Malaysian Wonton Noodle Soup

About This Recipe

Wonton noodle soup (wanton mee) is one of Malaysia's most loved hawker dishes, a Chinese-Malaysian tradition eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner at kopitiam coffee shops across the country. Thin, springy egg noodles are served in a clear, deeply flavoured pork bone and dried shrimp broth with delicate pork-filled wontons, slices of char siu (barbecue pork), blanched choy sum vegetables and a drizzle of lard and chilli paste. The Malaysian version distinguishes itself from its Hong Kong counterpart with the use of kecap manis (sweet soy) in the dry-tossed version, and a richer, spicier broth. It is one of the great Asian noodle dishes in all its simplicity.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 kgpork bones(for the broth)
• 2 litreswater
• 30 gdried anchovies (ikan bilis)
• 4 tablespoonssoy sauce
• 1 tablespoonfish sauce
• 250 gpork mince(for wontons)
• 1 tablespoonsoy sauce(for filling)
• 1 teaspoonsesame oil
• 1 teaspoonginger(grated)
• 20wonton wrappers
• 300 gchar siu pork(shop-bought or homemade, sliced)
• 200 gchoy sum or pak choy
• 400 gthin egg noodles
• 2 tablespoonssambal or chilli paste(to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the broth

   Blanch pork bones in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain and rinse. Simmer with 2 litres fresh water and dried anchovies for 45 minutes. Strain, season with soy sauce and fish sauce. Keep hot.

2. 2

   Make wontons

   Mix pork mince with soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and a pinch of white pepper. Place a teaspoon of filling in the centre of each wrapper. Wet the edges, fold into a triangle, then bring the two bottom corners together and press to seal.

3. 3

   Cook noodles and wontons

   Boil a large pot of water. Cook wontons for 3–4 minutes until they float and filling is cooked. In the same water, blanch choy sum for 1 minute and cook egg noodles according to package directions. Drain all separately.

4. 4

   Assemble and serve

   Place noodles in bowls. Ladle hot broth over. Add 4–5 wontons, sliced char siu and choy sum. Serve with sambal on the side.

Variations

• •

  Dry wonton mee: noodles tossed in soy sauce, oyster sauce and lard instead of broth.

• •

  Curry wonton mee: broth replaced with a laksa-style curry base.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Broth keeps for 5 days refrigerated. Store components separately. Assemble fresh.

Frequently Asked Questions