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Hokkien Mee (KL Dark Soy Braised Noodles)

Name: Hokkien Mee (KL Dark Soy Braised Noodles)
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Malaysian
Ingredients: 12 oz thick yellow noodles; 8 oz pork belly, sliced; 8 oz shrimp, peeled; 6 oz squid, sliced; 2 cups cabbage, shredded; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tbsp lard; 2 tbsp dark soy sauce; 2 tbsp light soy sauce; 1.5 cups pork broth; 1/2 tsp white pepper; 2 tbsp sambal; 2 calamansi, halved

Hokkien Mee (KL Dark Soy Braised Noodles) reads umami 8.2, richness 6.8 and salinity 5.1 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Malaysian main, about 20 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 9.3 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 1.9 / 10
Sour & Bright — 4.8 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.9 / 10
Rich & Fat — 7.1 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 3.8 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 8.2 · Richness 6.8 · Salinity 5.1 · Citrus 4.2 · Marine & Briny 3.5 · Allium 3.3 · Heat 3.1 · Funk & Ferment 3.0 · Sourness 2.0 · Floral 1.8 · Sweetness 1.7 · Smoke 1.6 · Herbaceous 1.2 · Bitterness 0.9 · Fruity 0.9 · Earthy 0.9 · Warm Spice 0.9 · Nutty 0.7

What's in it (13)

12 oz thick yellow noodles
8 oz pork belly, sliced
8 oz shrimp, peeled
6 oz squid, sliced
2 cups cabbage, shredded
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp lard
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1.5 cups pork broth
1/2 tsp white pepper
2 tbsp sambal
2 calamansi, halved

Time & effort: about 20 min · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 188.8 kcal, 5.9 g protein, 10.5 g fat, 17.6 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (3 steps)

Fry garlic in lard until golden, add pork, seafood, and vegetables.
Toss in thick noodles with dark and light soy sauce, then add broth and braise until noodles absorb the liquid and turn dark.
Serve with sambal and calamansi.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Turkey Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Orecchiette — Italian-American
Pancit Canton (Stir-Fried Wheat Noodles) — Filipino
Garlic Butter Shrimp Fra Diavolo — Italian-American
Blackened Salmon Caesar Salad — American
Ayam Buah Keluak (Chicken with Fermented Black Nuts) — Peranakan

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.