JOFA Mee Pok, Tampines: Guaranteed goodness for dry and soup Bak Chor Mee in the East

Some say the East is where it’s at for soupy Bak Chor Mee (minced meat noodles), whereas the West is where it’s at for the dry version. Well, regardless of cardinal directions, I think I may have just found the ultimate spot with guaranteed goodness of both: JOFA Mee Pok.

JOFA Mee Pok Shopfront

Located in a humble coffee shop within Tampines, the trendy, neon-lit hawker stall is run by two ex-polytechnic classmates, Joel and Fabian, hence the name JOFA (get it?). Rumour has it that the queues get quite long during lunch and dinner times, so I popped over early around 9am for (what-I-hoped-was) a hearty breakfast.

Thankfully, there were about three elderly uncles in the queue before me, all of whom ordered a single bowl of bak chor mee. That to me was the single most powerful testimonial that this was going to be a spectacular bow. It might be an unsuspecting observation but trust me: if the uncles love it, so will you.

What I tried

Signature Dry Minced Meat Noodle

First up with the pride and glory at JOFA Mee Pok, the Signature Minced Meat Noodles (S$6/S$8). The premium bowl comes with a touch of class when it comes to ingredients. At its price point, you’ll find abalone slices, scallops, clams, and your usual suspects, grace your glorious bowl.

Before I play judge on the premium ingredients that I’m still feeling a little squinty-eyed about, let’s talk about the noodles. I went for mee pok as my choice of noodles because most bak chor mee lovers insist it’s the only choice for dry minced meat noodles.

Signature Minced Meat Noodles (Dry Mee Pok)

Give it a good toss and to my delight, I found that the chilli, lard oil and lard bits coated the noodles evenly. After one hefty, unglamourous slurp of mee pok, I must say the team at JOFA Mee Pok nailed it on the vinegar to chilli ratio.

While the chilli was tasty, I do wish it had a bit more oomph and heat to it. For someone who’s not good with spicy food, this spicy version was kept within the safe zone on the spice meter.

Lard bits with JOFA Mee Pok's signature bowl

What I absolutely loved were the chunky, crispy, oh-so sinful lard bits. Ugh, this was temptation right smack in my face. The signature JOFA Mee Pok bowl easily had six to seven chunks hidden, of which I happily devoured. Don’t let my gym trainers find out!

Premium ingredients within the Signature Minced Meat Noodle bowl

As for the paid extras on this bak chor mee show, the abalone slices, scallops and clams were fresh and generous but nothing outstanding to me. When it comes to the humble bowl, these premium gems are nothing but bonus toppings for a price— which I personally could do without.

Altogether, a commendable effort from the young hawkerpreneurs for their take on the dry bak chor mee.

Standard Minced Meat Noodles (Soup Mee Kia)

Of course, I couldn’t skip on the OG. For S$4.50, the crowd-favourite and most obvious item on the menu here at JOFA Mee Pok was the Minced Meat Noodles. 

Served in either the dry or soup version, I decided to go with the latter to see if the soup was anything worth writing about. After all, I haven’t quite come across a stall that checks both boxes on my list when it comes to nailing both versions.

JOFA MEE Pok's Standard Bowl

Now, if you’re a fan of Bedok 85’s soupy bak chor mee, this will definitely surprise you. I realised when I opted for mee kia as my choice of noodle, it wasn’t the traditional thin egg noodles but rather, its cousin.

Let me explain: it’s a hybrid of mee pok and mee kia— not super flat like mee pok but neither super thin like mee kia. It was right in between. I guess we could temporarily call it… mee pok kia? 

JOFA Mee Pok Soup

Regardless of shape and size, this bowl is the true underdog at JOFA Mee Pok. The broth was beautifully umami and filled with delicious minced meat with every scoop. If there’s one thing I must commend here, it’s got to be the generosity.

I guess some may argue saying the S$4.50 price tag is above the average market price, hence warranting bigger portions but I beg to differ. From the handmade meatballs and fishballs to the lard bits, hearty soup and chilli sauce, both versions were positively distinct and truly surpassed my expectations.

JOFA Mee Pok's Signature Fried Fish Sticks

Last but not least— Fried Fish Sticks (S$3). Do not skip on this. I repeat: these fried little gems are an absolute must-order. It’s almost like tau kee (beancurd skin) and fish paste had a kid. It was nothing too fishy nor too oily, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Best believe I inhaled this bowl faster than I could complete the Wordle of the day. Now, I wonder if JOFA does bulk packs of fried fish sticks…

Final thoughts

JOFA's Signature Mee Pok & Soup Mee Pok

JOFA Mee Pok’s Minced Meat Noodles are true contenders of the BCM scene, with impressive and delicious dry and soup bowls. And don’t even get me started on those addictive Fried Fish Sticks— I could snack on those forever. 

If you’re one that fancies premium seafood, the signature bowl is for you. Otherwise, the standard bowl will do just the trick. Undecided on which version to get? I guess you’ll have to toss a coin, or just get both— ha!

Expected damage: S$4.50 – S$8 per pax

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Price: $

Our Rating: 4 / 5

JOFA Mee Pok

824 Tampines Street 81, #01-38, Singapore 520824

Price
Our Rating 4/5

JOFA Mee Pok

824 Tampines Street 81, #01-38, Singapore 520824

Operating Hours: 8am - 2.30pm & 5.30pm - 8pm

Operating Hours: 8am - 2.30pm & 5.30pm - 8pm
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