Lor mee tastes much better than it looks
Lor mee is a hawker dish of Hokkien heritage. The lor or gravy is simmered for hours, with spices, meat stock, egg whites and corn starch to give it its sticky consistency; served with flat yellow noodles and some crunchy additions, it’s dish worth seeking out while you’re in Singapore. (You’ll also find lor duck, lor pork and lor beancurd at cheap stalls right across the city state).
Flat yellow noodles are a key ingredient, but then lor mee stalls will vary other ingredients added. Stewed pork belly, deep-fried fish in a crispy batter, fish cakes and deep-fried hand-made meat balls are among the ingredients most commonly found in lor mee — usually topped with a hard-boiled egg. Most stalls will also add chilli paste, sprigs of cilantro and a huge dollop of raw minced garlic for you to mix in with the broth to give it additional bite. You can opt out of these if you’re uncomfortable with them.
For an added kick, lor mee stalls usually provide black rice vinegar, which you can add as liberally as you wish for a sour taste to cut through the rich broth — it definitely lightens the dish. If you wish for more spiciness, head for the chopped chillies and soya sauce that’s always available at Singapore hawker stalls.
