Hot take: ragù pasta is just Italian zha jiang mian (minced meat noodles). Think about it folks, both involve a meaty sauce that flavours and lubricates springy noodles. Now for my common knowledge take: Shi Xiang Ge at Bishan Bus Interchange serves the best zha jiang mian in all of Singapore.⠀
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Six bucks flat will get you a pretty hefty bowl of freshly made la mian with a decent amount of minced meat sauce ladled over it. The minced meat is reinforced by little tofu cubes, turning it into an extra meaty mapo tofu. The black bean sauce that the minced pork & tofu had been simmered in was stunningly savoury, and the deep umami of the fermented black beans were balanced out by subtle sweetness and just a little hit of spice from the chili oil added into the noodles.⠀
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The mouthwatering minced meat sauce was more than sufficient to coat every last strand of handmade la mian, and a thorough tossing coats the springy, thin noodles with all that unctuous deliciousness. Every element in this simple yet stellar bowl of noodles were perfect, from the marvellous meat sauce, to the perfectly cooked & QQ noodles, and the julienned cucumbers to offset the rich, salty flavours of the meat sauce.⠀
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Shi Xiang Ge’s Minced Meat La Mian doesn’t mince around, it’s a straightforward yet sublime bowl of comfort food that’s guaranteed to satisfy your palate, your stomach and your wallet.