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Where are Singapore noodles from if not from Singapore?

Delicious Singapore-style noodles, comprising curry, shrimp, barbecued pork, carrots, red pepper, onion and scallions, doesn’t come from its purported country of origin.

Travellers are always surprised when Singaporeans look confused when asked about Singapore noodles.

Much like General Tso’s chicken, lemon chicken and Mongolian lamb (or beef), Singapore noodles are a beloved favourite, in Hong Kong and in Western countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia – a favourite that doesn’t come from its purported country of origin.

 

A Google search reveals plenty of ready-made supermarket offerings and recipes for this easy-to-make, savoury stir-fry dish, with ingredients ranging from the usual curry powder and vermicelli, to teriyaki sauce and bell peppers.

The Naked Chef, Jamie Oliver’s version, includes lime and peanuts, the BBC Good Food’s recipe swaps vermicelli for egg noodles, while Sainsbury’s microwaveable Singapore noodles contain sliced omelette, char siu and roasted British chicken.

Whatever the ingredients, the consensus is that Singapore noodles consist of stir-fried vermicelli, curry powder, meat (pork, chicken or prawns), eggs and vegetables.

So where does this non-Singaporean dish come from? According to renowned Singaporean chef Damian D’Silva, the dish started in Hong Kong.

“Created in either the 50s or 60s by chefs in Hong Kong, they wanted to make something exotic, hence the addition of curry powder. I believe the name is a coincidence, as the chefs felt it would add to the ‘exotic’ nature of the dish, due to the fact that Singapore wasn’t as well-known during that time. The dish then spread overseas and to Europe during the travels of the Hong Kong chefs while they were under British rule,” says chef D’Silva, who champions Singapore’s heritage food in his Eurasian and Peranakan restaurant Folklore, and who was a judge on last year’s inaugural MasterChef Singapore.

When visiting Singapore, the closest dish would be Xin Chow (the old name of Singapore) Bee Hoon, or Sin Chew Bee Hoon, which is made from stir-fried vermicelli, vegetables, seafood and soy sauce – no curry powder or sliced red peppers here.

However, it isn’t a local favourite, compared to the famous chilli crab, though it can be found in hawker centres and tze char/zi char restaurants in Singapore or tai chow joints in Malaysia.

So can this humble noodle dish from Hong Kong be considered Singaporean or a good representation of Singapore in any case? Chef D’Silva disagrees, saying that it wasn’t even created in the Lion City.

“I’ve always shared that Singapore food is a collection of the recipes of its people in this multi-racial community. It is food which we’ve grown up with in our homes; recipes shared through generations, cooked by our elders for their families. To say that Singapore noodles is a good representation of our food would be oversimplification,” he says.

Penang-born Lim Yew Aun, chef and co-owner of Bar Cicheti, says there are two ways of looking at the dish.

“One side of the argument would be that it showcases different aspects of cuisines that are commonly found in Singapore, thanks to the different prevalent cultures due to our location as a trading port. Stir-frying is a Chinese style of cooking; rice vermicelli is one of the main noodle types that Chinese, Malay and Indian cuisine all use. Curry is as universal as it gets in Singapore,” says Lim, a Singaporean permanent resident, whose entire culinary career has been spent in the Little Red Dot, as Singapore is known.

“Singapore is known for trying to combine a bit of everything when it comes to cooking. In that sense, one could argue that the entire dish, from the ingredients to the way the dish is put together, is very much reflective of Singapore,” he says, adding that even when cooking Italian cuisine at Bar Cicheti, he tries to add the big, bold flavours loved by locals.

The other argument Lim proposes is that some might say that Singaporean cuisine should be what Singaporeans know and love to eat, regardless of its origins.

“Fishball noodles originated from Teochew, Roti Prata is a South Indian speciality from Chennai and even McDonald’s Big Breakfast is American, but Singaporeans love to eat them despite [the fact that they] have nothing to do with Singapore, and still remain ingrained [in] our daily diet. To that end, Singapore noodles is not a dish that any Singaporean can relate to or feel passionate about, and should not be a representation of our food to the rest of the world.”

So there you have it, the origin of one of Singapore’s most famous exports – and you don’t have to be a crazy rich Asian to enjoy it.

Where are Singapore noodles from? How are century eggs made? Are French fries improperly named? And what’s the final verdict on where tikka masala was created? With the Origins series, STYLE delves into the often surprising beginnings of iconic dishes or foods, how they’ve evolved over time and the many ways they’re enjoyed today.

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The origins of Singapore noodles lie in Hong Kong, says Singaporean chef