Ho Seng Kee Wanton Mee @ CIty Square Shopping Mall [Johor Bahru, Malaysia] - Duck Egg Wanton Mee

From a push cart stall in the early 1940s to now a full fledge restaurant at one of the most highly patronised mall in Johor Bahru, City Square, Ho Seng Kee Wanton Mee (何成記云吞面世家) has indeed come a long way. Freshly made daily, the noodles are 100% egg based (Duck eggs and Chicken Eggs) and made from high Canadian quality Hard Spring wheat. Sounds like homemade tagliatelle to me!

Black sauce + Chilli sauce 4/5

The signature here is none other than the original Wanton Mee (RM$8.90), in which you get to choose the way you want it to be done - Plain Sauce (original), Home-made Chili Sauce (Spice), Black Sauce or Mixed (black & chili sauce). We ordered one of each. The one that delivers the most flavour is definitely the black sauce + chilli sauce. Malaysian black sauce is known for its sweet-savoury depth, which adds dimension to the overall taste of the noodles. I like the plain version just as much, like how I would appreciate a plate of good Alio Olio. The accompanying soup is sweet, unlike those that are heavy with hei bi.

Original Dry 3.5/5

The texture of the noodles is something to be savoured upon. It is unbelievably springy. We raved about it as we eat, we continued to rave about it as we made our way out. However, our sentiments towards the wantons are the opposite.

The wanton is simply a ball of meat, pepper and salt. I was expecting a pouch of sweet, juicy pork with some diced chestnut for flavour and texture but none of my imagination got translated into our wantons.

Shrimp Wanton Set 2.5/5

We also ordered the Prawn Dumpling Set to try. The prawn dumpling is no better than the wanton, other than sticking a prawn with the 'meatball' together to form the end product. The otah and fried wanton are nothing memorable.

Chicken Roll 3.8/5

The Chicken Roll (RM$8) which is our ngoh hiang, fares so much better with its crispy exterior and balanced ratio of meat and diced water chestnuts.

The noodle is definitely something to come back for, as I don't know where else you can get such good local noodle. On my next visit, perhaps just the plain noodle and a side dish will be good enough.

Words and photos by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food.


Ho Seng Kee Wanton Mee
CIty Square Shopping Mall
108, Jalan Wong Ah Fook
Level 6
Johor Bahru, Malaysia
[Map]

Opening hours:
Daily: 10am - 10pm

Hup Heng Noodle House @ West Coast Market Square - If Only It Tastes As Good As Kok Kee

Having stay in the neighbourhood for 3 years, there are still many stalls at West Coast Market Square which I have not tried. One of them is Hup Heng Noodle House popular for their wanton mee. I decided to give it a try during my recent visit to the food centre.

Wanton Mee 3/5

The appearance of the Wanton Mee ($3) reminds me of the now defunct Kok Kee at Lavender. The wanton mee style is the more saucy type. For a three dollar portion, the char siew is rather generous. However it is a bit dry and too lean.

The noodle is actually quite springy with a good bite to it. However I think the auntie which blanched the noodle did not quite rinsed off the blanching water from the noodle, causing the sauce to be diluted with a tad of alkaline taste.  The chilli sauce was also mediocre.

Last but not least, the wanton to complete the dish. The wanton is actually quite plump. However the skin was a bit thick and the stuffing needs more marination to give it a lift in flavour.

Overall the wanton mee is decent but not the best I have eaten. If you do not like those saucy type of wanton mee, then you may want to give it a miss. Besides the wanton mee, the stall also sees chicken feet noodle, dumpling noodle, dumpling soup and popiah.


Hup Heng Noodle House
West Coast Market Square
Blk 726 Clementi West Street 2
#01-182
Singapore 120726
Nearest MRT: Clementi (EW Line)

Direction:
1) Alight at Clementi MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Clementi MRT station. (Stop ID 17179). Take bus number 201. Alight 2 stops later. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Kaiyi's Wonton Noodle @ Golden Mile Food Centre - I Have Found My Best Banh Mi In Singapore

Located at the corner of Golden Mile Food Centre on level 1, facing the main road is Kaiyi's Wonton Noodle stall that sells traditional Vietnamese wonton noodle. What exactly is the difference between our local wanton mee and the Vietnamese version?

Char Siew Wonton Noodle 3/5

To find out the different, we got a bowl of Char Siew Wonton Noodle ($4.50). The bowl of noodle comes with slices of lean char siew, fried wonton and lettuce. The noodle is that those springy type, a bit like our mee kia with a bite. It is tossed in a dark sauce which I found it rather light for local palate. We had the spicy version which I have to applaud the stall owner for making it from scratch. However it is way too spicy, throwing the balance off.

Wonton Soup 3.5/5

Beside the noodle we also ordered a bowl of Wonton Soup ($4). The plump wonton has more vegetable to meat stuffing, giving it a more crunchy meat. However I thought the seasoning was a bit heavy with the the pepper.

Chicken Sticky Rice 3.8/5

Besides the Vietnamese style waoton mee, the stall also sells a variety of noodle and rice dishes. A value for money dish is the Chicken Sticky Rice ($5.50). For the reasonable pricing, the plate of rice comes with a whole chicken leg that is braised to an enjoyable tender texture.

Chicken Curry 3/5

The other chicken dish we tried is the Chicken Curry which comes with 2 huge pieces of chicken. However the Vietnamese curry is not those lemak type and it is actually sweet. It is not the usual curry that we are used to. It may take quite a bit of effort to win over the local palate.

Banh Mi 4.5/5

For me the star at Kaiyi's Wonton Noodle is actually their Banh Mi ($5.50). The Vietnamese style sandwich roll. Unfortunately this is only available on Fridays at the moment. The best Banh Mi I had exactly is from Melbourne, Lee's Bakery. I have not find something close until I tried Kaiyi's version.

 The baguette made with a mixture of rice and wheat flour is extremely light and crispy. It is already so good on its own, imagine when we stuffed it with all the flavourful ingredients. Freshly put together, you can find carrot, cucumber, pickle, chicken, chilli, mayonnaise and cilantro sandwiched in between. You get a firework of flavours and different play of textures with each bite in to the banh mi.

Kaiyi's  Wonton Noodle
Golden Mile Food Centre
505 Beach Road
#01-109
Singapore 199583
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Nicoll Highway (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon, Wed-Fri: 10am - 9pm
Sat-Sun: 9am - 9pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Nicoll Highway MRT station. Take Exit A. Take the overhead bridge and cross over to Beach Road. Walk down Beach Road along the flow of traffic. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

36 M.S. Handmade Yun Tun Noodle @ Seletar Hills Estate - Plump & Juicy Dumpling That Is Not To Be Missed

Located n the corner coffeeshop of the rather quiet Seletar Hills Estate is this unassuming stall, 36 M.S. Handmade Yun Tun Noodle. The stall sells both the char siew wanton mee and dumpling noodle.

Dumplng Noodle 4.2/5

I was told that the char siew wanton mee here is decent but the star is actually the Dumpling Noodle. The springy noodle which has a good bite to it is tossed in a sweet and savoury dark sauce that made it so deliciously good.

The other highlight is the plump and juicy handmade stuffed with minced pork. You get a burst of flavours accentuated by the tee poh in the stuffing mixture. This is so much better than their wanton which is rather small in size. By the way, the portion here is rather small. Hence for the big eater, you may need to have 2 bowls.

36 M.S. Handmade Yun Tun Noodle 
2 Jalan Salaseh
Singapore 808433
Nearest MRT: Serangoon (CC Line, NE Line), Seng Kang (NE Line), Yio Chu Kang (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon, Wed-Sun: 7am - 3pm
(Closed on Tue)

Direction:
1) Alight at Serangoon MRT station. Take Exit E. Walk to bus stop at Serangoon MRT station (Stop ID 66351). Take bus number 70. Alight 12 stops later. Walk to Jalan Salaseh. Walk to destination. Journey time about 30 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Seng Kang MRT station. Take Exit D. Walk to bus stop at Seng Kang MRT station along Seng Kang East Way (Stop ID 67409). Take bus number 50. Alight 12 stops later. Cross the road. Turn left and walk to Jalan Salaseh. Walk to destination. Journey time about 30 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Yio Chu Kang MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to Yio Chu Kang Bus Interchange (Stop ID 55509). Take bus number 70. Alight 13 stops later.  Cross the road. Turn left and walk to Jalan Salaseh. Walk to destination. Journey time about 35 minutes. [Map]

Bee Kee Wanton Noodles @ Amoy Food Centre - Truffle Wanton Noodles

When I heard that Bee Kee Wanton Noodles has opened a new stall at Amoy Food Centre, I took the opportunity to go down for breakfast on one of my off days, just to understand what is the rave about their truffle wanton noodle. Apparently Bee Kee Wanton Noodles is opened by Ms Jo Ann Ng, the owner of Vanilla Bar & Cafe, with the flaghship outlet at Lorong Lew Lian.

Original Wanton Noodle Dry 3/5

I started with the Original Wanton Noodle Dry ($3/$4) before moving on to the truffle wanton noodle to have a comparison. The chilli is piquant and the noodle has a good bite to it. Unfortunately I find the bowl of noodle too dry. It needed something saucy to complement the chilli sauce. While the slices of char siew was thick, it was too lean and dry for me.

Truffle Wanton Noodle 3.5/5

The process of cooking the truffle wanton noodle is no different from other wanton noodle stalls except that truffle oil is sprayed into the bowl before serving. I find the Truffle Wanton Noodle ($6/$8) fares much better than the original wanton noodle partly because of the truffle aroma. The truffle oil may have lubricated the texture of the noodles, so it was not as dry as the original version. I think it has potential to be an excellent bowl of wanton noodle but it needs to work on its char siew andd wanton.

Bee Kee Wanton Noodles
Amoy Street Food Centre
7 Maxwell Road
#02-130
Singapore 069111
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 7am - 3pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit G. Turn left and walk to Amoy Street Food Centre. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Quan Soon Wanton Noodle @ Teban Garden Food Centre - One Of The Cheapest Wanton Mee At $2

Further down the row of stalls of JH Fishball Noodle at Teban Garden Food Centre is Quan Soon Wanton Noodle. Quan Soon Wanton Noodle is owned by 62 years old Madam Wong who has been offering cheap and affordable food for the neighbourhood for the past 37 years. You can get a plate of wanton mee for $2 at her stall.

Wanton Mee 3.5/5

The stall sells a variety of noodle dishes such as Wanton Mee, Laksa and Prawn Noodle, all at a low price of $2. Madam Wong has continued to sell her noodles at $2 because there are many old people which do not have a lot of money in the estate and she wanted to provide affordable food which can help to fill their stomach.

Wanton Mee 3.5/5

My plate of wanton mee dry for a mere $2 comes with springy noodles, 2 wantons, slices of char siew  and some vegetables. I enjoyed the texture of the noodle as well as the wanton which is stuffed with minced pork and chestnut, I can even taste hints of dry sole fish in the wanton filling.

For those that is looking for something for substantial, you can also go for the larger portion at $2.50 or $3. The plate of wanton mee may not be the best but it does come with that old school flavours, bringing back my childhood memories.


Quan Soon Wanton Noodle
Teban Garden Food Centre
Blk 37A Teban Garden Road
#01-04
Singapore 601037
Nearest MRT: Jurong East (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 5am - 730pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Jurong East MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Jurong East Bus Interchange (Stop ID 28009). Take bus number 143. Alight 6 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 18 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Jurong East MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Jurong East Bus Interchange (Stop ID 28009). Take bus number 79. Alight 7 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 18 minutes. [Map]

Master Tang Wanton Mee @ Sixth Avenue - The Return Of The Old Master

I finally dragged my feet and made my way down to Sixth Avenue to check out Master Tang Wanton Mee after all the media hype of his re-opening in Bukit Timah. Master Tang is already in his 80s. Accordingly to online sources, Mr Tang used to be the head chef of crystal jade kitchens and was the brainchild behind their signature wanton mee.

Wanton Noodles 3/5

Since so much is said about the Wanton Noodles ($3.50), I have to order a plate to try myself. This is the Hong Kong style wanton noodles, so do not expect any char siew. It only comes with 4 small size wantons and a few leaves of chye sim. The noodles are thin and springy with a good bite to it. Unfortunately I do not like the alkaline taste on the noodles. Saying that I thought the sauce complemented the noodle excellently.

Beef Brisket Noodles 3.5/5

Since we have already made the trip down to the stall, we also ordered a plate of the Beef Brisket Noodles ($6) to try. I preferred this over the wanton noodles partly due to the fact that the rich and savoury braising sauce helps to mask the alkaline taste of the noodles. Not getting the star on the plate is the beef brisket and tendon that have been stewed until tender soft.

I have not tried Master Tang's previous cooking, so my judgement is purely on my visit. The noodles I had did not quite justify the media attention that has been given to him. I was left puzzled on the hype. Maybe age has caught up with him. Not to forget he is already in his 80s.


Master Tang Wanton Mee
Kopitown Coffeeshop
10E Sixth Avenue
Singapore 276474
Nearest MRT: Sixth Avenue (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Fri-Wed: 8am - 4pm
(Closed on Thur)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Sixth Avenue MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk straight to Sixth Avenue. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

CCK190 Wanton Mee @ Circuit Road - After A Year's Break, The Shiok Wanton Mee is Back

Fans of CCK190 Wanton Mee be rejoiced, your favourite wanton mee stall has re-opened at Circuit Road Block 89 Market and Food Centre. The friendly couple, Uncle Danny and Auntie Yvonne has decided to follow their passion after a year break from closing their previous stall at Choa Chu Kang.

Wanton Mee with Chilli 4.2/5

The Wanton Mee with Chilli ($2.50/$3/$3.50) comes with reasonable thick slices of char siew which is roasted at the stall itself. The char siew has a bit of char at the edges, not overly sweet and quite moist in texture. Besides the springy egg noodles, the highlight is the chilli sauce that has a spicy kick to it. The chill is definitely hot and spicy but it does not throw the balance of the dish off but complement it. It is understand that the stall takes up to 4 hours to prepare the homemade chilli sauce.

Dark Sauce Wanton Mee 4.5/5

If you prefer something less spicy or sweeter, the Wanton Mee with Dark Sauce ($2.50/$3/$3.50) will be my recommended choice. The dark sauce provided the additional dimension to the simple plate of noodle, giving it a more elevated enjoyment.

Wanton Soup 3.8/5

Fried Wanton 4/5

The stall offers both the Wanton Soup and Fried Wanton. The wanton skin was a tad thick for the soup version but it works for me when it comes to the fried wanton. The thickness of the wanton skin when fried is even crispier.

Dumpling Soup 4/5

Fried Dumpling 4/5

Besides the wantons, we also tried the Dumpling Soup and Fried Dumpling. Both versions were as good, stuffed with minced pork and prawn to the brim. It is quite generous with its filling for a substantial enjoyment.

A typical day for uncle Danny and auntie Yvonne starts at 3am, making their way to the stall to prepare all the ingredients to serve their customer at 6am. They roast their char siew, wrap their own dumplings and wantons, cook their own chilli paste. A lot of hardwork is behind the delicious plate of wanton mee. I am glad that I got the chance to try their wanton mee. Thanks for making a return.


CCK190 Wanton Mee
Circuit Road Blk 89 Market and Food Centre
Blk 89 Circuit Road
#01-110
Singapore 370089
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Macpherson (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Tue: 6am - 2pm
Thu-Sun: 6am - 2pm
(Closed on Wed)

Direction:
Alight at Macpherson MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop along Lorong Bengkok (Stop ID 70391). Take bus number 61, 63, 65, 66, 135, 154 or 158. Alight 2 stops later. Walk down Pipit Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Xing Ji Wanton Noodle @ Tampines Round Market & Food Centre - Go For the Chicken Feet Noodle Instead

During my visit to Tampines Round Market & Food Centre to check out Xing Yun Kway Chap, I noticed there is a constant long queue at Xing Ji Wanton Noodle. Being a foodie, I could not resist my curiosity to join the queue to find out for myself why the wanton mee stall attracts the snaking queue.

Wanton Mee 2.8/5

The Wanton Mee ($3) comes with slices of char siew, two wanton and a few strand of vegetables. The char siew is only passable lacking the carmalized charred. Overall the wanton mee lacks the depth to be considered as one of best.

Chicken Feet Noodle 4.2/5

Chicken Feet Noodle 4.2/5

While I find the wanton mee lacklustre, the Chicken Feet Noodle ($4) is actually worthy trying. Using the same noodle as the wanton mee, I find it more suitable to soak up the braised gravy of the chicken feet noodle. The chicken feet is also well executed with its crispy skin and braised to tender.

Conclusion I do not think it is worth queuing up for the wanton mee. However I feel the chicken feet noodle is worthy a try if you happen to be in the area.


Xing Ji Wanton Noodle
Tampines Round Market & Food Centre
Blk 137 Tampines Street 11
#01-35
Singapore 521137
Nearest MRT: Tampines (EW Line), Tampines West (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Thu-Tue: 6am - 1pm
(Closed on Wed)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Tampines MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Tampines Bus Interchange (Stop ID 75009). Take bus number 20, 39, 292. Alight 3 stops later. Walk to junction of Tampines Ave 2 and Tampines Street 11. Cross the road and walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Tampines West MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to junction of Tampines Ave 2 and Tampines Ave 5. Cross the road. Turn right onto Tampines Ave 5. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes.  [Map]