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In my opinion, Google ratings aren’t always accurate. So what’s the best way to know if a food establishment is worth visiting? Heading down to taste it yourself, of course! Over the years, Prince Noodles has expanded to 3 outlets in Singapore, but its OG stall at ARC 380 at Jalan Besar still reigns supreme. It has amassed a 4.6 stars out of 5 rating with a total of 366 reviews (at the time of writing) on Google Reviews, making it the best-rated ban mian establishment on Google.
To be honest, I’ve visited them 2 years and the noodles were good — but that was a couple of years back! Let’s see if the quality and taste of their ban mian has maintained their gold-class standards.
Ambience-wise, everything was pretty much the same. The menu, though, got a mini glow-up. There are now more noodle options with fish roe prawn paste balls, as well as 15 add-on ingredients for you to jazz up your bowl of noods.
What to order at Prince Noodles
That Wednesday morning, I decided to indulge a little and added Pork Meatballs (+S$1.20) and Onsen Egg (+$0.80) to my bowl of dry Handmade Mee Hoon Kueh (S$6.50), bringing it to a total of S$8.50.
The bowl of mee hoon kueh had a loaded amount of minced pork, ikan bilis, mani cai, and a garnish of fried shallots.
After prodding the perfectly oozy egg, I tossed all the elements up, watching that creamy yolk and whites gradually sneaking its way into every nook and cranny, resulting in a glossy sheen that caught the sunlight from the stall’s floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
Having discovered a couple of delicious dry mee hoon kueh spots like Lao Wang Ban Mian and Wang Lee Cafe in recent months, my internal taste metre rating was naturally at an all-time high. Would Prince Noodle’s rendition meet the mark? Thankfully, it did!
The sheets of mee hoon kueh were of the ideal thickness — not too thin nor thick. With seasonings hitting just the right notes, the minced pork — stir-fried separately until fragrant — brought a punchy depth of flavour that tied the whole dish together. The onsen egg that ‘disappeared’ after my barbarian-like vigorous mixing made it all the more creamy.
I found the S$1.20 top-up well worth it for the 3 substantial meatballs. They had a good texture and the meat taste was robust, much better than other renditions I’ve tried that simply tasted of flour and nothing else.
If you can handle the heat, dig into their homemade chilli that’s slightly tangy. The spice hits you like a boxer’s finishing blow — unapologetic, impactful, and full of character. Thank goodness for the air conditioning; without it, I might have melted on the spot.
We then moved on to the Handmade You Mian (S$6.50) soup. The strands of noodles were doused in a translucent broth that’s filled with the same chaotic little gang of ingredients.
The broth was soothing, mildly peppery and had an infusion of ikan bilis flavour that gave it an umami-filled character. It wasn’t heavily laden with other seasonings, making it easy to slurp right down to the last drop.
The ban mian turned out a touch softer than the mee hoon kueh — perhaps I should blame myself, not the kitchen, for keeping the noodles submerged in hot broth while I snapped endless photos. The mani cai, with its signature rough texture provided a nice contrast to the soft noodle strands.
I loved that the anchovies in the soup version had a greater impact. With the broth possessing its own umami punch, it was like a double whammy of flavour.
Similar to the previous dish, the minced pork was a delight to tuck into. The chunks of bak chor were scrumptiously delicious, elevating the entire bowl with every bite.
I also tried one of their new dishes, the Handmade Ban Mian with Fish Roe Prawn Paste Ball (S$8) with added King Oyster Mushroom (+S$1).
There was a trio of fish roe prawn paste balls given and boy, were they good. Each orb was silky smooth, yet retained the actual texture of the natural prawn bite — clearly not bulked up with excess flour. Then comes the fun part: mini bursts of fish roe popping away with every chew. It reminded me of the ‘xia hua‘ you’d find at hotpot establishments.
If I had one gripe, it would be the doneness of the ban mian. It was a little too tough for my liking; it was harder than the other 2 that I just savoured. Consistency issues, probably?
Who Prince Noodles is best for
Ban mian and mee hoon kueh enthusiasts won’t be disappointed with this place. It’s perfect for a no-frills office lunch or casual after-work dinner with friends.
How to get there?
The Jalan Besar outlet of Prince Noodles is nestled within ARC 380. The closest MRT station is Bendemeer MRT Station (DT23), which is a 7-min walk away. Alternatively, you can take a bus and alight at Arc 380 bus stop.
Do we recommend Prince Noodles?
Without a doubt, I’ll recommend my mee hoon kueh lover friends to come down to give it a try. It’s hard to decide if I preferred the dry or soup variant, but both were good enough to leave an impression. The dry had that punchy flavour that kept me going back for more, while the soup version brought all the cosy, slurp-worthy goodness to the table. If you’ve visited them before, which is your favourite?
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