Sunday brunch at home with BB — pulled out the 刀削面 (dao xiao mian / knife-shaved noodles) project today. The Northern Chinese hand-cut noodle dish is one of those things that’s harder to find than it should be in Singapore.

We used:

刀削面 noodles (from the asian grocery freezer aisle, the ready-shaved kind)
Pork mince
Garlic, ginger, spring onion
Soy sauce, dark soy, oyster sauce, mirin
Bok choy
Boiled egg
Chilli oil

The proper way to make dao xiao mian is to shave the noodles fresh off a dough block with a curved knife, letting each piece fly directly into boiling water. We don’t have that technique, so the freezer-aisle pre-shaved version is the lockdown shortcut.

Noodles boiled briefly in a separate pot — they cook fast, 3-4 minutes max — then drained and rested. The shape is what makes them: thick, flat, irregular strands with one slightly thinner edge from the original shave. The chew is the thing — proper dao xiao mian has a satisfying al-dente bite that holds up against heavy broth.

In another pan, garlic and ginger sautéed in oil, then pork mince added and browned. Sauce mixture (soy, dark soy, oyster, mirin, a splash of water) poured in and reduced to a thick coating. Tossed with the noodles to coat each strand.

Bok choy blanched separately and laid on top for green. Boiled egg halved beside it. A drizzle of chilli oil over the whole bowl for heat and aroma finish.

The dish eats like the hawker version but at half the price and full at-home control over seasoning.

Overall: 4.4 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Strong Sunday home cook — would absolutely repeat.

Original IG post