1. Soak the bee hoon (rice vermicelli) in water for 30 minutes. Drain, loosen, and set aside.
2. Prepare the Chilli Paste.
3. Heat up 75ml oil in a pan.
4. Add the blended shallots, garlic, and belacan. Stir-fry until fragrant.
5. Add 30g sugar, 2 tsp chicken powder, and 30g tau cheo (fermented soybean paste).
6. Stir-fry until the mixture is well cooked and fragrant. Set aside.

Cooking the Mee Siam

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in an Instant Dutch Oven or a large wok.
2. Add Sauce A ingredients (tau cheo, chilli paste, pan-fried dry prawns) along with the diced tau pok. Stir-fry until well mixed.
3. Add Sauce B (prawn stock, assam paste, water, lime juice, and sugar). Bring to a boil.
4. Add the bee hoon to the sauce mixture and stir well with chopsticks until everything is evenly mixed.
5. Stir in the bean sprouts and cook over high heat until fully incorporated and cooked through.

Serving

1. Transfer the fried bee hoon to a large serving plate.
2. Garnish with sliced hard-boiled eggs, cooked prawns, diced ku chai, chopped chilli, and small limes.
3. Serve immediately.