I was in Lavender area early one morning and decided to pay a visit to one of the most talked about Bak Chor Mee (Minced Meat Noodle) in town. Bak Chor Mee is an iconic street food in Singapore. This was no ordinary stall as this street food stall became one of the first two street food locations in the world to be awarded a star in the 2016 Michelin Guide.
Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle is thought to be the oldest bak chor mee stall in Singapore. It’s origins date back to 1932 when Mr Tang Joon Teo set up shop at a coffeeshop along Hill Street. They are the first family to create a popular version of bak chor mee which combines black vinegar and chilli paste together with egg noodles and minced pork. After he fell ill during the 1960s, his second son Chay Seng took over the stall. After Joon Teo’s death in 1995, he left the stall to his three sons. However Chay Seng was the one who continued to run the stall. In 1990s, the stall moved to Marina Square, before relocating in 2004 to its current location in a coffee shop in Crawford Lane.
I was there early before the stall open and snag a queue number of no 4. By the time the stall open at 930am, it was still a good 45min wait before it was my turn. I can see Mr Tang busy at the stall. The cooking is taken care of by his cook, who has been with him for more than a decade.
Verdict...the sliced pork, pork liver, minced meat, meatball and dumplings are fresh and delicious. The pig’s liver is cooked for just the right amount of time, hence it’s tender with just the right springy texture. There is also fried ‘ti poh’ (sole fish) which adds a zing to the dish ! The handmade dumplings are plump and juicy. The seaweed soup is rich with umami flavour. The mee kia (fine noodle) that I had was firm and springy. The cook was generous with the chilli and vinegar mix, making the dish exceptionally tantalising.
The good thing about Tai Hwa is they decided to stick to only one outlet (so far), hence the taste is maintained. My experience is when many of the Michelin food stall gets acquired by the big boys, the standards tend to suffer. Prices start from $6 but because of the long wait, you will find many opting for the $10 portion by the time it comes to their turn. Image Credit johor kaki.blogspot
