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The desire to preserve the ‘traditional’ hawker culture seems to be growing, and the rising number of Gen Z-run hawker stalls is proof of that. That’s exactly the case with Ah Jie Hokkien Mee (阿杰福建烧虾面).
It’s very rare to see hawker stalls with 1 item on their menu, but these Gen-Z hawkers seem to pride themselves in perfecting the art of Hokkien Mee by doing just that.
The 2 conductors behind the symphony are Soh Ren Jie (29) and Teo Jun Jie (28) who met while working together 12 years ago. Jun Jie told me that it didn’t take long for them to be sold on the idea of starting their hawker stall as the pair shared their vision over drinks. The name Ah Jie Hokkien Mee is derived from the pair’s name ‘Jie’.
The stall is located in the Food Loft Kopitiam surrounded by Ang Mo Kio’s HDB residential area on Avenue 8. I arrived at 3pm to what I thought would be a quiet crowd. To my surprise, people were still ordering and slurping away bowls of their hokkien mee.
As I approached the stall, I caught a whiff of the immense wok hei smell that ignited my hunger. Sitting at the front of the stall were the condiments of lime, chilli and pork lard. Jun Jie says the stall prides themselves on quality ingredients. The pair arrive early every morning to make their homemade chilli sauce and prawn stock, and fry pork lard fresh.
What I tried at Ah Jie Hokkien Mee
The hokkien mee as posted on the main signage comes at 3 different price points: S$6, S$8 and S$10. A wide variety of add-ons, including prawns (S$2) and pork belly (S$2) are available.
Together with two colleagues, I ordered a large (S$10) and small (S$6) portion with extra pork lard (S$1). The small portion came with 3 prawns instead of 4, as well as less pork belly and sotong pieces.
Upon arrival, we immediately squeezed the calamansi over the plate of steaming yellow noodles and thick bee hoon. We then gave a good mix-in of their homemade chilli that was both spicy and tangy. I could very noticeably taste the belachan in the chilli mixture which was a little spicy for my liking, so use it according to your tolerance.
The wetness of the noodles looked like the perfect consistency of a good quality hokkien mee dish. I could not contain my excitement to tuck in, with high expectations for this meal. I certainly was not disappointed.
Swee Guan Hokkien Mee: Shiok charcoal-fried hokkien mee since 1968 at Geylang
As I took my first bite of the hokkien mee, what immediately greeted me was the presence of the intense wok hei. The reason, quite simply, is in the cooking process. Jun Jie brought me into the kitchen and talked me through the process of creating Ah Jie Hokkien Mee.
First, he fries some eggs with fresh pork lard, then adds the noodles. After a few minutes of frying, he takes the prawn broth and mixes it with garlic. The next step amazed me as Jun Jie took a big lid the size of the wok and covered the noodles. This, he says, is the most important step as the noodles absorb all the broth and give it the wok hei.
The one element of the dish that I had been meaning to try was the fresh pork lard. It was crispy beyond perfection and had a powerful umami bite, adding a lot of flavour to the hokkien mee.
I could taste the hint of calamansi, too. Perfectly cooked, the noodles paired with the gravy provided immense texture. The chilli became much less spicy as it mixed in with the noodles. All the condiments complemented the dish very well.
Final Thoughts
My experience at Ah Jie Hokkien Mee that afternoon was most definitely a memorable one. I would put this at a similar level to the Whampoa hokkien mee which was another memorable hokkien mee experience.
The only downside in my opinion is that the stall is located at Ang Mo Kio. This slightly diminishes the overall value with time travelled as I leave way out East. If you live in the area or are willing to travel the distance, the meal is well worth it.
Expected damage: S$6 – S$15 per pax
