For all chow mein and chow mei fun lovers, you must try this Singapore mei fun, a luxurious chow mei fun with Chinese BBQ pork (Char Siu), red onions, shrimp, and napa cabbage. We will guide you to make the perfect Singapore mei fun at home.

What’s Singapore Mei Fun

I received one request about how to make Chinese takeout Singapore fried Mei fun (Mai Fun)around one week ago. Before that request, I had no idea about how popular this dish is outside China. However, it is worth the popularity.

Singapore Mei Fun typically consists of thin rice noodles (mei fun) that are stir-fried with a variety of ingredients, such as shrimp, char siu pork, eggs, onions, and vegetables, and seasoned with curry powder, soy sauce, and other spices. The dish is known for its vibrant yellow color, which comes from curry powder.

You might be confused about why this Singapore stuff food appears on the Chinese takeout menu. Despite its name, Singapore Mei Fun is not a traditional dish from Singapore. It was popular in southern China and then bought to other places of the world by the immigrations. Then the popularity is built by Chinese-American restaurants in the United States. The Chinese name of this pan-fried rice noodle recipe is “星州炒米粉” and it is usually served in tea restaurants in southern China and Hong Kong.

Curry powder has become a popular kitchen seasoning in Chinese kitchens now. And you should not feel surprised when hearing that stewed beef with curry and potato has been ranked as top 20 popular dishes in China now. Anyway, no matter where it comes from and why it is named Singapore Mei fun, we can enjoy yummy dishes.

Ingredients breakdown

Mei fun noodles– you will need high-quality thin rice noodles known as mei fun noodles. I will recommend using the Tiger brand.
Protein: Char Siu, shrimp, and egg are typical for Singapore mei fun.

vegetables: a ground of mixed crunchy vegetables will be added in this mei fun stir fry to add layers of texture and also balance the flavors. I use bean sprouts, scallion, red onion, bell pepper, and napa cabbage.

Curry powder: curry powder is a must-have seasoning for Singapore mei fun. It gives a great taste and also a lovely yellow color. For the curry, golden curry including powder and paste is highly recommended since it contains a large amount of turmeric powder, thus giving a golden color to the final dish.

Light soy sauce: Light soy sauce can give the dish a lovely savory base.

Sesame oil: sesame oil can add some naughty flavor to Singapore mei fun.

What’s Mei Fun

Mei fun is a very thin noodle made from rice which is often sold in dried form. Sometimes it is also known as rice vermicelli or rice vermicelli noodles. It looks quite similar to some of the other types of glass noodles such as mung bean noodles, but there are differences. There are many brands of mei fun in Asian cuisines.

There are many brands of mei fun noodles available, both in Asian grocery stores and online. Some popular brands include three Ladies Brand Rice Vermicelli, A Taste of Thai Rice Noodles: A Taste of Thai, and tiger brand.

You can choose any type, but you need to follow the instruction on the package and prepare your mei fun accordingly. My favorite brand is Tiger brand, which is a Taiwanese brand.

Is mei fun gluten-free?

In theory, mei fun is gluten-free as it is made from rice flour and water, and does not contain any wheat or gluten-containing ingredients. Therefore, it is a popular option for individuals who have celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or who follow a gluten-free diet. However, always read the ingredient list on the packaging to see whether any other gluten or related product is used in the production process.

Substitution for Char Siu

⭐Substitution for char siu: for Char Siu, if you just cannot find any store version of Char Siu and are not interested in making some at home too. You can replace it with Chinese sausage or bacon.

How to make Singapore mei fun

First, let’s outline the steps. Soak the Mai fun noodle and then you can prepare all the side ingredients and proteins during the soaking time. Then pan-fry the egg pancake, sautee the proteins, fry garlic and red onion, add the rice noodle, and add curry powder, then mix in all of the other side ingredients. Let’s begin.

⭐how to prepare the mei fun

Soak the mei fun in cold water, and follow the time on the back of the package. And then completely drain. If you are not very good at frying chow mei fun, you can cut them into sections with scissors.

💭 if you don’t have time to soak the mei fun ahead, you can choose to soak them in hot water (above 60 degrees C) for around 2 minutes. This can be super fast and also create a softer texture.

Fry the egg

Whisk the egg liquid with a very small pinch of salt and then add some oil to a pan, add the egg liquid in. Spread to form an egg pancake. Roll up and cut into shreds.

A simpler way is to pan-fry the egg and then break them into small pieces if you don’t want your brother to make the shredded egg. But shreds make a better uniform shape.

Fry the shrimp

Heat up around 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over medium fire. Add shrimp to fry for around 10 to 20 seconds until aroma. Transfer out.

Fry garlic and red onion

Then place oil in, fry garlic and red onion until aromatic. This helps to activate the aroma of the dish.

Add noodles in and season it

Place in the rice noodle, and add the curry powder. Continue frying for half a minute. Then add all the vegetables, napa cabbage, bean sprouts, and red bell peppers. Fry for 20 seconds.

Add the protein

Return char siu and shrimp. Because the protein is cooked already, it should be added at the end.

Add shredded egg omelet, light soy sauce, salt, and sesame oil, and mix well.

How to reheat

I believe that in most cases, you don’t need to reheat Singapore noodles. But if you do have leftovers, you can reheat them in the microwave or with a wok on the stove. To reheat in the microwave, transfer the desired amount of Singapore Mei Fun to a microwave-safe dish and sprinkle some water to avoid the noodle from drying out. Microwave for 1-2 minutes until heated through, stirring halfway through.

To reheat on the stovetop, add a little bit of oil to a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Singapore Mei Fun and stir-fry for a few minutes until heated through, adding a splash of water or chicken broth if the noodles seem dry. Make sure to stir constantly to prevent the noodles from sticking to the pan.

Other yummy Noodle Recipes

We have lots of yummy and inspiring noodle recipes, check the following noodle ideas to find your favorite.

Dan Dan noodle is a famous Sichuan-style noodle with minced pork and lots of Sichuan seasonings.
Biang Biang noodle is a flat wide noodle with hot oil poured.
Lanzhou noodle is a popular noodle dish with spice-infused beef stock.
10 Minutes hot and sour noodle is a super easy hot and sour soup noodles that can be finished in 10 minutes.