Don Signature Crab - Singapore Food Guide

Bak Chor Mee (Teochew Minced Meat Noodles)

Singapore-style Bak Chor Mee (Teochew minced meat noodles) — wok-tossed mee pok with savoury minced pork, shiitake, tangy vinegar and chilli for a classic hawker-centre flavour.

Bak Chor Mee (Teochew Minced Meat Noodles)

About this dish

Bak Chor Mee is a Teochew-origin noodle dish that has been fully embraced by Singapore’s hawker culture — a favourite at kopitiams, heartland hawker centres and late-night supper runs in places like Tiong Bahru and Geylang. This version recreates the lively, tangy-savoury balance you expect: springy mee pok noodles tossed with seasoned minced pork, rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, a punchy vinegar-chilli dressing and crunchy fried shallots. Many stalls serve it dry with a light pork broth on the side; this recipe gives you both a saucy, wok-tossed bowl and an optional clear soup so you can eat it like a hawker would.

The flavour is bold and layered — umami from soy and minced pork, earthy notes from shiitake, acidity from black/rice vinegar, heat from sambal or blended chilli, and a fragrant finish of toasted sesame oil and fried shallots. Texturally it’s a joy: chewy mee pok, slightly silky minced pork, and the occasional bite of pork ball or liver if you add them. It’s perfect for weeknight dinners, a comforting supper after late shifts, or a casual share for friends who want that authentic hawker vibe at home.

Practical for Singapore kitchens, the recipe uses common local ingredients (mee pok, kecap manis or dark soy, Chinkiang or rice vinegar, sambal) and simple techniques — shallow frying the pork mixture, blanched noodles, and a quick toss in a hot wok for wok hei-like aroma. Tips cover supermarket swaps (NTUC/Cold Storage/Sheng Siong), chilli heat adjustment, and how to make the pork broth for a proper hawker-style side soup.

Ingredients

  • 300 g minced pork (80% lean)
  • 200 g fresh mee pok noodles (or dry mee pok, blanched)
  • 150 g shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and sliced (or 100 g fresh shiitake)
  • 100 g firm pork liver, thinly sliced (optional)
  • 6 pork or fish balls, halved (optional)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 shallots, thinly sliced (plus extra for frying)
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil or pork lard
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (for colour)
  • 1 tsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp kecap manis or a pinch of sugar (optional for balance)
  • 2 tbsp black rice vinegar (Chinkiang) or 3 tbsp rice vinegar mixed with 1 tsp sugar
  • 1–2 tbsp sambal chilli or chilli paste (adjust to taste)
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 250–400 ml pork stock or low-sodium chicken stock (for optional soup)
  • 1 tsp white pepper
  • 1/2 tsp sugar (to taste)
  • 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water (slurry, optional to slightly thicken sauce)
  • 2 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp fried shallots (for garnish)
  • cooked pickled green chillies or achar (to serve)
  • lime wedges (optional, to brighten)

Step-by-Step Method

  1. Prepare ingredients: rehydrate dried shiitake if using (soak in hot water 20–30 minutes), slice and reserve soaking liquid; blanch pork liver briefly in boiling water if using and set aside.
  2. Make the chilli-vinegar dressing: in a small bowl mix black vinegar (or rice vinegar mixture) with sambal chilli, 1/2 tsp sugar, and a pinch of white pepper; set aside to marry flavours — this is the soul of the dish.
  3. Season the minced pork: in a bowl combine minced pork with 1 tbsp light soy, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1/4 tsp white pepper and a small pinch of sugar; mix well and let sit 10 minutes for flavours to penetrate.
  4. Heat a wok on high until smoking hot, add vegetable oil or pork lard. Add minced garlic and sliced shallots, stir-fry quickly until fragrant and lightly golden — about 20–30 seconds on high heat.
  5. Add the seasoned minced pork and spread it in the wok so it can brown; stir-fry on high heat until the pork is cooked through and starts to caramelise in spots (about 4–6 minutes). Add sliced shiitake, oyster sauce and dark soy for colour, then toss to combine.
  6. If you want a slightly saucier mix, add a splash (2–3 tbsp) of the reserved mushroom soaking liquid or stock and a little cornflour slurry, simmer 1 minute until the sauce coats the pork — taste and adjust with light soy or sugar like at a zi char stall.
  7. Cook the noodles: bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, blanch mee pok for 30–60 seconds until just tender but springy, then drain well. Rinse briefly under warm tap water if needed to stop cooking and remove excess starch (skip rinsing if you want heat retained).
  8. Toss noodles: return noodles to the wok or a large mixing bowl, add the chilli-vinegar dressing, 1 tbsp sesame oil and the minced pork mixture; toss vigorously over medium-high heat for 20–30 seconds to coat and warm through. Check seasoning and adjust with more vinegar or soy to taste.
  9. Assemble bowls: divide tossed noodles into serving bowls, top with sliced pork liver (if using), halved fish/pork balls, chopped spring onions and a generous sprinkle of fried shallots. Serve immediately with a small bowl of clear pork broth on the side.
  10. Optional soup: simmer pork bones or leftover bones with ginger and spring onion for 30–45 minutes, strain and season lightly with salt; serve piping hot alongside the dry Bak Chor Mee for a true hawker-centre experience.

Tips & Serving Ideas

  • Noodle choice: mee pok is traditional — use fresh mee pok from wet markets or NTUC/Cold Storage; if unavailable, use egg noodles or even spaghetti in a pinch.
  • Vinegar balance: black rice vinegar (Chinkiang) gives authentic tang; if using plain rice vinegar, add a little sugar to round it out as many hawkers do.
  • Control the heat: adjust sambal chilli amount to suit your tolerance — Singapore hawkers often offer chilli on the side for diners who want it extra spicy.
  • Wok technique: use a very hot wok to get quick browning on the minced pork for extra depth (wok hei). Cook quickly on high and avoid over-stirring.
  • Supermarket swaps: shiitake can be replaced with canned mushroom or button mushrooms from Sheng Siong or FairPrice; pork mince labelled 80/20 gives good flavour without being too fatty.
  • Make-ahead: you can cook the minced pork and mushroom mix ahead and reheat; keep noodles separate and toss just before serving to avoid sogginess — great for packed lunches.
  • Leftovers: store pork mixture and soup separately in the fridge up to 2 days; reheat gently and refresh noodles by plunging briefly in hot water before tossing.
  • Garnish choices: fried shallots, chopped spring onion and a squeeze of lime brighten the bowl — achar or pickled green chillies are classic Singapore accompaniments.

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