A Noodle Story: Famous MICHELIN Bib Gourmand hawker with fusion Singapore-style ramen

Who doesn’t love ramen? It’s one of the most popular dishes in the world, with many of us being no stranger to it. However, have you ever wondered what it would be like to infuse Singaporean flavours into this well-known Japanese dish? At A Noodle Story, you won’t have to wonder anymore.

A Noodle Story was founded by Gwern Khoo and Ben Tham in 2013. It started out as a humble hawker stall within the bustling Amoy Street Food Centre, before expanding to opening its own eatery within Guoco Tower in 2021. The stall was even featured in the MICHELIN Bib Gourmand list!

What I tried at A Noodle Story

I visited A Noodle Story’s original stall in Amoy Street Food Centre, which was decked in newspaper clippings by publications that featured it. I was surprised to learn that there was only one main dish on the menu; the Singapore-Style Ramen. For the stall to have such amazing success despite only offering one main dish is truly astounding!

The Singapore-Style Ramen was available in either a S$9.80 portion or a S$12.80 portion. My bowl was served with springy noodles, a hot-spring egg, cha shu slices, a piece of ngoh hiang, HK-style wantons and sliced scallions. It also came with a side of wanton soup.

I was instantly impressed by the stunning presentation of A Noodle Story’s Singapore-Style Ramen. While it largely resembled a classic dry ramen dish, its other more local elements, like the ngoh hiang and wantons, added a unique Singaporean twist.

After mixing the noodles thoroughly, each strand was gloriously coated in a savoury, umami sauce. The noodles were very springy and al dente, with their texture and the taste of the sauce reminding me heavily of a more zhng-ed up version of wanton mee.

I was pretty blown away by the cha shu slices atop the noodles. Each slice contained the perfect ratio of meat to fat, with each bite practically disintegrating within my mouth. The flavourful pork was truly outstanding, and the portion included in the bowl wasn’t too shabby either.

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The hot-spring egg was yet another delightful element. The moment my chopsticks pierced the surface of the egg white, a stunning, golden lava oozed out. A Noodle Story definitely knows how to cook their eggs well. When mixed, it provided the noodles with an extra pop of creaminess. Yum!

My dining companion and I were both impressed by the prawn wantons in the dish. We received a deep-fried wanton and wantons that had been cooked in soup, allowing us to savour the two different cooking styles. The deep-fried wanton was crispy and crackly while the soup-cooked wantons were wrapped in a silky smooth skin that slid around my mouth easily.

The prawns within were incredibly juicy, and in the words of my dining companion, the prawns were “so fresh that I could still taste the ocean that they were fished from”.

The ngoh hiang was another fantastic element, which contained pork and water chestnuts. The meaty flavours complemented the crunchy texture of the water chestnuts, and altogether, it wasn’t too salty.

The soup that was served on the side was a tad too peppery for my liking, though I thought that it acted as a pretty efficient palate cleanser.

Overall, A Noodle Story’s Singapore-Style Ramen was an impressive dish that you normally wouldn’t expect to find within a hawker centre. Each element was incredibly flavourful, from each noodle strand to the unassuming accompanying bowl of soup. For those with lighter palates, the strong flavours could be a tad overwhelming and possibly jelak, which is why I would prefer a lighter soup.

Final thoughts

It’s no wonder why A Noodle Story is as popular as it is. The creativity and innovation of Gwern and Ben is put on full display, especially when considering that the stall first opened all the way back in 2013, when fusion food and restaurant-style dishes in hawker centres weren’t as commonplace as they were today.

The prices of the Singapore-Style Ramen are a little steeper than most other hawker stalls, but I was very full and satisfied after I finished my meal. For the quality of the food, from the taste right down to the presentation, I’d honestly say that its price tag is pretty justified. Why not head down soon to have a taste for yourself?

Expected damage: $9.80 – S$12.80 per pax

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