Yue Lai Xiang Delights at Sin Ming

Joy Yeo, 40, the owner, used to be working as a marketing specialist in printing house before started a hawker stall to serve Hakka style handmade noodle dishes. She first started in a food centre at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 then moved to Jurong West Hawker Centre for a short while before moving to Sin Ming AutoCity then to Block 22 Sin Ming Road recently. Jessie Lee, 62, her mother is helping out at the stall, too.

Their handmade noodles are different, other than the original noodles, there is also the flavored noddles in 4 different colors for different flavors, starting from blue pea, beetroot, spinach, and pumpkin for the ban mian, you mian and mee hoon kueh. Those doughs are made fresh daily. Everything is made from scratch there based on her recipes, from the noodles to the soup base after experimented with various ingredients. I ordered the blue pea mee hoon kueh and beetroot mee hoon kueh, $4.50 for soup and $5.50 for dry with the standard broth. There is also the Premium bowl, it is $7 for original noodles and $8 for flavored noodles.

I tried the blue pea mee hoon kueh first, it did not seem to have much flavor though the texture is slightly softer and smoother. It was served with crispy ikan bilis, sliced pork, minced pork, poached egg, and sayur mani greens, topped with the dried shallots. My dining companion agreed that those pieces of mee hoon kueh did not have a distinctive flavor. The house-made chilli sauce that made of chilli padi, lime juice, vinegar, and minced garlic is a good dipping sauce.

The broth is made up of dried sole fish, pork bones, sweet corn, ikan bilis and garlic without artificial flavoring and MSG. Those pieces of mee hoon kueh were hand-torn upon receiving orders. 

Then, I tried the beetroot mee hoon kueh, mixed it well with the sauce underneath. I could not taste any distinctive taste as well but it was cooked to al-dente for a slightly firmer texture as compared to the blue pea mee hoon kueh. The sambal chilli enhanced it with a richer and spicier flavor though not overly so. I prefer the dry version, the colored mee hoon kueh lends a lovely pinkish hue to the soup. 

It tasted simple with a homecooked feel. I would not mind eating again if I happen to be in the vicinity. 

YUE LAI XIANG DELIGHTS
Block 22 Sin Ming Road #01-224 Food Trail SINGAPORE 570022
Operating Hours: 7.30 am to 4.30 pm (Daily)

Madam Leong 板面 : Hakka-style Ban Mian

Vivian Leong, 43, started her stall in October 2015 in a coffee shop at Holland Close, serving Hakka-style ban mian. Ban Mian is a common noodle dish consisting of handmade noodles, served dry or in soup. She is a single mother with a teenage daughter. And, she decided to turn her passion for cooking into reality and making a living out of it, this has given her hope. Life has never been a bed of roses for her and at a certain point, she even contemplated the thought of ending her own life when she was left feeling depressed and abandoned after an unwanted divorce in 2012. She was jobless and penniless then but the pleading of her daughter brought her to her senses. She started working as a Kitchen Assistant before eventually opened her own stall after she met a kind owner of a coffee shop that offered her a stall with no deposit. She has recently moved her stall to Amoy Street Food Centre about 2 weeks ago.

I was greeted by the smiley Vivian. She actually looks much younger than her age. She asked, "What do you want to eat?" Her bubbliness was quite infectious. I pointed to the picture of the  Dry Chilli Ban Mian with a "Must Try" printed on it and said, "This. Can I add braised pork to it?" She said, "Can but not worth it." I asked, "Why?" She replied, "You have to pay an extra $2." I decided to order it. When she just started, there were only the soup and the dry ban mian but there are Mee Hoon Kueh (dry/soup) ($4/$5), Dry Chilli Ban Mian ($4.5/$5.50), Ban Mian ($4/$5), Braised Pork with Black Fungus ($5/$6) and Tom Yum Chicken Ban Mian ($5/$6) on the menu now.

While she was cooking, I asked, "Why did you move from Holland Close to here? The coffee shop is quite quiet, right? I used to stay around there." I also asked, "The business is much better here?" She smiled and said, "Much better. The queue is really long during lunch." I asked, "Why did you decide to start a stall in that coffee shop?" She said, "I used to stay at that block." I asked, "Where did you move to?" She answered, "I moved to Clementi." I said, "Why you did not move the stall there? That food centre is always crowded." She replied, "The rental is not cheap." I was surprised and asked, "I thought the rental would be equally expensive in this food centre. The rental should be more than $3,000?" she nodded. I said, "It is not easy to be a hawker, right?" She smiled and replied, "I am used to it and that is why I am always happy every day." I told her, "You have added me on Facebook lately." She asked, "Oh, What is your name? I have added a few friends recently." When she served the ban mian, she said, "Hope you enjoy it. Thank you, Cecilia"

Vivian is originated from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and moved to Singapore after she got married. Her ban mian is towards the Malaysia style and is different from the others here. She did not even serve it with an egg when she just started and will only add it in upon request as it is not common for ban mian to serve with egg in Malaysia. She is using a traditional recipe that passed down her mother. She is hoping to share it by cooking for her customers. The noodles are made fresh daily with no MSG or preservatives added.

She is still cooking with love and passion. When you do it with your heart, it just tasted different. Each bowl of lovingly cooked ban mian consists of a few pieces of braised meat, mushrooms, minced meat with a poached egg then garnished with dried shallots and ikan bilis, tossed with the dark soya sauce and the homemade sambal belachan. It has a home-cooked taste and the ingredients tasted fresh, the noodles were cooked well to the right firmness and springiness. It was served along with the special homemade sambal belachan.

Go support and try her ban mian if you happen to be in this food centre. 

MADAM LEONG 板面

7 Maxwell Road #02-109 Amoy Street Food Centre SINGAPORE 069111

Operating Hours: 8.00 am to 3.00 pm (Closed on Sundays)

Hui Wei Chilli Ban Mian at Geylang Bahru Food Centre

This was one of the stalls that with a queue when I visited on a Sunday for lunch. This is one of the stalls originally from this food centre before the renovation and they moved to Toa Payoh for a while before moving back to here again. The options on the menu include Fuzhou Fishball Noodle ($3.50/$5.00), Meatball Handmade Noodle ($3.50/$5.00), Abalone Clam La Mian ($5.00/$7.00), Seafood Tom Yum La Mian ($4.50/$6.00), Mee Hoon Kueh ($4.00/$6.00), Signature Chilli Ban Mian ($4.00/$6.00), Signature Soup ($12.00) and more. 

I remember eating Chilli Ban Mian when I was in Kuala Lumper, Malaysia and so I decided to go with the smaller portion of their Signature Ban Mian. A substantial portion of ban mian was served with meatballs, braised minced meat, poached egg accompanied with ikan belis, fried shallots, and lard. I tossed it lightly to mix the nicely cooked noodles with the dark sauce and chilli. And, the spiciness of the chilli is not to be underestimated and so, go easy with it.

HUI WEI CHILLI BAN MIAN

Block 69 Geylang Bahru #01-58 Geylang Bahru Food Centre SINGAPORE 330069

Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 9.00 pm (Daily)

Yuan Ji Traditional Handmade Noodle at Yishun Park Hawker Centre

This was one of those stalls that were opened on a Monday and I decided to try it due to limited choices. The hawker centre was rather empty during lunch. 

I did not go for their signature beetroot and pumpkin noodles but their Soup Ban Mian at $3.80, the dry version is available at $4.50. I was their only customer at that time so I did not have to wait too long for it to be ready. It was served with a good portion of handmade ban mian with meatballs, sliced mushroom, vegetable and ikan belis. This was a comforting choice though not the best that I ever tasted. 

YUAN JI TRADITIONAL HANDMADE NOODLES

51 Yishun Avenue 11 #01-18 Yishun Park Hawker Centre SINGAPORE 768867

Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 9.30 pm (Daily)

Poon Nah City Home Made Noodle : Not My Number 1 Ban Mian

If you ask for a recommendation for homemade noodle commonly known as Ban Mian, this particular one is usually amongst one of the recommendations. Some even listed it as one of the best in Singapore if is not the best. I have heard about them but i have not been to this part of Singapore much so never have a chance to try it so far. When i was supposed to visit an old coffee shop in Geylang, i made an effort to come here for lunch. 

They are located at the food court at level 5 of City Plaza. You could choose from their 8 different types of noodles than paired it with sliced fish, prawns, kidney, fish maw and even clams. After some thoughts, i went with their ban mian with prawns, the dry and the soup version at $ 3 each. After ordering, i was issued a buzzer for food collection later and it took slightly more than 5 minutes before it buzzed.

They do offer some deep fried items to go with their noodles, i tried their fried beancurd, fried ngor hiang and fried fish balls amongst the others like luncheon meat and more. Since it did not taste too special, i would rather just skip it but it did taste nice when eaten with their spicy chilli.

Their soup You Mian consists of a good portion of noodles, served with prawns, sliced mushroom, minced meat, vegetables and ikan belis. Perhaps it has to do with my expectations as i did not find anything too special of this bowl of noodles. The texture of noodles was just right with a slight springiness and not overly soft but the soup did not have much flavor.

The choice of noodles for the dry version was Ban Mian, it was a slightly better choice than the You Mian that i had for the soup one. It was served with the same ingredients but added with their dark sauce. To start, i tossed it a little to mix the dark sauce well with the Ban Mian together with the chilli underneath. The Ban Mian was cooked just right for an al-dente texture with a firmness and chewiness. It tasted nice though not too impressive as i had eaten better one than this. 

Overall, i do not think i like it enough to just come specifically for it. I might just eat it again if i happen to be in the vicinity with no other better option.

POON NAH CITY HOME MADE NOODLE

810 Geylang Road #05-02 City Plaza SINGAPORE 409286

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 8.00 pm (Closed on Alternate Saturdays)

Seletar Sheng Mian . Mian Fen Guo : My Comfort Food

This stall is amongst one of the 2 stalls have got a constant queue and the queue usually get longer during lunch though the waiting time is not as long as expected as the service is pretty prompt. They used to be in Seletar for about 15 years before moving to this location in 2011.

They offer Sheng Mian and Mian Fen Guo in soup and dry version for $3 and above. Most of the regulars usually go for their Mian Fen Guo, commonly known as Mee Hoon Kueh. This is a homely dish that my late Grandpa used to cook for us. If you wonder what exactly is Mee Hoon Kueh, it is  a type of hand pulled noodles made using flour, egg, water and salt. You mixed everything together, knead it, left the dough to settle before tear it, pieces by pieces and drop them into the broth then add in desired ingredients like vegetable, minced meat and egg to cook together and topped it with ikan belis and deep-fried shallots to serve.

The dry Mee Hoon Kueh is my comfort food, something that i would usually crave for when i stay away from Singapore for a while. It is the comforting aspect of this simple dish that always warms my heart. It is a personal preference as i think they serve one of the better dry Mee Hoon Kueh that i ever eaten. 

Just tossed it slightly to mix the chilli and the sauce well, a bowl of delightful Mee Hoon Kuen awaits.

There is another stall run by the owner's brother at the food centre in Toa Payoh Lorong 8. There is a certain similarity in taste with the usual long queue. If you happen to be here and wanting something different, this might be of your liking if you do not mind joining the queue.

SELETAR SHENG MIAN . MIAN FEN GUO

Block 226H Ang Mo Kio Street 22 #01-07 Keban Baru Food Centre SINGAPORE 560226

Operating Hours: 6.00 am to 2.30 pm (irregular off-days)

Kin Kin Chilli Pan Mee

I was there on a rainy weekday slightly after lunch at Kin Kin Chilli Pan Mee. For those that been to Kuala Lumper should be quite familiar with this famous brand supposedly to be the creator of this signature Chilli Pan Mee. I tasted once and it was good then though it did not left much impression.

No queue is spotted when i was there. There were only a few tables occupied at that moment. I went to the counter to place the order for a bowl of their signature dry Pan Mee ($5.00) and a bowl of the soup Pan Mee ($5.00). Pan Mee is the handmade noodle that commonly known as Ban Mian in Singapore.

I ordered a bottle of Water Chestnut for $1.80 to go along. I did not think of it too highly initially but i ended up liking it quite a lot. The level of sweetness was just right with a likeable taste of water chestnut. 

It was delivered to the table in about 5 minutes. The presentation reminded me of the one in Kuala Lumper. A good portion of handmade noodle served with handful of ikan belis and braised minced meat together with a poached egg and 3 pieces of meat balls.

The soup version served with the same amount of ingredients. I felt the soup version might not really worth the $5. It tasted just like those soup Ban Mian commonly available here but for lesser ingredients and a higher price. It tasted rather simple thus it is not recommendable.

The Signature Chilli Pan Mee is a good try as you could not find this anywhere in Singapore. The bottle of dry chilli is available in every table for self-service.

The chilli flakes is slowly roasted to acquire the desired taste and flavor to serve along with the Pan Mee. You may delightfully add in as many spoonful of these painstakingly prepared chilli flakes in accordance to your liking in the level of spiciness. 

After added in the chilli then you are expected to break the poached egg then mixed it together with the chilli flakes, the noodle and the ingredients.

The noodle changed from the boring white color to the beautifully bright red after a good toss. The chilli flakes did not taste as oily as expected though and it did not taste too spicy as well. The level of spiciness was rather mild though distinctive as a result of 3 spoonfuls added. The aftertaste is not as intense too.

And, the texture of noodle was not as good as the one in Kuala Lumper. It lumped together too quickly and it required a little effort to mix it well.

The meat balls did not taste too special. It tasted just like those available in the Supermarkets with pretty little surprises.

So, is this supposedly famous Pan Mee to be overpriced and overhyped? i would very much think so. I would not pay the $5 for the soup one but would readily pay the same for the dry one to eat it with those chilli flakes added as it is only available right here. But, i would not travel all the way here though and i am definitely would not queue too long to eat it.

Having tried the original one in Kuala Lumper once, i would think it tasted pretty authentic particularly the taste of chilli flakes is quite alike. I do not think this is the best Ban Mien in Singapore though it tasted pretty unique. 

The shop is located within walking distance from the Tai Seng MRT station. 

KIN KIN CHILLI PAN MEE 建记辣椒板面

534 Macpherson Road SINGAPORE 368220

A must try for Dry Ban Mien fan.

This handmade noodle stall caught my attention when i was there for dinner. There was just another customer right there but i still decided to try it nonetheless. I ordered a bowl of dry ban mian for only $3.

I stepped back to take a picture of the stall. A voice was asking me from behind. The male voice asked, 'Why are you taking picture?'. I ignored it at first and continued taking the picture. He asked again, 'Why are you taking the picture?' I turned and saw a big man in white shirt seated at the chair near the railing. I smiled then said, 'I am doing a food review.' He did not ask any further.

I only realised that man might be the owner of the stall when he proceeded to help out at the stall later on.

I collected my bowl of dry ban mien and moved to my table.

A good portion of ban mien was served with ingredients like minced pork, ikan belis, vegetable and bits of egg. I was asked whether i want it with meatballs and i said yes. I paid an extra 0.50 cents for the 2 pieces of meatballs added.

The soup was not as flavorful as expected. If this is the same soup base used for the soup version of their noodles then i am glad that i did not order it.

The chilli made up of the blended chilli with red cut chilli. It tasted good when added into my dry ban mien. The level of spiciness is acceptable.

I wasted a bit of time to take pictures. When i was about to toss it. The ban mien has already clumped together. It took quite a bit of efforts to toss it well without breaking the noodle.

There was a pool of dark sauce underneath the noodle. It actually tasted nice. The texture of ban mien has got a likable springiness and a desirable chewiness. The dark sauce mainly consists of dark soya sauce did not taste too saltish as well.

The meatballs tasted good though not outstanding. I would not mind adding it as i do prefer to have it as extra ingredients.

This picture was taken after i done eating. The queue was getting longer. There was at least 10 people waited in queue then. The tip is to come early to avoid long queuing time.

This is one of the better dry ban mien that i ever eaten. A must try for dry ban mien fan like myself.

HE JIA HUAN BAN MIAN - MEE HOON KWAY

Block 75 Toa Payoh Lorong 5

Toa Payoh Lorong 5 Food Centre #01-14

SINGAPORE 310075.