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I normally associate the Hainanese with chicken rice, like most Singaporeans do. So colour me surprised when I heard about HaHa Family located in Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre, who serve up Hainanese Bee Hoon.
The hawker centre is tucked within a beautiful park, a mere 3-minute walk from Sembawang MRT. I can imagine people waking up in the wee hours of the morning for a stroll, then stopping by for a quick breakfast to start their day.
Unfortunately, I’m not a morning person, and HaHa Family opens at 10am.
The stall is run by a duo of middle-aged and elderly women, whom I presumed to be related. They came all the way from Hainan Province in China, and have been in this location for 3 years. Though I regret not asking if their family name was actually HaHa.
What I tried at HaHa Family
I came here to try 2 things: their Hainanese Chicken Bee Hoon and Pig Skin Jelly. Unfortunately, the auntie lamented that they stopped selling the latter a few months ago due to low sales and the difficulty in preparing and storing the dish.
Thus, I substituted it with their Harbin Pork Dumplings, which I’ve also read glowing reviews for.
First up, their Hainanese Chicken Bee Hoon (S$4.50). It passed the first looks test with the variety of colours all in 1 bowl. You have the thick brown broth, vibrant celery drizzled in the bowl that contrasts the darker coloured mei cai. The white minced meat was highlighted well, with red chillis mixed in it for yet more layers of colour.
The bowl is deceptively deep, too. The aunties were pretty generous for a bowl at this price point.
But after giving it a mix… cracks began appearing. While the noodles were glistening, they didn’t capture as much sauce as I’d have liked them to. In fact, they tasted rather dull.
Perhaps it’s because of their unconventional noodle choice, as HaHa Family uses white rice noodles, unlike most bee hoon that use thin rice vermicelli to hold the sauce between strands.
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The sauce itself had a mixture of flavour profiles, but one that stood out was the crunchy peanuts that tasted similar to the ones in Nasi Lemak. I felt the heat on my tongue from the red chillis integrated into the minced meat too.
But I couldn’t say the same for sliced bits of chicken. They were down at the very bottom of the bowl, even after mixing thoroughly. It’s on the tougher side of textures, which doesn’t mix well in a bite with the noodles.
Their Harbin Pork Dumplings (S$5 for 10pcs), on the other hand, offer decent value for money. You’re paying $0.50 per dumpling, which is a lot less than what most places charge you.
I’m pleased to report that HaHa Family’s dumplings don’t stick together on the plate, so you don’t have to worry about the dumpling skin tearing open and leaving filling strewn all over the plate.
The dumplings tasted pretty average for the most part, but I did enjoy the corn kernels that added a sweet aftertaste accompanying the peppery kick of the pork meat.
Call me crazy, but I don’t really like the dipping dumplings and xiao long baos in the vinegar sauce provided by most restaurants. But if you fancy a trifecta of spicy, sweet, and acidity, give it a go.
Final thoughts
Overall, I feel like HaHa Family offered a unique twist to common everyday delights, but struggled to balance the myriad of flavours and textures going into one bowl. Despite that, the dish is put together well enough to serve as a hearty meal.
While I don’t think the execution of dishes landed well, HaHa Family still has 4.7 stars out of 35 reviews on Google, so perhaps my tastes are just different from the masses’.
If the concept of a bolognese-like Chinese noodle still intrigues you, then head down to try it at least once. After all, it’s hard to find anything else like this.
Expected damage: S$4.50 – S$10 per pax
Order now: foodpanda
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