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Wanton Mee [云吞面 (yun tun mian) in Chinese) is a popular noodle dish on our sunny island. ‘Wanton’ is the Cantonese word for dumpling, while ‘mee’ is the Hokkien word for noodle.
Like many local dishes, Wanton Mee is served either dry or soup. While some prefer our Wanton Mee ‘dry’ or tossed in a savoury and slightly sweet sauce made from soy sauce, oyster sauce, chilli, and other seasonings, others like theirs in a soup. Hence, a lot of attention is given to preparing the stock. The soup version is loaded with an aromatic and umami broth made from pork and chicken.
Both versions of Wanton Mee are served with thin egg noodles, and garnished with wanton dumplings, barbecued pork (char siew), and leafy vegetables such as cai xin. If served dry, the wantons will come in a separate bowl of soup. Fried wantons (wantons deep fried in oil) are sometimes served instead of those boiled in the soup. To please the palates of spice-loving Singaporeans’, the Wanton Mee is mostly served with pickled green chillies and chilli sauce on the side.
During preparation, the smooth thin egg noodles are cooked al dente, in a hot and light brown soup prepared from dried flounder and garlic chives. To ensure that the noodles are perfectly al dente, they are then blanched and rinsed under cold water to maintain the springy texture of the noodles.
The Wanton Mee is typically served with the spoon customarily placed at the bottom, with the wantons above the spoon and the noodles on top to prevent the noodles from getting soggy or clumping together!
The combination of textures and flavours in this dish is what makes the Wanton Mee so popular and special.
Do you prefer your Wanton Mee dry or soup?
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