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Seeking shelter under a HDB block in Toa Payoh after a torturous walk in the midday sun, whatever did I see? Why, it was the smiling face of the Hokkien Mee man, Xavier Neo, looking down at me!
The cheery yellow banner of Hokkien Man Hokkien Mee told me I had arrived at my destination.
Formerly a sous-chef for Three Michelin Starred French restaurant: Les Amis, Xavier set up his own store under a humble HDB block in Toa Payoh in 2019.
He has since amassed a massive cult following and it is said that diners sometimes have to wait up to 45 minutes for a taste of his hokkien mee. In fact, during Covid-19 when he first began his business, there was a constant snaking queue in front of his store.
Having heard the horror stories of the winding queues, I had braced myself in advance for a long day ahead. However, to my delight, when I arrived a little past 12 on a weekday afternoon, the lunch crowd had barely begun to form.
What I tried at Hokkien Man Hokkien Mee
In less than 10 minutes after I ordered, my buzzer rang and out came a piping hot plate of hokkien mee with a delicious wok hei aroma inviting me to dig in. Right off the bat, for S$6.50, the hokkien mee was of a pretty decent size. Topped with two large prawns, a heap of sambal chilli, a cut lime and thinly sliced sotong pieces, the dish certainly looked promising.
For those who are feeling hungrier, Hokkien Man Hokkien Mee also offers larger portion sizes at S$12 and S$18 or S$1 for more noodles. If you want more customisation, you can also choose to add more ingredients (S$1 – S$4), egg omelette for S$1 and even baby abalone for S$5.
On the very first bite, I noticed how aromatic the prawn broth was. Sweet and flavourful, it worked very well with the mix of the noodles. Starring both yellow noodles, thick white vermicelli and bean sprouts, the dish was full-bodied and the mix of textures was delightful. The taste of the yellow noodles that tended to be very alkaline was just right, and not overpowering at all, working well with the dish.
The zhup of Hokkien Man Hokkien Mee’s hokkien mee was definitely on the thinner side, so it was not jelak at all and coated the noodles very nicely. Though I’m personally a fan of slightly thicker hokkien mee, this was good, too.
The squid could have been cut thicker, but it was perfectly cooked and the way it paired with the fatty slices of thinly-cut pork belly was pure bliss.
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Despite the excellent wok hei aroma and char present on the noodles, it was a little disappointing to find that the dish itself somehow lacked the wok hei taste.
It was a pleasant surprise to find lard after several mouthfuls but, as a strong advocate for the lard game, I do wish there was more of it.
Though not the “main star” of the show, I think everyone’s first association with hokkien mee would be the prawns. In this case, Hokkien Man Hokkien Mee’s S$6.50 portion comes with two big and fresh prawns. As with most hokkien mee stalls, the prawns were not deveined or fully de-shelled but they were very fresh and juicy.
I had heard many great things about Hokkien Man Hokkien Mee’s special in-house chilli and was stoked to see if it lived up to its name. But alas, it fell short of my expectations.
It was definitely on the sweeter side and you can definitely tell it has been adapted from nasi lemak sambal. Nothing in its flavour profile stood out in particular despite it blending well with their hokkien mee. However, I do think it would be great for those who are unable to tolerate spice as it is a very mellow chilli. Personally, I would have preferred if it had been spicier but that was clearly not the angle they were going for.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for hokkien mee that packs a punch, I say look elsewhere. But overall, Hokkien Man Hokkien Mee’s hokkien mee is indeed just a cut above the rest. It brings most things one might look for in a good hokkien mee to the table. From a decent zhup, sambal, mix of noodles and other ingredients, it’s pretty nice.
Expected damage: S$6 – S$10 per pax
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