Singapore｜Nam Sing Hokkien Fried Mee

Arrived at this Michelin Bib Gourmand Friend Hokkien Mee stall at Old Airport Road Hawker Centre at 10.49am. Was already #8 in the queue and #3 was the next to be served. As I am not a big fan of the drier version of Fried Hokkien Mee, I only ordered the small portion at $5.00. Got my noodles at 10.49am so only a 10 minute wait. You may ask why even 10 minutes wait for only 5 customers in front. Apparently they have to prepare a lot of take away orders. Packets after packets. In between they will cover the dine in orders. First thing that stuck me beside the dryness of the noodles is that they use the thinner version of bee hoon. But this worked to their advantage as it was more capable of soaking up the umami rich flavours of the prawn stock. The other thing that I found unique was that they provide sliced chilli instead of chilli sauce. This I did not appreciate as much as it just imparted a raw spiciness to the noodles and I missed the savoury spicy chilli sauce that I am so used to. What I did appreciate was the smokiness and little charred bits of noodles which you will not get from the wet versions. For $5, you get three halves of prawns (tail on) and a few rather large slices of squid. But no lard or sliced pork which was a disappointment because if I am going to risk the calories and the cholesterol, there better be lard and pork in sinful amounts. Overall not bad but not my top favourite for reasons above.

I’m I have been wanting to eat this but was always deterred by the long queue. It is not bad but for the hype and seemingly long queue all the time, it somehow did not wow me. I feel the umami of the prawn broth did not quite come out, no noticeable wok hey, and the chilli is the cut type and not the usually acidic garlicky chilli. But I must say it is quite balanced overall and the texture of the noodle is what I like.

The Hokkien Mee trail continues, and I often wonder if I'll ever grow tired of it. But when it tastes as good as this, I can keep going. This legendary hawker center at Old Airport Road offers a wide array of fantastic food, not just Hokkien Mee. To be honest, I've been here many times before, but never specifically for Hokkien Mee. It was only after conducting more research to find the best Hokkien Mee in Singapore that I discovered this gem. Now, let me tell you, this Hokkien Mee is in a league of its own. It might sound strange, but when I go out for some Hokkien Mee, there are certain things I expect. No air conditioning, an elderly uncle manning the stall, and cleanliness not necessarily being a top priority in Hokkien Mee establishments. However, this place defied those expectations. It was impeccably clean from start to finish. The stall was well-organized, with bright lights illuminating the area. The dish was beautifully presented on the plate, and the taste was nothing short of amazing. While there could have been a bit more char on the noodles to enhance the wokhei flavor, it still tasted fantastic to me. The noodles had a perfect balance of moistness and dryness. Instead of sambal, they served cut chilis with soy sauce, which was decent but not exceptional. However, overall, this plate of Hokkien Mee brought so much to the table. It has easily become my second favorite Hokkien Mee in Singapore, and in terms of price point and cleanliness, it claims the number one spot in my heart. Oh, and don't forget to bring cash. They only accept cash payments at this establishment.