Amid Southeast Asia’s bewildering array of noodle dishes, bak chor mee (minced meat noodles) doesn’t have the exalted status of pho or pad thai. Often overshadowed by more glamorous and heavily marketed dishes like chill crab and chicken rice, bak chor mee tends to get drowned out by Singapore Tourism Board campaigns, Michelin-star ratings and the UNESCO World Heritage accolades for Singapore’s hawkers. Nevertheless, it’s a beloved staple dish consumed by the city-state’s residents every single day.

Thought to have been brought to the country by Teochew immigrants, bak chor mee has many variations. In essence, it consists of your choice of egg or rice noodles—the thin, yellow mee kia, the flat and curly mee pok, the springy bee hoon, the short and fat bee tai mak and more—cooked al dente and accompanied by toppings like blanched minced pork, fish cake, pork liver, wontons and fish balls. It’s served either of two ways: as a noodle soup, or dry with a variety of condiments. The dry version is tossed with sambal chilli, soy sauce, vinegar and the all-important lard, and served up with a small bowl of pork bone broth, all for as little as US$3. The non-spicy version is tossed with, God help us, ketchup. There are also premium versions going for as much as US$10—I’ve seen some with poached eggs, prawns, delicately sliced pork belly, abalone and even lobster.

• Tags: Issue 36, Nicholas Yong, Singapore