Loco For Local

If you're a westie, this store would have definitely popped up on your radar, or have been somewhere you already frequent!

Located within an industrial estate (although near some HDB blocks), Ah Hua Teochew Noodles serves up a zhng-ed up version of your usual fishball noodles.

Their version comes with prawn balls (with tobiko too) which adds another flavour option to the meal! You'd know everything is handmade based on the odd sizes that each ball comes in, which is a major plus for me given many fishball noodles stores these days serve machine made ones.

Their noodles are also well-cooked and has a great balance of chilli with that added savoury note with bak chor (minced pork) added on top!

Having heard how great this store is from my friends & having a hubs who is a huge fan of BCM, we knew we had to make this trip down to try out No. 25 Minced Meat Noodle.

We visited the store on a Sat late morning (11am) & was greeted with a short queue, which is perfect having heard how long queues can get at lunch hour.

I ordered the simplest option of Minced Meat Noodle Dry & the owner asked if I could take spice & chilli padi to which I replied, sure & she said she'd make their special for me! I felt like I was in for a treat & boy, was it real special!

Their concoction of sauces is amped up with bits of chilli padi in it, giving you that spicy kick without the usual sambal sweetness, packing a whole lot of punch to every spoonful! Definitely something unique & a must try if you like your noodles fry & with chilli!

Located within Food Junction on Level 4, Wang Ha Ha Prawn Noodle used to be at Beo Crescent Food Centre & have relocated over to NEX.

With the indoor air-conditioned setting, they are able to charge a slight premium, but that doesn't mean that it lacks quality as well!

The prawn broth is thick and orange-y due to the number of prawns & head shells that has been cooked to give that next level umami flavours in every spoonful. The huge tiger prawns are extremely fresh & succulent & are cooked in the prawn broth before serving, ensuring that there's no waste in flavour.

Pair with your favourite option of noodles, this satisfying bowl albeit expensive is worth every penny with its amazing broth!

With the original store in Toa Payoh receiving the Michelin Bib Gourmand 2022, LiXin Teochew Fishball Noodles has multiple outlets/franchise all across our island. If travelling to Toa Payoh is a trouble, you can get the same bowl of noodles in the west at Bukit Batok!

The same springy fishballs are available and perfectly cooked kway teow with chilli! They have the option of Bak Chor too but I love just plain ol' fishballs that bounces it's way into your mouth.

If you prefer the traditional option, then have a go at their Signature Mee Pok with Superior Soup ($5.50). The noodles are cooked separately as a dry noodle with the same ingredients as the former bowl of noodles, while the soup is cooked as an individual portion as well. In a boiling pot of pork broth, minced meat, lean pork, her giao & handmade fishballs are being thrown in and boiled before being served. What you get is a flavourful bowl of cloudy porky goodness with loads of ingredients.

We had a go at their Seafood Ikura Pork Noodles ($6) which was a simple bowl elevated with a spoonful of ikura. The egg noodles has a springy bite to it while being tossed in a mixture of chilli, vinegar and the minced pork sauce that the minced pork is being stewed in. Sitting on top of these noodles are lean pork slices, prawns, her giao (fish paste dumplings), minced pork and a scoop of ikura. What the ikura does is to add in that burst of the ocean, adding on to the savoury spoonful of noodles that you have.

Located at ABC Hawker along Bukit Merah, Fatty Cheong is the go-to if you're craving for some really good char siew!

The char siew is the perfect glistening caramelised fatty strips of pork with crispy charred edges that's second to none. The shao rou/siu yoke has the best crackling skin that's oh so crunchy with a nice tender bite to the meat. Paired with your choice of rice or egg noodles, it's no wonder that you'd spot a long queue whenever you visit!

If you're a fan of curry chicken noodles, you'd have tried / known / eaten at Heng Kee Curry Chicken at Hong Lim Market before.

This old-school curry noodles store still gets long queues during the peak periods which is really encouraging as they've downsized and now only owns 1 storefront.

Having not gone back for a long time, I felt that the curry noodles were a tad bit underwhelming as compared to what I remembered it to be. The broth was thinner than usual & seemed to be lacking in flavour. Even after adding in the extra load of chilli, it didn't bring back the kick that I once raved about. Ingredients wise seemed to have shrunk too, likely due to the shortage of chickens & the rising costs of ingredients as well. Prices have also climbed to a minimum of $6 instead.

Nonetheless, it is still something to try if you're in the area for some nostalgia.

Spotted a new store that opened at Beauty World Food Centre & decided to give it a try! Serving up only wonton mee, we ordered their Signature version which comes with both fried & boiled wontons, with a side of braised mushrooms & minced meat (kinda like 卤肉) as well as thinly sliced char siew.

It does give a nostalgic kinda vibe with those thinly sliced char siew, but flavour wise, it was slightly sweet but well-balanced nonetheless.

For the wonton fillings, it was packed with minced pork & slightly peppery, but tastes great when paired with everything together.

Changing the scene of Mee Hoon Kway, aka freshly pulled dough slices, Jiak Song has popped up all over our tiny island and bringing in a fresh perspective of this simple dish.

Easily one of my go-to dishes when I'm not sure what to get, these hand pulled slices are perfectly cooked, with that slight chew which makes it extremely enjoyable. Pair it with minced pork, handmade juicy pork balls, crispy ikan bilis & dark soy sauce-this dish is simple yet extremely satisfying.

Also to add, their soup is on a whole other level. The first scoop sends you to wok hei heaven with that charcoal-ed taste tingling every corner of your tastebud. They also crack an egg into your soup, giving you that silky egg texture with every spoonful.

If you haven't heard, the popular Jin Xi Lai (Mui Siong) Minced Pork Noodles has opened another outlet in the west!

Known to have snaking long queues at their original outlet at Veerasamy Road starting at 7.30am in the morning, this coffee shop alternative for those who live in the west would save you that trip down!

Located within the 7th Mile Coffee Shop, a 10 minutes walk from Beauty World MRT, the consistency of the noodles & liver (in my husband's words) are perfection 💯

This outlet now offers the option of having a whole bowl of liver soup at $5 instead of having to add it on. Their usual bowl (pictured) at $4.50 comes with thick succulent slices of liver, minced pork & pork slices in their cloudy flavourful bowl of broth. Their signature broth is a perfect blend of liver & fatty pork, encouraging you to finish every last drop of soup as you go through your noodles.

If you are a HUGE fan of liver, this is a place to visit. Don't say I bojio 😉

🍴From Our Pockets
🛑 👫🏻👨‍👩‍👧‍👦👯
💲 $
⭐️ ☆☆☆☆☆
📍Jin Xi Lai (Mui Siong) Minced Pork Noodles, 7th Mile Coffeeshop, Blk 18 Toh Yi Drive #01-97
🚇 Beauty World

This old neighbourhood's hawker centre has been around for years & their iconic L-shaped hawker centre is a hidden gem with loads of good food!

One such dish is the Char Kway Teow from Meng Kee. Stir-fried upon order, the amount of wok hey in each bite feel like a heart clogging experience, yet worth it (okay maybe not, but you get it).

The well-cooked noodles are tossed with black sweet sauce and fried over large flames to give that smokey scent and flavour, adding that char and making this a must-have dish.