Kuala Lumpur Hokkien Mee

Bee Yinn Low’s Kuala Lumpur Hokkien mee has a dark, glossy sauce and crisp pieces of rendered pork fat. Her selected adaptation uses packet udon with pork belly, shrimp and Napa cabbage, keeping the chewy noodles and rich soy coating central to the dish.

The pork belly’s skin is discarded, its fat is cut into small pieces and its meat sliced thinly. The selected udon is cooked according to its packet instructions and drained separately.

The diced fat renders in the wok until golden and crisp. Those crisp pieces are lifted out, leaving the rendered oil for browning the pork meat and briefly stir-frying garlic, shrimp and Napa cabbage.

The noodles are tossed into the pan with dark soy sauce and soy sauce. Pork stock, sugar, white pepper and half of the crisp pork pieces follow; a cornstarch-and-water slurry thickens the sauce so it coats the noodles.

The remaining crisp pork pieces are scattered over the finished noodles. Sambal is served alongside for extra chilli flavour, with the author allowing it to be left off and the shrimp to be omitted if desired.