Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle at Crawford Lane has been hailed as Singapore’s best Bak Chor Mee for good reason. Having snagged a Michelin Star last year, they have once again wowed us by retaining the prestigious accolade in the inaugural guide this year.
Any self-proclaimed foodie or BCM fan can attest to the quality of its noodles and fresh ingredients, which boasts an insanely addictive sauce and soup. If you’ve tried this for yourself, you’ll see that they have indeed proven themselves worthy of the One Michelin Star title.
Of course, nothing worth having comes easy. It’s no surprise that customers have to queue for as long as 1-2 hours just to enjoy a bowl of this hawker delight.
That said, it’s expected that the queues will get even lengthier this year so brace yourselves.
When it was finally our turn to order, it was impossible for us not to go for the biggest portion size on the menu — the $10 bowl. Considering how long the queues are, this has become a popular pick among most customers patronising the stall.
While there is a cheaper alternative that goes at $5, you really get your money’s worth with this upsized bowl as it comes with an additional serving of each ingredient. This includes everything from dumplings, fried fish slices and minced meat to pork liver and sliced pork.
As soon as you start digging in, you’ll notice that each component is executed to perfection. The pork liver, in particular, boasted an unparalleled tenderness and had an amazingly soft texture that almost melts in your mouth.
In addition, the minced pork was well-marinated and cooked just right. Together with the fried sole fish, these were just some of the quality ingredients that make Tai Hwa’s signature Bak Chor Mee so legit.
The dumplings were certainly worth mentioning, as well. Not only did they manage to absorb the robust blend of vinegar perfectly but it also tasted absolutely fresh on its own.
Furthermore, the concoction of sauces really did provide an amalgamation of different flavours with it being savoury and sour all at once.
The noodles are one of the most defining factors of what makes and breaks this dish and Tai Hwa’s didn’t disappoint at all. Cooked upon order, the springy noodles were laced with a blend of vinegar and several other sauces that served to not only reduce the alkalinity but elevate the overall taste as well.
You’d notice that the noodles here are thicker and certainly more al dente than the norm; in fact, the tangy noodles were undeniably firm and provided more bite than we could hope for.
While the vinegar blend was super addictive, those who aren’t particularly fond of the strong taste might find it to be too pungent after a while.
That’s where this rich and flavourful seaweed soup comes in — accompanied with every bowl of noodle, this definitely served as a great palate cleanser and was one we couldn’t do without.
Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle left me swelling with pride for our local hawker scene. The chef helming the stall puts in a tremendous amount of effort into crafting each bowl of noodles and has mastered it pretty damn well, in my opinion.
If anything, his dedication has been paramount to his growing success and it’s plain to see why a humble hawker can easily match up to the many fancy restaurants heralding the same title.
Despite the long queues, I would definitely queue for this again in a heartbeat because the BCM here is seriously too good to pass up. Plus, this is probably one of the cheapest Michelin Starred meals you can get.
Expected Damage: $5 – $10 per pax
