Mee Pok

Mee pok are flat, yellow egg noodles, while mee kia are thin, round yellow noodles. Both are commonly used in Singaporean and Malaysian hawker cuisine, particularly in dishes served dry with sauce or in soup. Mee pok is especially favored for dry tossings because its flat surface holds onto chili and vinegar sauces more effectively.

Mee pok tah translates to flat noodles, dry in the Hokkien dialect and refers to the most popular way to serve the dish. The noodles are blanched and vigorously tossed with a mixture of chili paste, vinegar, oil, and soy sauce before being topped with ingredients. It is heavily contrasted with mee pok soup, where the noodles are served submerged in a hot broth.

Mee pok is traditionally topped with a variety of proteins, most commonly minced pork, lean sliced pork, and liver. Other frequent toppings include fish balls, fish cake slices, and deep-fried lard pieces for added crunch. It is usually garnished with spring onions and served with a side of bright red cut chili in soy sauce.

Hawkers blanch the yellow noodles in boiling water, often alongside green vegetables like choy sum, to remove the strong alkaline taste from the dough. The blanching process also improves the texture, ensuring the noodles achieve the desired springy, chewy consistency known as Q in Asian culinary terms. The hot water loosens the noodles before they are drained and mixed with sauce.