[Closed] Lao Foong Ji: Ipoh-style dry minced pork udon & 16 varieties of dim sum at Hougang

I visited the peaceful neighbourhood of Lorong Ah Soo in search of Lao Foong Ji, a food stall specialising in Ipoh-style noodles. After cutting through multiple void decks and car parks, I eventually found BGAIN 121 Eating house, which is situated next to a basketball court.

The 4-month-old business is helmed by 31-year-old Mr. Jackus Foong, who is a native Malaysian from Ipoh. He told me that he missed those times when his late grandfather was still around and cooked noodles for his family at home.

As Jackus’s mother is also a noodle hawker back in his hometown, he got inspired to set up his own stall.

Jackus explained, “I spent 3 months doing multiple cooking trials and recipe tweaks in order to concoct the perfect method to capture my ah gong’s noodle flavours.”

Over the past decade, he has worked in several established dim sum restaurants in Singapore. This explains the presence of a dim sum menu (16 varieties) at his stall in addition to his noodle options.

What I tried at Lao Foong Ji

My dining partners and I commenced our early lunch with the Signature Dry Minced Pork Udon Noodle (S$6). There was minced pork, tau geh, a couple of fried condiments, sesame seeds, and spring onions concealing a bed of udon underneath.

After I combined everything together to create a beautiful messy mixture, the udon broke out of its cocoon and was finally visible to the naked eye. The plump strands of dough were glistening like sun-kissed bodies on the beach.

The udon was remarkably fragrant and the taste instantly reminded me of those yummy noodles that I usually eat back in Malaysia. Jackus said that he added his secret seasoning mix to it, and I was dying to know the recipe.

The minced meat came in varying sizes. Some were bigger clusters while others were tiny bits. This inconsistency provided different textural elements to the dish. The sesame seeds also added a delicate nutty flavour to it.

What I initially thought were giant pieces of fried tofu skin and ngoh hiang turned out to be fish paste products instead. They were sinfully greasy but utterly delicious when paired with the noodles.

I took a rain check on the noodles and proceeded with the Black Gold Lava Custard Bao (S$3.60 for 2 pieces). The charcoal-like buns resembled giant pebbles, and I knew that I had to have these while they were still warm.

The decadent and buttery umami-ness of the salted egg custard gushed out instantly as my teeth sunk into the bao. It contrasted really well with the bun’s soft, sponge-like texture.

Next on our list was the Sweet & Sour Beancurd Roll (S$3.80 for 3 pieces). Unlike local renditions which utilise oyster sauce, the Ipoh version uses a tangy and sweet sauce which is made predominantly with ketchup and other seasonings.

The bean curd roll was stuffed with minced chicken, black fungus and carrots. The sweet and sour sauce wreaked havoc on my taste buds in a good way, resetting my palate so that I was ready for more food.

We then moved on to the Lava Durian Roll (S$3.60 for 2 pieces). These resembled spring rolls but without all the shredded turnip and vegetables. Instead, you’ll be rewarded with a flowy, fragrant durian paste after biting through the golden-brown crispy skin.

Jackus said that they mix genuine durian meat together with custard. That being said, I felt that the Lava Durian Roll tasted a little artificial.

We brought our lunch to a close with the Signature Scallion Dry Noodle (S$4.50). The bowl consisted of a bowl of thinner noodles which had a generous sprinkling of sesame seeds and spring onions, a trio of balls, a fried fish dumpling, and green veggies.

The thinner noodles reminded me of la mian, and they managed to absorb the piquant taste of the sauce better than the udon.

My 2 dining partners preferred this, but I felt that something was missing. What was it? Pork lard! (The addition of this ingredient would have enhanced it even more).

Each of the 3 balls was unique— 1 made of prawn, 1 of chicken and 1 of fish paste. Besides the fact that they were aesthetically pleasing to the eye, each of the balls provided a slightly different flavour profile to the bowl of noodles. They were bouncy and weren’t laden with flour. Delicious!

Final thoughts

Lao Foong Ji has the best of both worlds in one spot: noodles and dim sum. The story of Jackus’s determination to achieve the nostalgic taste of his late grandfather’s cooking touched me.

Do drop by his humble stall to give him some support.

Expected damage: S$4.50 – S$10 per pax

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