Singapore Noodles: Golden Curry Vermicelli Better Than Any Takeout

⏱ Prep: 15 min 🔥Cook: 15 min 👤Serves: 4 🌏Origin: Hong Kong

Singapore noodles recipe is the Cantonese takeout dish that appears on the menu of every Chinese restaurant outside Asia under a name that is gently misleading, this dish is not from Singapore, it is from Hong Kong, where it was created in cha chaan teng cafes and named after Singapore’s spice trade heritage. Thin rice vermicelli soaked and stir-fried at high heat with curry powder, shrimp, char siu pork, scrambled egg, red bell pepper, onion and bean sprouts in a sauce of soy sauce, oyster sauce and Shaoxing wine until every strand is golden yellow and deeply flavoured. One pan. Thirty minutes. Better than any version you have ordered.

Ingredients

For the noodles

• 8 oz (225g) dried thin rice vermicelli, the thinnest rice noodle available, labeled “rice vermicelli,” “rice sticks” or “mei fun.” Available at Asian grocery stores and most mainstream supermarkets. Soak in hot (not boiling) water for 2–3 minutes until pliable, they should wrap around your finger without snapping. Do not boil them before stir-frying. Drain well and snip into shorter lengths with scissors for easier tossing.

For the sauce

• 2 tablespoons curry powder, the defining ingredient and the source of the characteristic golden-yellow colour and warm spiced flavour. Madras or mild curry powder both work. Use more for a stronger curry flavour.
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, light soy only dark soy muddies the golden colour of the curry
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, adds a savory depth that rounds the curry
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry. Adds fermented depth and lifts the overall flavour.
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, added off the heat as the finishing fragrance
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoons water, loosens the sauce so it coats the noodles evenly without clumping

For the stir-fry

• ½ lb (225g) large shrimp, peeled and deveined. Cooked first in the wok and removed, added back at the end. Overcooking shrimp makes them rubbery; cooking them first and finishing gently at the end keeps them just-cooked and tender.
• ½ lb (225g) char siu pork, sliced thin. Available from Chinese BBQ shops or in the refrigerated section of Asian grocery stores. Substitute: Chinese BBQ pork from a supermarket rotisserie section, thinly sliced ham, cooked chicken thigh or thick-cut bacon cut into strips. RecipeTin Eats confirms: skip it and substitute with chicken or bacon, still a super tasty meal.
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten. Cooked first in the wok and removed, scrambled into large pieces. Added back with the noodles.
• 1 medium yellow onion, halved and sliced thin
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 medium red bell pepper, julienned into thin strips
• 1 medium carrot, julienned into matchstick strips
• 2 cups (100g) bean sprouts, added at the very end, off the heat. Bean sprouts that cook too long go limp and watery.
• 3 scallions, white parts sliced thin for cooking, green parts cut into 1-inch pieces for finishing
• 3 tablespoons neutral oil, divided across the cooking steps

Step by step

1. Soak the noodles and make the sauce. Place the dried vermicelli in a large bowl. Pour hot (not boiling) water over them. Soak for 2–3 minutes until pliable, they should bend easily without snapping. Drain very well. Snip into 6-inch lengths with scissors for easier tossing. Whisk all sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set next to the stove. Have every other ingredient prepped and ready, the actual stir-fry takes 10 minutes and moves fast.The noodles must be soaked, not boiled and drained very well before going into the wok. Oversoaked or wet noodles clump together in the wok and steam rather than stir-frying. Properly soaked and well-drained noodles stay separate and absorb the curry sauce evenly.
2. Cook the shrimp. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large wok or wide skillet over high heat until smoking. Add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook 1 minute without stirring, flip and cook 30 seconds more until just pink. Remove and set aside. Do not overcook.
3. Scramble the eggs. Add a splash of oil to the same wok. Pour in the beaten eggs. Let set for 10 seconds then scramble into large pieces. Remove and set aside with the shrimp before they are fully cooked, residual heat finishes them.
4. Stir-fry the aromatics and vegetables. Add the remaining oil to the wok. Add the garlic, ginger and scallion whites. Stir-fry 30 seconds. Add the sliced onion and cook 2 minutes until softened. Add the red bell pepper and carrot. Stir-fry for 2 minutes until just tender but still with a little bite. Add the char siu pork slices and toss to warm through.
5. Add the noodles and sauce, the key moment. Add the drained soaked noodles to the wok. Pour the sauce over immediately. Toss vigorously with tongs or chopsticks for 2–3 minutes over high heat until every strand of noodle is coated golden yellow and the sauce is fully absorbed. Add a splash of water if the noodles seem dry or stick together.Toss constantly and vigorously, the thin vermicelli noodles are fragile and burn if left in contact with the hot wok surface without moving. Use tongs for confident tossing. The noodles are ready when they are evenly golden yellow throughout with no white uncoated strands remaining.
6. Finish and serve. Return the shrimp and scrambled egg to the wok. Add the bean sprouts and scallion greens. Drizzle the sesame oil over everything. Toss 3–4 times, just enough to combine. Remove from heat immediately. Serve straight from the wok.

Not from Singapore and why that matters

Singapore noodles are not from Singapore. They are a Hong Kong Cantonese creation, most likely developed in Hong Kong cha chaan teng cafes in the mid-20th century and named after Singapore’s association with spice trade and curry flavours. In Singapore itself, the local curry noodle dishes are completely different wet curry soups rather than this dry stir-fried version.

This matters because it explains why the dish uses a relatively mild, widely available curry powder rather than specific Singaporean spice blends. The curry powder in Singapore noodles is Cantonese cooks’ interpretation of what Singapore flavours might taste like, which is how a lot of great food gets invented.

Make it your own

Claire’s note

Singapore noodles are one of the most adaptable stir-fries in the Asian collection. The only non-negotiables are the thin rice vermicelli and the curry powder, everything else can flex. No char siu: use cooked chicken thigh sliced thin, thick-cut bacon cut into strips, or skip the meat entirely and double the shrimp. No shrimp: use chicken, pork or tofu. Vegetarian version: replace shrimp and pork with firm tofu and replace oyster sauce with 1 tablespoon vegetarian stir-fry sauce plus 1 teaspoon mushroom powder, still excellent. Add heat: toss in 1–2 tablespoons of chili oil or sambal oelek with the sauce. The noodles reheat beautifully, add a splash of water and toss in a hot pan for 2 minutes. Great leftovers, better the next day.

Serve with

Singapore noodles are a complete standalone meal, shrimp, pork, egg and vegetables all in one pan. They sit naturally alongside the kani salad as a cold counterpoint to the hot spiced noodles. For more from the Cantonese-inspired Asian collection, the beef and broccoli stir-fry, the Mongolian beef and the complete Asian recipes guide have it all.

Add Singapore noodles to your weekly meal planner, soak the noodles and prep everything Sunday, stir-fry in 15 minutes any night of the week. And for more recipes, follow us on Pinterest.

Singapore Noodles

---

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

• Author: Claire Bennett
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Diet: Non-Vegetarian

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

A flavorful stir-fried noodle dish featuring rice vermicelli, curry, shrimp, and char siu pork, originating from Hong Kong.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 8 oz (225g) dried thin rice vermicelli
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoons water
• ½ lb (225g) large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• ½ lb (225g) char siu pork, sliced thin
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 medium yellow onion, halved and sliced thin
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 medium red bell pepper, julienned into thin strips
• 1 medium carrot, julienned into matchstick strips
• 2 cups (100g) bean sprouts
• 3 scallions
• 3 tablespoons neutral oil

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Soak the noodles and make the sauce. Place the dried vermicelli in a large bowl. Pour hot (not boiling) water over them. Soak for 2–3 minutes until pliable. Drain very well and snip into 6-inch lengths. Whisk all sauce ingredients together and set next to the stove.
2. Cook the shrimp. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large wok over high heat until smoking. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook for 1 minute without stirring, then flip and cook 30 seconds more. Remove and set aside.
3. Scramble the eggs. Add a splash of oil to the same wok. Pour in the beaten eggs and scramble into large pieces. Set aside with the shrimp.
4. Stir-fry the aromatics and vegetables. Add the remaining oil to the wok. Add garlic, ginger, and scallion whites, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add sliced onion and cook for 2 minutes. Then add red bell pepper and carrot, and stir-fry for 2 minutes until just tender.
5. Add the noodles and sauce. Add drained noodles to the wok and pour the sauce over immediately. Toss vigorously for 2–3 minutes until every strand is coated with sauce.
6. Finish and serve. Return shrimp and scrambled egg to the wok. Add bean sprouts and scallion greens. Drizzle sesame oil over everything and toss to combine. Serve straight from the wok.

Notes

Singapore noodles are versatile; substitute proteins as desired, and leftovers reheat well.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Method: Stir-frying
• Cuisine: Chinese

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 500
• Sugar: 6g
• Sodium: 800mg
• Fat: 15g
• Saturated Fat: 3g
• Unsaturated Fat: 10g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 70g
• Fiber: 3g
• Protein: 20g
• Cholesterol: 200mg