Image Credit to: openrice
Sang ha noodles, sang har mee, sang har yee mee, freshwater prawn noodles; the names for this dish may vary, but the English name of the dish should give you a good idea of what this dish is like.
Today’s dish of the day is a Chinese speciality dish, cooked with a heavy focus on big shrimps, crispy-fried noodles and an egg-based sauce. If you’re a big fan of seafood, well, this dish is for you.
What is Sang-Ha Noodles
Undoubtedly one of the more expensive dishes served in Chinese restaurants, and Sang-Ha Noodles is an exquisite dish involving a generous serving of huge freshwater shrimps, crispy noodles and an egg-like gravy.
At first glance, this dish would look like Cantonese Fried Noodles, but no one can miss the gigantic shrimps topping the dish. These shrimps are what makes it a dish worthy of being served during celebrations with your family members, colleagues and more!
The noodle dish sports a generous serving of thick egg and cornflour broth, giving the noodles a smooth texture with some well-loved extra flavours. The noodle itself, however, is actually cooked to a crispy finish unlike your typical noodle dishes – hence, the similarity to Cantonese Fried Noodles.
The secret to a delicious plate of Sang-Ha noodles lies in its choice of freshwater prawns. When cooked fresh, each prawn would have a juicy yet firm texture to it. The cooking process for this dish involves cutting the prawns in half vertically so that the prawns are cooked just enough to retain its succulent texture.
You will also find Sang-Ha Noodles served with some kailan vegetables on the side to help with cleansing the palate after ingesting all the heavy flavours. If you have Sang-Ha Noodle as a main dish, you’ll find that several Chinese side dishes such as fried cuttlefish, prawn rolls and bean curds mix well with the noodle’s special flavours.
History of Sang-Ha Noodles
Sang Ha Noodles is a well-known dish in Malaysia, and not many other countries in Southeast Asia prepare this exquisite dish.
However, there is no doubt that the noodle dish has some Cantonese influence from the way the gravy and the noodles are prepared. As mentioned above, the preparation method for Sang-Ha Noodles slightly resembles that of Cantonese hor fun and Cantonese fried noodles.
The similar gravy preparation style almost exclusive to Chinese cuisines also indicates the origin of Sang-Ha Noodles back to traditional Chinese cooking methods involving corn starch.
Types of Sang-Ha Noodles
While the typical plate of Sang-Ha Noodles is served with egg-based gravy, you may also find a dry version which is known as the Har Lok Mee. If you prefer your noodles dry, you will enjoy how the gravy and meat are served separately with Har Lok Mee. Usually, this dish would be a little spicy, contrasting with Sang-Ha Noodles, which are purely savoury.
Want a similar dish but on a much, much tighter budget? You can try Hokkien Mee which is served with small prawns! You can also opt for hor fun noodles instead of the normal yee mee noodles, but not all places would provide noodle choices to their customers. This is done to preserve the dish’s speciality.
Where to Find Sang-Ha Noodles in Malaysia
Craving Sang-Ha Noodles? Then you absolutely have to try the ones served at Pan Heong Restaurant in Batu Caves! Alternatively, if you’re looking to enjoy this food from the comforts of your home, you can get Sang-Ha Noodles delivered straight to your door from Champs (Kuala Lumpur) on foodpanda.