Lor mee at a hawker stall ($5)!
Hawker lor mee — thick dark gravy with shredded fried fish, dumpling, garlic paste, coriander and vinegar over noodles. $5.
Lunch — lor mee at a hawker stall, $5. The gloopy-dark gravy noodles classic, repeat order. 😋
What was in the bowl ($5):
- Noodles drowned in dark thick lor gravy — glossy, slightly sticky, five-spice-fragrant.
- A scatter of shredded fried fish (the proper old-school lor mee topping) across the centre.
- A piece of deep-fried dumpling at the back, half-submerged.
- A scoop of mashed garlic paste for the punchy kick.
- A generous mound of chopped coriander on the side for the herbal freshness.
- A drizzle of dark vinegar mixed in (the lor mee signature acid).
- A swirl of sambal chilli at the side.
Lor mee gravy at its best should be thick enough to coat the spoon but not so thick it goes pasty. This bowl hit the right consistency — pourable but with body, every spoonful coating the noodles.
Garlic paste is the divisive topping — some hate the raw garlic punch, some need it to balance the sweet gravy. I’m team garlic. Mix it in before eating so the heat distributes evenly.
The shredded fried fish (vs the more common deep-fried fish chunks) is the heritage style — fishier, more flavour penetration into the gravy. Fewer stalls do this version now.
Total: $5. Hawker pricing.
Overall: 4.3 / 5. Gravy was the right thickness, garlic paste was generous, fried fish shreds gave it character. Heritage lor mee done well. 😍👍🏼
