Warong Pak Sapari (Bukit Timah)

Another new entrance to Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand for this year. There’s already a queue when I came early morning on weekend, which would get even longer as the sun rise up.

One of the highlights would be their mee soto that is so strong with the broth, and it could get spicy and addictive with the taste.

Comes with sliced chicken pieces and yellow noodles. I recommend to add on a piece of potato cutlet to complete your meal.

A very ordinary bowl of mee rebus insofar its ingredients and its look. But it's not ordinary, due to its gravy, which was a class above the rest.

Head on over to Adam's Road Food Centre for the ultimate comfort food — Mee Soto Ayam ($3.50). Think aromatic, thick and flavourful broth with shredded chicken and yellow noodles with good bite, garnished with shallots and coriander. Add a Begedil ($1) and sambal kicap for extra oomphf. Also good is their sweet and savoury Tenderloin and Stomach Soup (S$8.50) that goes great with white rice.
Photo by Burppler Denise Ong

With reviews touting it as "unbeatable" and "unparalleled" in Singapore, I have to come try it for myself to see whether they really live up to those claims.

I was there an hour earlier before the lunch crowd arrive so there were only a couple of people in the queue which cleared pretty fast. When it came to my turn, I ordered a bowl of mee soto ($3.50) and added a bergedil ($1).

After receiving my order, I scooped two tablespoons of sambal kicap into my bowl for the extra kick.

My bowl of yellow noodles is topped with shredded chicken, fried shallots, coriander and of course my precious bergedil.

While the color of the broth may not seem the least appetising, it is richly flavored and aromatic. I find the taste of star anise slightly overpowering though.

The sambal kicap is one of the most potent ones I have come across and it certainly added some dimensions to the flavors. I normally have a high tolerance for chili but this is my first time having beads of sweat rolling off my forehead as I eat.

As for the bergedil, it is firm and did not fall apart despite being half submerged in the broth. According to my research, the bergedil was selling for $0.50 a piece in 2016. Two years on and price have since doubled to a dollar. Damn inflation!

So, is this mee soto as formidable as they say?

In my opinion, no.

Without a doubt, this is still one of the better ones among those that I have tried but I have had better ones.

I’ve never been a fan of mee rebus because I’ve always found the gravy to be thick and tasteless but this totally proved me wrong.

When it first came, I was like that’s sauce overload, a bit too much for breakfast, but couldn’t stop slurping after the first taste. The gravy was right amount of flavour and spiciness & completed every item well.

I am glad I went for this because I couldn’t bear to eat Selera Nasi Lemak after the disappointing meal. I will come back for this mee rebus again!!

This has always been my go-to stall for Mee Soto. I chanced upon this gem by accident and everytime I've introduced this stall to someone new, they never fail to have that amazed look once they take their first bite. I'll say that it is not as amazing as it used to be when the old lady was doing it, but still hits the spot when you're craving it.