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Several years ago, the news of Tanglin Halt Food Centre’s closure flooded the internet. Hawker stalls that once filled the space had to vacate and find another place. To our surprise, one of the stalls, Aw’s Signature Minced Pork Noodle, has relocated within their vicinity, to Tanglin Halt Market.
You might be confused— the names of the hawker centres are similar, so which is which? Tanglin Halt Food Centre used to be located just a few blocks away from Tanglin Halt Market.
I actually visit this food centre very often, so I was quite surprised at the new addition knowing that Tanglin Halt Market is said to be closing in 2024. Aw’s Signature Minced Pork Noodle’s presence at the market will definitely be short-lived but I guess they missed the action that hawker life gave!
To some, Aw’s Signature Minced Pork Noodle shouldn’t be an unfamiliar name. The young couple started out their hawker venture at Tanglin Halt Food Centre in 2016, and have certainly come a long way from jumping from location to location, considering how they might be relocating in the near future with the predicted demolishment. That’s the sad part about old estates.
Speaking of which, it saddens me that the hawker centre I visited in the bulk of my youth is going to be closing in due time. The hawkers and people here are one of the friendliest, and even one of the aunties that I speak to commonly urged me to try out the newcomer’s stall, and so I did. I’ve heard good things about Aw’s Signature Minced Pork Noodle anyway.
They’re known for their affordable prices with meals starting from S$3.50. Affordable, definitely, but whether it is of quality or not is another test of its own. I am a big sceptic on things being too good to be true.
Additionally, they’re also known for a unique blend of ingredients in their dishes. They have Braised Pork Mee Pok (S$5) and Fish Maw Bee Hoon (S$5) that seem to be crowd favourites. I can totally see why they’re popular within locals though; they have quite a unique mixture of things! Braised pork mee pok is certainly very original.
What I tried at Aw’s Signature Minced Pork Noodle
For the price of S$3.50, you could get a bowl of Handmade Fishball Noodles or Minced Pork Noodles. I opted for fishballs and my noodle of choice was mee pok.
You get a total of 4 fishballs in your bowl and several slices of fish cake. Upon first impression, the portion convinced me that I got a solid deal.
When I saw that I got the freshly churned out fishballs, I immediately knew I was nominated to be the ultimate food critique for this lovely dish (I might have self-nominated myself).
To my surprise, these were pretty pleasant— they did not taste like mass-made fishballs that typically had a strong alkaline taste. Instead, they paired well with the coated noodles that made it easy to dig into. With the fishballs fresh out of the broth, they were so succulent, and they couldn’t go wrong for me.
While the noodles had a savoury mix of chilli, vinegar and lard oil, I realised that they didn’t actually have many pieces of lard. When I actually dug for the golden bits of treasure, I found a minimal amount. That didn’t affect the taste of the noodles though— unless you really enjoy biting into these “chips”, maybe you can try asking them for more lard next time to try out your luck.
I’m not sure if they thought highly of me, but when I opted for spice I didn’t think it would be that spicy. Spice lovers, their homemade chilli packs a punch and will certainly wake you up if you’re still feeling groggy from your sleep. It wasn’t exactly a bad thing, it triggered some pleasant endorphins in me that made me quickly finish my bowl so that I could get past it.
Like I said, it’s not a bad thing. Their chilli makes them stand out uniquely against other mee pok stalls, and it really challenges you. If you’re unable to take spice, a few dashes of soup will easily do the trick.
Final thoughts
I always feel this inherent sense of satisfaction whenever I finish my bowl cleanly, especially a bowl of such cost. It’s simply amazing how Aw’s Signature Minced Pork Noodle chose to keep things affordable despite the current rise in inflation.
By the looks of it, the public is definitely happy that they’ve reopened nearby. Just look at that queue— their business is perpetually booming!
Expected damage: S$3.50 – S$5 per pax
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