience 🙂
Hi, i actually planned on starting up a loh mee business, but no matter how i tried, it just doesnt seems to get right on the taste of it. Im so sad, any pointers chef?? 🙁
Hi Melvin,
My homemade version also cannot be compared to those sold at hawker centers 🙂 I’m sure they have their own “secret” ingredients and usually, I also don’t add any MSG in my cooking, that alone probably already hard to compete in terms of taste with the hawker version 🙂
Hi J.C.,
I hope the recipes work out for you and everyone enjoyed it 😉 Thanks for stopping by.
I saw a food programme on tv that featured Singapore Lor Mee. It looked so yummy that I plan to cook it for my family get-together back in my hometown where we will be celebrating a belated Mother’s Day. I hope everybody will enjoy this Lor Mee that I will be cooking on this Sunday. Thanks for the recipe!!