Chuan Bee Lor Mee

With famous food like Outram Park fried kway teow, Tuck Kee crayfish hor fun, Ah Heng and Heng Kee curry noodles which have been featured on local food blogs and forums, Hong Lim Market is certainly a food paradise in Singapore. Today I decided to try Chuan Bee lor mee which was recommended by some food lovers.


I ordered a $3 bowl of lor mee which comes with braised meat, fish cake, fried fish, fish nuggets and fried yam balls. Though thick and savory with a herbal tinge, the gravy seems to be lacking in flavour and does not complement the noodles well enough. I especially like the special fried yam balls that are sweet and crunchy and the fried fish that is fresh and tasty.

While the lunch time crowd at Hong Lim feel that Chuan Bee lor mee is one of the best, it certainly did not live up to my expectations. As taste is subjective, do come down and try it for yourself.

6.5/10

Chuan Bee Lor Mee
Hong Lim Food Centre
Blk 531A Upper Cross Street #02-55

Ji Ji Wanton Noodle Specialist

Winning the highest number of votes in the Straits Times Readers' Choice Favorite Hawkers Poll, Ji Ji Wanton Noodle Specialist at Hong Lim Food Centre must be one of the most delicious wanton mee in Singapore. When I was there for dinner on Friday at 6pm, there was already a relatively long queue.


I ordered a plate of $3 wanton noodle and a bowl of $2 dumpling soup. Topped with fresh cai sim, mushrooms and char siew, the mee pok is springy in consistency and served with sweet and savory dark sauce and chilli paste. The huge prawn dumplings, filled with generous servings of minced meat and prawns, are extremely fleshy and tasty.

Ji Ji Wanton Noodle Specialist is certainly impressive for its fabulous prawn dumplings. I will definitely return for more dumpling soup.

7/10

Ji Ji Wanton Noodle Specialist
Hong Lim Food Centre
Blk 531A Upper Cross Street
#02-49

Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa

This stall at Hong Lim Food Centre named Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa sells both laksa and mee siam with prawns. Although I was fascinated with the idea of mee siam with prawns, I decided to try the laksa which it is famous for.


Somewhat similar to the famous Katong laksa, the flavorful gravy, though more diluted in consistency, is filled with the delightful fragrance of coconut milk and sweetness of dried shrimps. Definitely worthwhile for its price, a bowl of laksa which costs only $3, is topped with generous servings of sliced prawns and fresh cockles.

If you are a fan of Katong laksa, do not miss Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa that is not only more delicious but also more value for money.

7/10

Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa
Hong Lim Food Centre
Blk 531A Upper Cross Street #02-67
Closed on Sundays

Tuck Kee (Ipoh) Crayfish Hor Fun

Hidden in the far corner on the second storey of Hong Lim Food Centre, I would have missed the stall if not for the long queue in front of it. Curious about what is so fantastic about Tuck Kee Crayfish Hor Fun that draws its customers, I decided to join the queue.


A small plate of crayfish hor fun which costs $4.50, comes with 2 pieces of medium halved prawns, 1 piece of large halved prawn and 2 pieces of halved crayfish. Coated with thick mouthwatering gravy that is concentrated with crustacean sweetness, the thin kway teow is extremely flavorful, every mouthful is simply irresistable. The highlight of the Ipoh hor fun is the crayfish of course. Experience the wonderful sensation of de-shelling the crayfish and sinking your teeth into its fleshy meat that is so tender and tasty. The fresh prawns are delightfully sweet and juicy.

In comparison with other Ipoh hor fun with chicken and prawn, Tuck Kee certainly impresses with the special use of crayfish. I will definitely return for more.

7.5/10

Tuck Kee (Ipoh) Sah Ho Fun
Hong Lim Food Centre
#02-41
Singapore 510531
11am to 3pm
Closed on Sunday & Public Holiday

The Old Stall Famous Hokkien Prawn Mee

Just as there are two famous curry mee in Hong Lim Food Centre, there are two famous prawn noodles, both located on the second storey. The first, Ah Hui Big Prawn Noodles, failed to leave a lasting impression, so I went to try the second, The Old Stall Famous Hokkien Prawn Mee today.


I ordered the $5 bowl of prawn noodles with pork ribs. The first thing that catches my attention is the light-coloured soup which seems devoid of dark soya sauce. Even so, the unique soup is very flavorful with the sweet essence of fresh prawns and pork ribs. The delicious noodles are well-complemented by the tasty halved prawns and tender pork ribs.

This is one prawn mee that is not to be missed if you are having lunch at Hong Lim Food Centre. It may not be the best but it is certainly worth a try.

7/10

The Old Stall Famous Hokkien Prawn Mee
Hong Lim Food Centre
531A Upper Cross Street #02-68
Closed on Thursdays

Ah Hui Famous Hokkien Big Prawn Mee

I came across this prawn noodle stall when I was at Hong Lim Food Centre to try Outram Park Fried Kway Teow. As a prawn noodle lover, the temptation is just too great for me to resist.


I ordered a bowl of $5 prawn mee with medium sized prawns. The halved prawns were fresh and sweet. The pork ribs were tasty and tender. The savory soup, though filled with the flavorful essence of prawns and pork ribs, was somewhat disappointing compared to that of other famous prawn noodles I have recommended, lacking in the authentic taste.

Overall this is still one of the more delicious prawn mee in Singapore. Do give it a try if you happen to be at Hong Lim Food Centre.

6.5/10

Ah Hui Famous Hokkien Big Prawn Mee
Hong Lim Food Centre
531A Upper Cross Street #02-61
Singapore 510531
Closed on Wednesdays

Heng Kee Curry Chicken Noodles

Heng Kee Curry Chicken Noodles was recommended by a friend who read my blog post on Ah Heng Curry Chicken Noodles. So there are actually 2 famous curry mee in Hong Lim Food Centre. One on the ground storey, the other on the second. Both have been featured on food blogs and magazines. And both have long queues during lunch time.


When I went for lunch today, I had to queue for around 15 minutes for Heng Kee Curry Chicken Noodles. Hoping that the long wait will be worthwhile, I was rather disappointed by the small bowl of curry noodles which costs $4. The savory gravy was sweet and spicy but lacking in the fragrance and flavour of coconut milk. The noodles blended well with the gravy but the serving was so little, I could finish it in 4 mouthfuls. The 3 pieces of steamed white chicken were more bony than meaty and miserable, if I can think of a word to describe them.

Comparing the 2 curry noodles in Hong Lim Food Centre, Ah Heng Curry Chicken Noodles is definitely more delicious and value-for-money. Ah Heng's gravy is thicker and more mouthwatering than Heng Kee's. Ah Heng's chicken is fresher and more tender than Heng Kee's. The portions of noodles and chicken from Ah Heng are also bigger and more satisfying than that from Heng Kee (Compare the pictures I posted if you don't believe me).

I really don't know what is it about Heng Kee curry noodles that make people queue for it. Perhaps Singaporeans who are more health-conscious may prefer Heng Kee because of its lower content of coconut milk. Perhaps it has an authentic flavour that I could not appreciate. But I can confidently say that I definitely won't be coming back for more.

6/10

Heng Kee Curry Chicken Noodles
Hong Lim Food Centre
Blk 531A Upper Cross Street #01-127
Closed on Sun and Public Holidays

Ah Heng Curry Chicken Noodles

When I saw the long queue in front of Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee, I knew that it must be worth a try. After all, only about half of the Singaporeans enjoy curry mee (the other half probably avoid it because of the high cholesterol content or the spiciness of the gravy) and yet the queue is so long, it only means that this curry mee must be extraordinary.


When I took my first spoonful of the mouthwatering gravy, I was instantly impressed. The irresistable gravy is extremely flavorful with the natural sweetness and distinct aroma of coconut milk which linger on the taste buds. Though very savory, the remarkable gravy is not overly thick or spicy and complements the bee hoon mee very well, coating every strand evenly and thoroughly. The delicious steamed white chicken is tender and juicy and blends impeccably with the gravy.

For all curry noodles lovers out there, Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee is definitely one of the best curry noodles in Singapore. Come down to Hong Lim Food Centre and experience it for yourself today.

8/10

Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee
Hong Lim Food Centre
#02-58
Singapore 510531
9am to 5pm
Closed on Sunday & Public Holiday

Outram Park Fried Kway Teow

I read about this famous fried kway teow at Hong Lim Food Centre but never had the opportunity to try it as it was always closed in the evenings when I went there for dinner. The opportunity finally came when I went there for lunch today and I must admit that it is really fantastic.


Even though it is so outstanding, a plate of Outram Park Fried Kway Teow costs only $2. Compared to the other fried kway teow, it is slightly more wet in consistency and vaguely resembles the Apollo Fried Kway Teow from Marine Parade Food Centre although it is much better. The mouthwatering kway teow is impressively fried with savory sweet sauce which confers a memorable flavour that is accentuated by the pleasant fragrance of pork lard and the unmistakable aroma of garlic. For those who believe that fried kway teow is never complete without cockles, the irresistable kway teow is complemented by a generous serving of fresh cockles.

Outram Park Fried Kway Teow is indeed the one and only fried kway teow that is both delicious and value for money.

7.5/10

Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee
Hong Lim Food Centre
Blk 531A Upper Cross Street
#02-18
Singapore 510531
7am to 4.30pm