This Hong Kong café classic is a comforting breakfast dish featuring macaroni in a light chicken broth, topped with crispy fried spam and a golden fried egg. Simple yet satisfying, it’s a perfect example of cha chaan teng fusion cuisine.
Cuisine
Chinese
Time
30 mins
Servings
2 people
Ingredients
150g macaroni
4–5 slices spam
2 eggs
1 spring onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 thumb-sized ginger, sliced
Handful lettuce leaves
Vegetable oil
The Soup Base
500ml chicken stock
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
Method
1. Bring a pot of water to the boil and cook macaroni for 8–10 minutes, then drain.
2. Heat a pan with oil and fry ginger, garlic and spring onion until fragrant.
3. Pour in chicken stock, oyster sauce and soy sauce, then bring to a boil.
4. Simmer for 5 minutes to develop flavour.
5. Add lettuce to the soup and cook briefly for 10–20 seconds, then remove.
6. Heat oil in a pan and fry spam slices until golden and crispy.
7. In the same pan, fry eggs until crispy underneath with a runny yolk.
8. Place cooked macaroni into serving bowls.
9. Pour hot soup over the macaroni.
10. Top with lettuce, crispy spam and fried egg.
11. Garnish with spring onions.
12. Serve immediately while piping hot.
School of Wok Tips
• Use good quality chicken stock for the best flavour.
• Fry spam until crisp for texture contrast.
• Keep egg yolk runny for richness.
• Add lettuce last to keep a slight crunch.
FAQs
What is a cha chaan teng?
A Hong Kong café serving Western-influenced comfort food.
Why use spam?
It’s a nostalgic, popular topping in Hong Kong diner dishes.
Can I use other pasta?
Yes, but macaroni is traditional for this dish.
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