Bak chor mee ($4)!
A hawker plate of dry bak chor mee: springy noodles tossed in vinegar-chilli sauce with minced pork, sliced pork, mushroom and crispy lard. $4.
A Singapore hawker classic for lunch: bak chor mee, $4. 😋
What I had:
- Dry bak chor mee: a mix of mee pok and mee kia tossed in a dark, tangy sauce, topped with minced pork, sliced pork, braised mushroom and crispy lard, with a bowl of soup and minced pork on the side
Bak chor mee (minced pork noodles) is one of those dishes that lives or dies on the sauce, and a good bowl is hard to beat. The noodles, here a mix of flat mee pok and thin mee kia, are tossed in a dark dressing of soy, chilli and black vinegar, so every strand is glossy, tangy and a little spicy. That hit of vinegar is what makes it sing.
The toppings are generous: loose minced pork, tender slices of lean pork, savoury braised mushroom, and the crucial scatter of crispy pork lard that adds crunch and richness. The little soup on the side, with more minced pork, is for slurping between mouthfuls.
You mix it all up, get the sauce right through, and dig in. Springy, tangy, savoury and comforting, it is exactly why bak chor mee is a Singapore staple. At $4, increasingly rare and great value.
Overall: 4.5 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Springy noodles in a tangy vinegar-chilli sauce with crispy lard, a proper bak chor mee. Would re-order.
