I’ve been on a quest for the perfect bowl of Bak Chor Mee lately. It all started one morning when I woke up with an intense craving for it and despite years of blogging about food, I realized I still didn’t have a go-to place for Bak Chor Mee! (my previous favourites have either closed or changed hands)
The issue with Bak Chor Mee lies in its perception as mere hawker fare which should cost $4-$5. However, at such prices, hawkers struggle to offer their best bowls. While exceptions like the Michelin Star Hillstreet Tai Hwa Pork Noodle exist, most Bak Chor Mee stalls remain constrained by this bias.
Some hawker food like prawn noodles have managed to transcend the “hawker price ceiling” and there are places you can go for good quality prawn mee. I’m certainly not advocating for higher food prices, but rather for more establishments to be able to serve high-quality Bak Chor Mee without having to compromise on ingredients. I can’t see why our Bak Chor Mee cannot rival Japanese Ramen if we’re willing to pay a comparable price for it!
New Generation BCM Hawkers
There is a couple in Bukit Merah who have set out to prove that people will be willing to pay for a bowl of meticulously constructed Bak Chor Mee. I wrote about them when they first opened in 2022. At the time, they had just opened their stall but I felt that they had a lot of potential, fueled by passion!
That passion still burns brightly in the hearts of Han and Chelsea, who have visibly lost weight over the last two years, but still glowing with enthusiasm. So much has happened over the last two years including a failed attempt to open another branch. But most importantly, they have continued to make improvements to their bowl of noodles with the latest version making its debut at the beginning of this year. They are quite happy with the latest rendition but are still aware that there are still things that can be improved.
Their current Bak Chor Mee is a completely different beast from before
Han tells me that the current bowl of Bak Chor Mee is almost a completely different beast compared to the one I tasted when they first opened in 2022. Almost every component has changed and the result is a bowl of Bak Chor Mee this is very close to what I have been searching for!
This time round, all the components have come together in a lovely symphony of flavors and textures. The lively noodles are nicely coated with their flavourful blackened garlic oil, umami-packed sauce and vinegar (optional) orchestrating a delightful melody in your mouth. The toppings of a whole slice of crispy fried solefish, minced pork, sliced pork, pork balls, and her giao (fish dumplings) are all excellent.
I have been eagerly planning a return trip since my visit last week! There are still a few minor things which I feel can be improved. Their pork lard could be more crispy and the vinegar could be a little more fragrant. But overall, it is still a bak chor mee that should get at least a Bib Gourmand listing. 4.5/5
Old Mother Hen and Pork Bone Broth
Their entry-level bak chor mee is $5.50 but after that first bowl, most customers would opt for their $9/11/13 bowl so they can eat until song song (well satisfied). The soup is very rich and is made from pork bones, old mother hen, fish maw and other secret umami ingredients.
When they first opened, it was touted to be like tonkotsu broth. But since then, they have tuned it to be more like the classic bak chor mee soup but more robust. In fact, it is so rich that I found it a little difficult to finish the entire bowl!
In case you are looking for something a little different, they have introduced a dry kway teow which is quite nice. The flavour is good but I felt the kway teow could be a little smoother and livelier. Hope they can find a better kway teow soon!
Conclusion
25 Minced Meat Noodles is currently my go-to spot for Bak Chor Mee! Their signature minced meat noodle perfectly embodies what I envision a top-notch Bak Chor Mee to be. Hopefully, the idea of a high-quality Bak Chor Mee will gain traction among the public, and we’ll see more stalls offering premium versions of this dish!
