Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
Kolo mee has to be one of the most underappreciated noodle dishes in Singapore. Often overshadowed by its universally popular cousin wanton mee, this masterpiece of Sarawakian Chinese cuisine definitely deserves more attention. I’m happy to report that Gold Kolo Mee Ju Xiong in the Kopitiam at 205 Bedok North is doing its part to share the magic with Singaporeans every day.
Coming on 8 years since it opened, this stall is arguably one of the best places in Singapore to try this dish. Prepared from an original Sarawakian recipe by the owners, it should be your first option if you want to discover authentic kolo mee.
What I tried
You already know the answer to the header: there is no way that you can come to Ju Xiong and not try their signature Sarawak Kolo Mee (S$5).
The stall offers three versions of the dish— white, red, and black.
White kolo mee is the original version. It is served with sambal and you are free to pile on as much cut green and red chilli as you wish on your noodles.
Black kolo mee gets its name for the soya sauce it is covered in. The sauce on red kolo mee is a blend of lard, shallot oil, soy sauce, and char siew sauce that gives it the characteristic colour.
On the day we visited, they had run out of the red version due to its overwhelming popularity.
The stall operators prepare kolo mee the same way that they have done for decades. The base is made up of springy dry egg noodles that are not too oily. It is topped with generous amounts of flavourful orange-edged char siew (Cantonese style barbecued pork) and fragrant minced pork.
Beautiful little cylinders of green shallots form the garnishing. Most other kolo mee vendors also top off the bowl with fried onions but that was not the case here. Some might complain but, personally, I prefer not to have them.
I found the noodles to be a little dry, but I cannot tell if the bowl was prepared that way or if I had left it too long while I tried to take the best pictures. By contrast, the char siew was done just right and I found the minced pork to be light and flavourful despite the wait. The aroma wafting from the shallots warmed by the meat and noodles was amazing.
I chose the smaller $5 bowl but the serving was generous, to say the least. I would not be able to finish a single bowl all on my own.
Because the red kolo mee was not available, we decided to try the Sarawak Laksa (S$6) in its place. This is a unique way to prepare a classic laksa that includes both coconut milk and tamarind paste.
Perhaps it was the excellence of the two kolo mee dishes but the laksa paled in comparison. Having had some of the most renowned laksas in Singapore, I found the Ju Xiong version to be average at best.
It lagged a long distance behind in the fragrance department and, most importantly, did not have the spiciness kick to make up for it. I would not go out of my way to try this dish.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the similarity of kolo mee to wanton mee was obvious but you can easily tell one apart from the other— kolo mee is always served dry while the other is always served with a bowl of soup. Wanton fans will surely disagree but I find that the presence of the soup can be distracting, and that it takes away from a full enjoyment of the flavour of the meat and noodles.
Ju Xiong’s Sarawak Kolo Mee is an interesting and delicious example of the wide and wonderful world of Sarawakian Chinese cuisine. If you are in the Bedok vicinity, it is well worth sampling. I come to that conclusion based on both its taste and the value for money it gives. There are few better ways to spend lunchtime and S$5.
Expected damage: S$5- S$7 per pax
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