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Hup Hup (合合) Mee Siam – A mother’s recipe that rocks.

January 7, 20212319 views0

Mee siam means “Siamese noodle” in Malay. Inspired and adapted from Thai cuisines, it is a deliciously sweet, sour, and spicy dish that you see consumed at any time of the day. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea breaks, and even dinner or supper.

It is a relatively popular dish in Singapore. It is eaten on its own as a breakfast, or a form of a “heavy” snack; even as a full meal accompanied by other foods like meats (chicken, mutton), eggs, etc.

The main ingredient is bee hoon, garnished only with chopped or shredded eggs, beansprouts, and mini tau pok. It is then soaked in a sweet, sour, spicy gravy soup to give the meal a pleasant, delicious taste that is very appetising.

On a recommendation by my fellow colleagues, I found myself somewhere in Circuit Road one morning at level 2 of the Circuit Road Market & Food Centre queuing up for a plate of this popular dish.

As I waited for my order, I observed that there seems to be a good rapport between the stall owner and his customers. Most of them seem to know each other, and from their short conversations, the customers look to be long term supporters. 

I soon settled down with my plate of mee siam. I must say I really like what I saw. 😋

Many may not see it, but it looks like the owner really takes pride and puts care into what he does. This is pretty evident from how each item in the dish is purposefully positioned.

Unlike many others who would just slap everything onto the plate and then lather it all with the gravy, you can actually see the layers in this plate of mee siam.

The vermicelli is first placed into the middle of the plate, followed by the tau pok. Then the gravy soup is poured over, just enough to barely cover the top, taking care not to smother it with too much of the good one would expect from a dish of mee siam. The egg is then sliced into halves, placed by the side with the insides facing up. The first layer is now done.

Next, the top layer, this is where the spring onions are scattered carefully on top, followed by a serving of beansprouts right on top, in the middle. I believe this is done to prevent the spring onions and beansprouts from going soggy if they sat in the liquids of the gravy for too long. In this way, they will be able to retain their freshness and crunchy qualities. And the final touch, a nice dollop of chilli sambal paste and a small lime piece by the side. Beautifully presented. 🥰

Now for the taste.

I first squeezed the lime across the whole plate and gave it a proper mix before taking a sip of the gravy soup. The gravy is perfect! 🤤 Just like how one would expect from a nice plate of mee siam. But I think what is unique about theirs is how slightly thickened the gravy is, just that little bit. I can’t put my finger to it, but somehow that makes a difference. I like that little bit of difference in texture from the other mee siam that I’ve eaten before.

And let’s not forget the chilli sambal. When mixed into the dish, the chilli sambal takes the already delicious flavour up a notch! 👍🏻

The vermicelli itself is done expertly, like how a good plate of mee siam should be. It takes up the gravy well, soaking enough to give it a tasty flavour while not becoming soggy, still giving you that bit of a crunch when you bite into it.

Wanting to find out more about how he managed to do this dish so differently, I went over to have a quick chat with the stall owner. And found out that he had learned the recipe he’s using now from his mother. The pride and care I observed in how the mee siam was plated make perfect sense now!

Such a delicious recipe from a parent deserves the best effort and respect put into it! 👏🏻

Many times, the intangible aspects of dishes are what makes them stand out from the rest. The bit of history, emotions, and stories that brought the recipes to life all matter in drawing out that bit of difference in flavours.

Overall, a delicious tasty plate of mee siam that genuinely deserves the support of their customers. 👍🏻

Hup Hup Mee Siam
📍80 Circuit Rd #02-14, Singapore 370080