Yellow egg noodles in a fragrant, turmeric-yellow spiced chicken broth, topped with shredded chicken, beansprouts and fried shallots. A staple of Malay-Muslim stalls across Geylang Serai, with a lighter Singapore hawker seasoning than Javanese soto.
Mee soto ayam is a staple of Malay-Muslim stalls across Geylang Serai and Kampung Glam. Yellow egg noodles sit in a fragrant, turmeric-yellow spiced chicken broth, topped with shredded chicken, beansprouts and fried shallots, often eaten with a side of sambal and bergedil (potato patty). The Singapore hawker version has a lighter seasoning than Indonesian or Javanese soto, reflecting the local Malay-Muslim palate, and it is a breakfast-and-lunch staple.
A bright, deeply savoury, turmeric-warm broth with tender shredded chicken, the beansprouts crunchy, the fried shallots crackling, a hint of lemongrass. Eaten with sambal, it is restorative, fragrant and the Malay-Singapore comfort bowl.
The broth is built on a rempah of turmeric, galangal, lemongrass, coriander seed and shallots, fried to release the aromatics, then simmered with a whole chicken until the broth is deeply flavoured and the meat tender. The chicken is shredded, the noodles blanched, and the bowl assembled with beansprouts and a generous scatter of fried shallots. The turmeric gives the signature yellow colour; the rempah gives the depth.
Variations
A richer version adds coconut milk. Some eat it with mihun instead of yellow noodles.
On the Palate
Where Mee Soto Ayam sits in the Singaporean flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
6 steps · 25 min
- 18 min
Pound 4cm turmeric, 4cm galangal, 2 stalks lemongrass, 1 tbsp coriander seed and 4 shallots to a rempah.
Watch outFry the rempah until the aromatics bloom before adding the chicken — the turmeric-galangal paste is where the broth's depth and yellow colour come from.
- 225 min
Fry the rempah in 3 tbsp oil 5 minutes; add 1 whole chicken (about 1.2kg), 1.5 litres water, 1 tsp salt and pepper; simmer 50 minutes.
Watch outSimmer the whole chicken the full fifty minutes — that's what draws a deeply flavoured broth and leaves the meat tender to shred.
- 38 min
Remove the chicken; shred the meat; keep the broth hot.
- 45 min
Blanch 400g yellow noodles and a handful of beansprouts; divide into 4 bowls.
- 55 min
Ladle the hot broth over; top with shredded chicken, beansprouts and fried shallots.
- 64 min
Serve hot with a side of sambal and bergedil.
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