Mie ayam

Mie ayam, also referred to as mi ayam or bakmi ayam, is a cherished Indonesian dish showcasing seasoned yellow wheat noodles topped with tender, diced chicken. With roots in Chinese cuisine, this dish is a staple in Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia. In Indonesia, mie ayam is ubiquitous, found everywhere from bustling street vendors to cozy restaurants.

Preparing mie ayam is a delightful process. Begin by boiling yellow wheat noodles until they reach perfect al dente. Then, toss the noodles with a mixture of cooking oil, soy sauce, and garlic. The chicken is prepared separately, cooked with soy sauce, garlic, and sometimes mushrooms, creating a savory topping that is placed over the noodles. To finish, a sprinkle of chopped spring onions adds a fresh touch. Typically, mie ayam is served with a side of chicken broth, boiled Chinese cabbage, wontons (either crispy or in soup), and meatballs. For those observing halal dietary restrictions, the dish is often prepared with halal chicken fat or vegetable oil.

To enhance your mie ayam experience, you can add a variety of condiments. Popular choices include salted preserved vegetables, fried shallots, leeks, fried dumpling skins, pickled cucumber, bird's eye chili, sambal, and tomato ketchup. There are two main versions of mie ayam: savory/salty noodles (mie asin) and sweet noodles (mie manis or mie yamin), the latter having a darker hue due to sweet soy sauce. Additionally, variations exist that use different types of noodles, like rice vermicelli (bihun) or flat noodles (kwetiau), instead of the traditional yellow wheat noodles.

In Indonesia, you will also encounter chicken noodle variants such as kwetiau ayam and bihun ayam, which follow similar preparation methods but use different noodles. Meanwhile, in Singapore, a classic version of chicken noodles might include curry powder in the stock, oyster sauce, green onions, fish dumplings, and mushrooms, adding a unique twist to this beloved dish.