When you hear someone in Singapore mention Mee Pok, what it generally refers is a noodle dish with Chinese noodles characterised by its flat and yellow appearance, varying in thickness and width.
The dish is of Teochew origin and can be found in various places including Chaoshan in China, Malaysia and of course Singapore. Mee Pok is commonly served tossed in a sauce or served in soup. Meat, fishball, vegetables and other garnishing are then added on. In general there are two types of mee pok.
First is Fishball Mee Pok (Yu Wan Mee) where the star is the fishballs. Second type is Minced Meat Mee Pok. (Bak Chor Mee). Mee pok is a staple commonly offered in hawker centres and coffee shop (Kopi Tiam) in Singapore, together with other Chinese noodle dishes.
The sauce that the Mee Pok is tossed in is a very important aspect of the dish, and is considered a representation of the cook’s skill, experience and reputation. The sauce typically consists of a heavenly blend of chili paste, oil, vinegar & soy sauce. The chili paste is made from various ingredients and its preparation often includes frying and blending. Oil, traditionally ‘sinful’ lard, ensures a smooth texture in the noodles. Vinegar is added for its sourness. For those that cannot handle spiciness, can opt to have tomato ketchup to replace the chili.
One of the best places in Singapore to order this noodle dish is in Kovan Market & Food Centre, a stone throw away from the Kovan MRT. It is currently helmed by the second generation hawker amd is frequently recommended by food bloggers, TV variety shows and magazines. The stall is named YAM Mee Teochew Fishball Noodle.
The owner, Tan Leang Yong, was just a child in the 1970s when he started helping out at his father’s street cart hawking Teochew fishball noodles. By the time he completed his national service, the stall had relocated to Kovan Market And Food Centre and he began to work with his father in earnest. He & his wife is currently still running the Kovan outlet.
Kovan Market & Food Center is known for their Teochew Mee Pok with three stalls there commonly with long queues. You can’t miss Yam Mee as it sits right in the heart of the food center and is the only hawker to occupy two units, and of course the snaking queue. The queue at this stall moves pretty fast because they have two people taking orders.
One of my personal favourite is their dry Bak Chor Mee Pok. The best thing about the dry version is that every strand of noodles will be coated with a mixture of flavours, and a wonderful balance of chili and vinegar. The mee pok I had was cooked to the right texture, not too soggy or undercooked with the right level of firmness and springy to the bite.
On top of the noodles, you can find minced meat, bits of crunchy lard, slices of braised mushrooms, bouncy hand made fishballs, yummy pork ball, fish cakes and spring onions. This stall is known for their bouncy fishballs which have a fresh taste.
When you mix it all up and dig in, your palette will be greeted with a silky mess of eggy goodness, with a full-bodied punch of savoury, peppery, and smoky flavours from the pork lard, chilli, spring onions, and other seasonings. The sharp spiciness from the chilli sauce accentuates the richness in flavours. The accompanying soup was also tasty with the appropriate amount of sweetness.
Besides the Teochew Fishball Noodle and Bak Chor Mee, their Laksa Noodle & Chicken Curry Noodle is also yummylicious. I would suggest avoiding the peak lunch and dinner hours as the food center can be packed. Good news is they do have two other outlets in Yishun Park Hawker Center and Kaki Bukit 51 Market & Food Centre in Bedok. Both the Yishun & Bedok outlets are now run by the Mr Tan’s daughter and son respectively.
Do let me know how it compares against your own favourite Mee Pok stall?
