Q Hor Fun: “Yuan Yang” Hor Fun & Other Unusual Flavours From Young Hawkers At Telok Ayer

Ipoh hor fun, which originates from the capital city of Perak, is essentially rice noodles which are flat and slim in size, prepared in a rich broth with meat and vegetables, or served stir-fried. 

Opened for about a year in the CBD (Central Business District) at Telok Ayer, specifically Market Street Interim Hawker Centre, Q Hor Fun cooks up Ipoh-inspired dishes. When I mean inspired here, unfortunately, I’m only referring to their use of rice noodles from Ipoh to create dishes for the local crowd. 

Yong Qin, the man behind the creation of Q Hor Fun, did not take the conventional route of acquiring paper qualifications nor an office job. Instead, he applied what he learnt from accounting and embarked on a career revolving around food business. 

Together with two of his secondary school friends, they opened Q Hor Fun. The name came about using inspiration from the nickname, ‘Qin’, as well as from the common saying of how food tastes ‘QQ’. The logo of Q Hor Fun is intriguing, as it looks like a big-brand logo (which I could not recall at that time what brand it resembles). 

I started off with their Pork Chop With Mushroom Hor Fun (S$4.50). The bowl was filled to the brim with a unique sauce that Q Hor Fun created, a herb-based sauce in place of the typical chicken & prawn flavours found in hor fun. Besides that, ingredients that sealed the deal were shiitake mushrooms, vegetables as well the pork chop.

The consistency of the herbal sauce was much appreciated as I do not enjoy cloying textures in my soup. Flavour-wise, it was nourishing especially with the wolfberry. With its bittersweet characteristics, it ticked off the checklist for a well-balanced meal. 

For those who shy away from herbal flavours, this should be acceptable for your palate given the herbal taste was not overpowering, although other food sites have claimed otherwise.

The rice noodles were silky smooth, so smooth that I had difficulty getting a shot of the noodles. It did not need much effort to digest, so I would advise customers to slow down lest they might choke on the hor fun. 

The pork chop added a nice touch to the bowl of hor fun. It was not drowned in batter, which allowed the meat to be the main star of the show. Biting into the meat, the level of savouriness hit the spot. The texture was divine, leaning to the lean side which I preferred. 

My eyes sparkled when I saw that they serve Curry Pork Chop Hor Fun (S$4.50). Curry with hor fun. How would that turn out? Before diving in, I noted that the curry served was filled to the brim, and that delighted the curry lover in me. 

The curry had a deep and earthy flavour while having a creamy consistency that made me crave for more. An underlying spice tingled onto my tastebuds as I savoured the curry.

The potato was enormous, which guarantees you being satiated. The texture of it did not disappoint, with its mouthfeel sitting on the fence between mushy and undercooked. 

For those with an appetite like a bottomless pit like me, get this. Three Treasures (S$8) is an epitome of all their dishes. 

I was elated when I realised my bowl showed a yin yang image of herbal and curry sauce. One would wonder, was this dish an accident? I appreciated how meticulous they were in making sure the yin yang shape was crafted perfectly. 

The humble bowl was bursting with ingredients—proteins like the fried fish, pork chop & chicken, vegetables like the shiitake mushrooms, vegetables, topped with yuan yang sauce. The soup is essentially their signature curry and herbal sauce put together. 

The fried fish was fall-apart tender and had a silky yet meaty texture when I bit into it. I would have preferred it to have a crunchier bite on the exterior of the fried fish, but it was splendid nonetheless. 

Overall, the Three Treasures soup entails both herbal as well as curry flavours. Its consistency reminds me of the gooeyness that we Singaporeans are familiar with (think half-boiled egg mixed with dark soy sauce).  

To some, it might come across as a confusing dish to have. In fact, it was to me as well. Although the curry was watered down, its flavours remained strong, tingling my tastebuds with delight. 

On top of that, the bittersweet elements were also able to stand strong on its own without being masked over by the spicy sensation of the curry. Despite its confusing nature, the flavours were still able to come together well, resulting in a one-of-a-kind dish which I truly applauded the chefs for.

If you wish to appreciate either the herbal soup or the curry flavours separately, this might not be for you. I would come down on separate occasions to enjoy the flavours as separate meals.  

Personally, I would go for the Pork Chop With Mushroom Hor Fun. For someone who is not a fan of extreme herbal flavours, this was considered mild, and I would recommend this for those who are looking for a slightly healthier alternative to grabbing lunch at the hawker centre. 

After all, it boils down to personal preference—something gentle on the palate or something slightly fiery and buttery? Like me, if you have an indecisive character trait, go for the best of both worlds and order Three Treasures.

Expected Damage: S$4.50 – S$8 per pax