ANN/THE STAR – I’ve always adored the lala mee hoon served at a Kuala Lumpur kopitiam. The delicate sweetness of the clams infusing the broth, paired with the gentle heat of fresh ginger, creates a truly unique flavour profile.
During the COVID-19 pandemic when dining in was prohibited, I had to find a solution to satisfy my cravings. With some time on my hands, I developed a method to replicate this dish using mee suah instead. While mee hoon (rice vermicelli) can be used as a substitute, it may require an additional one to two minutes of cooking time.
For a long time during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, dining in wasn’t allowed, so I was forced to come up with my own solution when the craving hit. With time on my hands, I came up with a way to recreate this dish, using mee suah instead.
You can easily substitute this with mee hoon (rice vermicelli) if you prefer, but just give an additional one to two minutes’ cooking time. The result is a simple dish that’s packed with seafood-y goodness, enhanced with ginger-y spiciness and fragrance from the fried garlic.
LALA MEE SUAH
Ingredients:
– 750 grammes (approx) fresh or frozen lala (clams), cleaned
– Four to five cloves of garlic, chopped
– Five centimetre young ginger, sliced
– Stalks of bok choy or any other vegetable (optional)
– Chicken bullion (or leftover soup stock) plus water
– Mee suah (or mee hoon) for two persons
– One tablespoon cooking oil
Method:
1. Heat up the cooking oil, fry the garlic and ginger till fragrant.
2. Add in water and chicken bullion (or soup stock), bring to boil.
3. Add the clams and cook for one to two minutes, until they start to open.
4. Add in the mee suah, and then the vegetables.
5. Remove from stove and serve while hot. – Teoh Kar Yeong
