Hong Kong Style Instant Noodles
Note: Updated with recipe on page 2 which was previously missing. Sorry!
Today is the fifth day of Singapore’s partial lockdown (#circuitbreakersg), I hope everyone is adapting well to staying safe by staying home. Luncheon meat (spam) and instant noodles seems like the most popular foodstuff that were wiped out during the first waves of our country’s panic supermarket sprees. With these two ingredients, I thought of making Hong Kong style instant noodles, aka gong zai mian (港式公仔面) which is a popular breakfast dish at the tea cafes (茶餐厅) in Hong Kong.
See Also:
Since we probably can’t travel for quite a while, eating this dish makes me reminisce about the good food in Hong Kong and I look forward to the day we can travel overseas again. As an instant noodles dish, this isn’t too shabby, cos we have an egg, (luncheon) meat and greens in one bowl.
These are the ingredients for one person. For authenticity, use the popular Nissin 出前一丁 though if it is perfectly fine to use any brand of instant noodles. Ham (火腿公仔面) can be used in place of luncheon meat (午餐肉公仔面). For greens, I used baby Shanghai green which can be replaced with any available greens.
To start, simply make sunny side up egg(s) and pan fry the meat until lightly seared.
(By the way, here’s a fun trivial shared by Hong Kong reader modaciter via comment (thanks!) on the origins of the dish name. Apparently, the word “gong zai” (公仔/doll) was not due to the cute boy mascot on Nissin’s packaging pictured above. Before Nissin’s 出前一丁, there was another brand of instant noodles called Doll Brand whose Chinese name is “公仔麵”. Its popularity leads to 公仔面 becoming the “official” name for instant noodles, regardless of the brand of ramen noodles used.)
In a small pot, cook the instant noodles and greens with the powder soup sachet provided. You can also cook the noodles separately to remove the “wax” first if you have this practice. I used a personal-sized pot from Daiso which is the perfect size for one person. You can cook the instant noodles and eat straight from the pot later. It saves the effort of having one less bowl to wash up :p
Top noodles with the previously cooked luncheon meat (or ham) and sunny side up egg. Enjoy home cooking (even if they are instant noodles) during this period!
First posted in Oct 2009, updated in Apr 2020.
Hong Kong Style Instant Noodles Recipe
The ingredients started in this recipe is for one person. Prepare more ingredients accordingly to make more bowls of noodles.
Ingredients:
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp oil
- 3 slices luncheon meat (spam) or 1 slice of diagonally-halved picnic ham
- one packet of Nissin’s 出前一丁 see cooking note below
- 500 ml water
- 1 stalk baby shanghai green or baby bok choy halved vertically
- chopped spring onions
You also need:
- a non-stick pan
- a personal-sized ramen pot (if you are cooking and eating it straight from the pot)
Directions:
- Cook sunny-side up egg(s). Grease a non-stick pan with oil and heat it to medium. Crack an egg into a small bowl and carefully pour the egg into the pan. Try to position the yolk in the middle surrounded by the egg white. After about two minutes, loosen the edges a bit, and let the egg cook for a few more minutes until the yolk is about half cooked. Set aside on a plate.
- Pan fry the meat. In the same pan, pan fry the luncheon meat or ham until lightly seared on both sides. Set aside on a plate.
- Cook noodles and serve. In a small pot, add 500ml of water and bring to a boil. Add instant noodles and soup powder. When the noodles are almost done, add the greens and cook for about 15 seconds. Drizzle the sachet of sesame oil over the noodles. Serve the noodles straight from the pot or dish out to a serving bowl. Garnish with the fried sunny side up egg, luncheon meat/ham & chopped spring onions.
Cooking Note(s):
- Although this dish is frequently made with Nissin’s 出前一丁 or Doll Brand noodles (not widely available in SG), you may substitute with any favourite brand of instant noodles.
- You can precook the noodles and discard the “waxy” boiling water if preferred.
- You can also substitute the luncheon meat or ham in this recipe with canned 肉丁, and any available greens.