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One of my goals in working at Sethlui.com is to introduce more delicious food to Singaporeans. Today, I’m recommending one of my usual go-to dry noodle stalls for their famous signature noodles that I’ve been enjoying for the past 15 years. This popular stall is nestled within Chong Boon Market & Food Centre and is called Yong Xin 永薪. Here you’ll find one of the best dry noodles in Ang Mo Kio, in my opinion!
Even with no social media presence, Yong Xin 永薪 is always seen with long queues stretching outside their stall. I joined the line and was surprised to see that the lady boss was the one doing the cooking that day. She’s always the one standing in front of the store getting customers’ orders and serving as well.
When it was my turn, I asked her: “Wow, you’re cooking today?”
She replied, “Ya lor, today my husband is a little busy with stock-taking. You have never tried my cooking before?”
In my 15 years of being their loyal customer, this was honestly the first time I was trying the lady boss’s cooking. Right in front of my eyes, she skillfully tossed the noodles together with the chilli, shallot oil and pork lard. I was excited to find out if the dish would taste the same as her husband’s.
What I tried at Yong Xin 永薪
No trip to Yong Xin 永薪 is complete without ordering their signature Famous Noodle (S$6 for small, S$7 for large). You can choose your noodles between mee kia, mee pok, kway teow and mee sua.
I ordered the small bowl and chose mee pok, which came with minced pork, pork slices, pork liver, two meatballs, two fishballs, a few slices of fish cake, and one herh kiao.
As I tossed and mixed the noodles, the yellow strands of mee pok glistened with the shallot oil and chilli concoction hidden below. I didn’t waste any time digging in as my stomach was already growling from the appealing look.
Even though the noodles were not cooked by the usual chef, everything was exactly of the usual standard. The noodles had the perfect bite to them, neither hard nor soft. I could taste the aromatic flavours of the shallot oil permeating every single strand, and the spicy chilli just enhanced everything— the lady boss deserved a chef’s kiss!
I did not have a mini workout in my mouth as the pork slices were tender and didn’t need much teeth work. The fishballs were bouncy and had a robust fish taste, unlike other floury ones that I’ve had in the past.
One worthy mention about Yong Xin 永薪 is that their pork lard bits are one of the crispiest I’ve ever eaten. The umami flavours released from the sinful mini nuggets of lard just made everything taste exceptionally better— I’m glad they aren’t stingy with the pork lard.
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The Minced Meat Noodle (S$5 for small, S$6 for big) was next. It was my first time trying the soup option over here. My small bowl came with one fishball, one meatball, minced pork, a few slices of fish cake and pork, together with the mee kia that I’d chosen.
Similar to the Famous Noodle, the mee kia was also cooked to perfection. As I tucked into the heartwarming bowl of noodle soup, it felt less cloying and lighter compared to the dry versions that I usually have over here.
When you overcook pork liver, the texture will be tough and you’ll experience an unpleasant powdery mouthfeel when you bite into it. I’m glad I didn’t encounter any of that over here. The lady boss had grasped the perfect timing to tackle the liver, and each piece was still slightly pinkish when I peered through the insides.
As I sipped the soup, I felt that it was well-seasoned and would be perfect for a cold, rainy day. My only gripe was that the soup had absorbed the alkaline taste of the noodles, which I wasn’t a fan of.
The last dish I tried was the Dry Vermicelli (S$5 for small, S$6 for large). It had the same accompanying ingredients as the Minced Meat Noodle soup.
I was taken aback at how smooth the vermicelli was— it reminded me of the Asian equivalent of angel hair pasta. Because of how thin it was, it somehow managed to absorb the flavours of the chilli and seasonings much better than the usual mee pok or mee kia that I normally have. I officially became a fan of this dish.
Final Thoughts
Although Yong Xin 永薪 already has an army of supporters (both young and old alike), I’d still like to urge all of you who stay out of Ang Mo Kio to try their noodles at least once— trust me, you’ll return for more!
I recommend their soup versions if you’re in the mood for something warm and comforting, but the dry noodles are the ones to watch out for.
Be sure to arrive early to avoid disappointment as their bowls of goodness usually sell out by 1.30pm. Also, don’t be surprised if you spot me in the queue— just come say hi!
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