Chef Kang’s Noodle House: S$5 Michelin-Starred Wanton Mee Tucked Away In Toa Payoh

Chef Kang's Noodle House 12

Make your way down to Chef Kang’s Noodle House in Toa Payoh and this is the sight that will usually greet you. A seemingly never-ending queue for a simple bowl of wanton mee.

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What is even more perplexing is that this stall is located in the canteen area of Jackson Square, a non-descript storage commercial building. An extremely unexpected place to get your wanton mee fix. Plus, I was there on a Friday morning mind you, so I was not expecting any sort of queue.

As I trudged towards the front of the line, I saw that Chef Kang’s Noodle House offered a lean and simple menu of wanton mee and char siew.

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A little info about Chef Kang’s Noodle Stall before we dig in. The stall is owned by Chef Ang Song Kang, who is also the owner of the restaurant Chef Kang’s Kitchen. His restaurant specialises in the Cantonese cuisine and was just awarded one Michelin star in 2017.

With all this in mind, I was definitely excited to see Chef Kang’s interpretation of the humble wanton mee. Not the mention, waiting in line built up my anticipation. Judging by the stream of customers that continuously join up the line, the wait must be worth it.

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My companion and I got a bowl of Noodle with Char Siew and Wanton (S$5) each and a plate of Char Siew (S$10) to share. Everything at this stall is prepared fresh to order, which explains the wait time.

Let’s start with the main attraction, the Noodle with Char Siew and Wanton. All the usual elements of your typical wanton mee were present, with generous portions of Char Siew and lard cubes. Yum.

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The noodles are not your run-of-the-mill egg noodles, these noodles are specially imported from Hong Kong known as jook sing noodles. Or simply bamboo pole noodles made only with eggs, flour and a dash of alkaline water, resulting in a springy and light texture reminiscent of wanton noodles you get in Hong Kong.

I was also particularly taken by the lard. For starters, they are not your average sized bits; being at least two to three times bigger than your standard lard morsels. The size of sugar cubes, they were crisp to a fault and not greasy at all. This goes to show how conscientious the chefs at Chef Kang’s Noodle stall are. Even a seemingly trivial component is executed with such expertise.

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With all the anticipation and excitement surrounding the dish, I lifted a mouthful of noodles slathered with top-notch Kwoh Woh Hing soy sauce. The noodles were bouncy and fresh tasting, the fragrant soy sauce does mask the eggy taste of the noodles slightly. The noodles had a good bite and it was a tasty mouthful.

I understood why people were willing to wait a whopping two hours for this bowl.

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Now, on to the Char Siew. Chef Kang’s Noodle House uses pork belly for their char siew instead of the usual pork shoulder or pork loin.

Furthermore, the char siew is seasoned with the same marinade at Chef Kang’s restaurant but at half the price. And like any good char siew, it is roasted in a charcoal oven, ensuring the char in char siew.

Chef Kang’s char siew might look on the fatty side but does not taste jelak at all. The fat melts in your mouth and is the perfect combination of sweet and savoury from the marinade.

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Wanton mee is only worth its mettle with the quality of their wantons and Chef Kang’s did not disappoint. The wantons were served in a rich chicken broth that was both warm and comforting.

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I sunk my teeth into these flaxen little parcels, and I am happy that the pork was buoyant and aromatic and the shrimp unbelievably fresh.

The addition of crunchy water chestnuts creates another layer of freshness and texture to an already great wanton.

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If you cannot get enough of that mouth-watering char siew, you can also get an entire plate (S$10), which is great for sharing or for days you are particularly ravenous. Just look at this beauty.

Chef Kang’s Noodle House also serves their signature wanton noodles with shredded abalone (S$10) if you are feeling indulgent. But I’d say just stick with the original.

With the care and precision Chef Kang’s Noodle House has for their Michelin starred wanton mee, it is definitely a steal of being only S$5 a bowl. If you are heading down on a weekend, I suggest you get there early or risk the insanely long queue or worse- they could run out. There is nothing worse than queuing for hours and leaving empty handed


Wanton mee lovers will not be disappointed with Chef Kang’s Noodle House’s wanton noodles, this bowl could (dare I say it?) one of the best bowls of wanton mee in Singapore.

Expected Damage: S$5 – $15 per pax

Price: $

Our Rating: 5 / 5

Chef Kang's Noodle House

11 Lorong 3 Toa Payoh, Jackson Square, Blk A, #01-34, Singapore, Singapore 319579

Price
Our Rating 5/5

Chef Kang's Noodle House

11 Lorong 3 Toa Payoh, Jackson Square, Blk A, #01-34, Singapore, Singapore 319579

Operating Hours: 8am- 4pm(Tues -Sun), Closed on Mondays

Operating Hours: 8am- 4pm(Tues -Sun), Closed on Mondays

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