Hokkien Pork Noodle Soup

Hokkien Pork Noodle Soup is a recipe for all the noodle lovers out there! Slurp up the best of both worlds with TWO different types of noodles. They rest in a humble savory broth under a variety of toppings loaded with exciting textures. Enjoy juicy mince, crunchy greens, shrimp chips and zesty minced garlic all in one bowl!

A rare hometown dish loved by locals

My family’s Hokkien Pork Noodle Soup is a recipe you won’t find anywhere online. Trust me, I’ve tried. It’s one of those dishes that only locals know about and, given enough time, I’m certain its fate will be like other regional dishes – lost to the mainstream.

So it’s my mission to preserve this childhood favorite!

I’ve asked Mum and Dad about its origins and they believe it’s a dish that came from the Fujian people of Vietnam. It reminds me a lot of Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang (Vietnamese Pork and Prawn Clear Noodle Soup) because of its light broth and generous topping variety.

But really, it’s a gem in its own right.

The beauty starts with how it uses TWO types of noodles to create texture. Thick soft Hokkien noodles with springy mei fun results in the most complete mouthful. This is then topped with 10 different ingredients! Can you imagine the flavor and texture with every mouthful?

It’s so good you’ll just have to try it out for yourself!

Which rice noodles do I use?

You’ll be surprised at how many types of rice noodles there are available at Asian grocery stores! On the surface, all the thin types might look the same, but there are a few differences in their texture and appearance.

When making our Hokkien Pork Noodle Soup, be careful not to confuse the rice noodles with the type we use for Vietnamese cooking like Bún Riêu Chay (Vegetarian Tomato Noodle Soup). The version for this recipe is actually known as ‘mei fun’ in Cantonese and is made using just water and rice flour.

If you check the ingredients list on the back of each package, you’ll notice that the Vietnamese equivalent has salt added to it.

When we look closely, Chinese mei fun is actually quite squiggly, unlike its smooth Vietnamese cousin. Make sure to keep an eye out for these differences so that you can make Hokkien Pork Noodle Soup exactly like we do!

Why this recipe works

• Using a variety of toppings means tons of textures and flavors for every mouthful.
• The homemade garlic sauce adds a sharp tang to give our Hokkien Pork Noodle Soup a zesty kick.
• Ginger is perfect for layering warmth into the broth.

What you’ll need

For the broth

About the seasoning

We use rock sugar as a sweetener, but you can use regular sugar if that’s what you have on hand.

Before adding the ginger, give it a light smash to bring out its juices.

For the toppings

About the meat selection

Boiled mince and spare ribs are the main meat choices for our Hokkien Pork Noodle Soup, but we sometimes also get pork collar/neck fillet to boil until cooked before slicing into thin pieces as a topping.

For the noodles

About the noodles

This recipe uses two different types of noodles – Hokkien and mei fun – but if you prefer just one, then use the one you like.

For the garlic sauce

About the sauce

When made, it will last a few days if refrigerated. But on the second-third day, you’ll notice the garlic will turn a teal color. Don’t be alarmed – it has to do with the chemical reaction from the acid in the vinegar. It’s safe to eat and can be seen as a form of pickled garlic, like you would with carrots and daikon.

This sauce is supposed to have a sharp tangy kick, but if you find that it’s too sour, add more sugar or use less vinegar.

For the garnish

About the herbs

You can use all of the herb choices or just the ones you like for your Hokkien Pork Noodle Soup. Make sure to give each a thorough wash to rid them of impurities.

For the shrimp chips

About the batter

The shrimp chips are entirely optional. Aunty recommends using a fry powder mix that you can add water to turn into a batter. We get it from Asian grocery stores.

About the utensils

When making the shrimp chips, we use a special type of ladle that’s flat and thin. They can be found in Asian supermarkets, but if you can’t find any then simply use a small saucepan and pour the batter the way you would pancakes.

How to make this recipe

Soak the mei fun for 10 minutes in cool water, then let it drip dry in a colander as you work on the other steps.

Season the stock with the rock sugar, salt, fish sauce, ginger and chicken bouillon powder on a low simmer. Add the spare ribs in and keep it at a low simmer as you work on the other steps. The ribs will need 15-20 minutes to cook.

Pro Tip: Skim off any floating oil and scum to keep the broth clear.

Cut the pork fat into 1cm cubes and put them in a pan. Turn the heat to medium and let them fry for 10 minutes or until golden brown. If you find that they’re spitting too rapidly, turn the heat down to low.

When golden and reduced in size, scoop just the fried cubes into a bowl or serving dish. Discard the remaining oil or keep it in a container to use as lard for recipes like Rice Cooker Chicken and Mushroom Rice or Scallion Oil Noodles (葱油拌面).

After 15-20 minutes of cooking, take the spare ribs out and cut them into chunks. How large or small you cut them will depend on where the bones are. Leave them in a serving dish for later.

Finely chop the garlic and combine it in a bowl with the sugar, salt and vinegar. Set aside to use as a topping.

Combine the fried powder mix in a bowl with the water.

Use your hands to gently squeeze out the bubbles and trapped flour. Keep mixing until the batter is smooth enough to drip off chopsticks slowly but easily. Let it rest as you prep the prawns.

Use scissors to cut off the tail and head of the school prawns. Keep them in a bowl close to the frying area.

Pour enough oil into a pot to cover each shrimp chip when submerged completely. Turn the heat up to high. When the oil has reached a high temperature, put the empty ladles in to heat up until hot. This will stop the batter from sticking to the metal.

Note: If you’re using a saucepan instead, simply pour 3 tbsp oil to coat the surface of the saucepan.

When the pot’s oil is hot, pour 1 tbsp of the batter into the ladle and rotate it until it covers the surface. Add 2-3 prawns on top, then submerge it into the oil. After 20 seconds, give the ladle a shake until the chip floats off.

Note: If the shrimp chip doesn’t come off, use chopsticks or a spoon to scoop it out. This generally happens when the empty ladle isn’t hot enough to start with.

When golden, take the chip out and place it on a tray lined with paper towels to soak up any excess oil. Repeat the cooking for all the batter and prawns.

Divide the choy sum into 10cm (4″) segments. Optional: You can use a small knife to peel back the tough outer layer on the stems.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the choy sum in to cook for 5 minutes or until al dente. Pour the contents into a colander to drip dry.

Fill up a pot with water and bring it to a boil. When boiled, use a spoon to scoop 2-3 tbsp of the mince into a sieve. Dip the sieve into the boiling water and stir the pork using the spoon for 3 minutes or until just cooked.

Lift the sieve up to release all the liquid, then transfer the cooked meat into a bowl. Repeat until all the mince is cooked.

You can discard the mince water or keep it for future stocks. We like to add it back into the simmering soup.

Optional: To remove the impurities, layer a few paper towels on top of each other and hold them above a large empty bowl. Pour one ladle of the broth through the paper towels. You’ll find the impurities stay on the paper while the liquid runs into the bowl.

Pro Tip: When removing the scum, it helps to have another set of hands to do the ladling while another holds the paper.

To serve, bring a small pot of water to a boil and cook separate servings of the mei fun and Hokkien noodles together for 20 seconds until al dente.

Note: If you’re cooking all the noodles at once, cook each type separately as they will both have different cooking times.

Assemble your bowl with the noodles, pork toppings and a few ladles of hot soup. Garnish with the herbs, choy sum, fried fat cubes and garlic sauce.

Enjoy hot as is!

Recipe FAQs

Tips for the best results

• Make each serving to go. Once cooked, the noodles will get soft and potentially soggy. To enjoy it fresh, cook each serving as you’re about to eat.
• Use a fattier mince. Like we do with our Steamed Eggs, Seaweed Soup and Vietnamese Meatballs, doing so keeps the meat juicy. Grandma likes to choose her own meat cut and ask the butcher to mince it for her so she can control how much meat and fat there is.
• Avoid leaving the spare ribs in the broth for too long. If it’s kept in there for an extended amount of time, it might start to fall apart.

Warm up with more noodle soups!

• Oxtail Hot Pot (牛尾煲) – Deeply earthy, the beef is simmered for hours until fall apart tender and enjoyed around the dinner table by the whole family.
• Roast Duck Noodle Soup (雪菜鴨絲湯米) – It’s a terrifically easy recipe using store-bought ingredients for a fast dish with humble flavors.
• Phở Chay (Vegetarian Phở) – Meatless Mondays have never been so exciting with Mum’s vegetarian dish packed with signature aromatics.
• Bò Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew) – My family always craves this as soon as Winter hits. It’s beautifully fragrant from spices with a subtle tang from tomato paste.
• Vịt Nấu Chao (Vietnamese Duck and Fermented Bean Curd Hot Pot) – Nutty, rich and creamy, this is a surefire way to enjoy a delicious slurp of duck-infused broth!

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