Sang Har Mee: The Crispiest Prawn Noodles from Malaysia
Sang Har Mee (生虾面/生虾生面), also known as Sang Har Sang Mee or Fresh River Prawn Noodles, is a unique noodle dish that can be found in Malaysia. Sang Har Mee showcases the culinary techniques of Cantonese cooking, combining frying, boiling, and stir-frying with its use of premium ingredients, making it one of the most expensive noodle dishes in Malaysia.
The name Sang Har Mee translates to “fresh prawn noodles,” and the dish lives up to its name with its star ingredient: fresh river prawns, or dai tou har (大头虾). These prawns are prized for their succulent meat and rich, creamy roe (虾膏), which adds depth and umami to the dish. The more roe the prawns have, the more flavourful and visually stunning the dish becomes. The prawns are typically halved and cooked with their shells on, allowing their natural sweetness and aroma to infuse into the thick broth.
Another hallmark of Sang Har Mee is its crispy noodle base. The dish traditionally uses egg noodles called sang meen (生面), which is also used predominantly in wonton noodles. The noodles are first deep-fried to achieve a golden, crunchy texture, creating a perfect contrast to the rich, velvety sauce that will be poured over them. As the sauce soaks into the noodles, some parts remain crispy, while others soften slightly, resulting in a mix of textures—crispy, crunchy, chewy, slippery and tender all at once.
Apart from the prawns and the noodles, the sauce is also where the magic happens. To prepare it, the river prawns (with their roe) are stir-fried with ginger in hot oil to release their natural prawn flavours. This is followed by the addition of Chinese cooking wine, along with stock, seasonings, and other ingredients to create a rich, aromatic broth. Lastly, the sauce is thickened with a cornstarch slurry and egg, giving it a thick, glossy finish. This flavourful sauce is then generously poured over the crispy noodles, allowing them to soak up all the prawn-infused goodness.
Sang Har Mee is most commonly found in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, where Cantonese-style restaurants and eateries are abundant. These establishments often pride themselves on using the freshest prawns, and making their own noodles and stock. While it is more prevalent in these areas, Sang Har Mee can occasionally be found in other parts of Malaysia, particularly in Chinese restaurants that offer dishes made with fresh river prawns. Depending on the types, sizes and quantity of river prawns used, this noodle dish could get up to RM200 each.
