What is your comfort food? My definition of comfort needs to include features of homemade ingredients, warmth, and love. That equates to a bowl of handmade noodles, that I can easily find at Seletar Sheng Mian & Mian Fen Guo.
The stall that serves a homely bowl of slurp-worthy goodness is located in the hub of Ang Mo Kio— Kebun Baru Market and Food Centre.
I’ve tried all kinds of noodles before, and I love every single kind. But sheng mian? That is something that I don’t think I’ve tried… another reason for me to visit Ang Mo Kio!
Hidden at the back of Block 226H, Seletar Sheng Mian & Mian Fen Guo was easily noticeable from its long queue. By that, I mean— a really long queue.
In Singapore, sheng mian literally translates to raw noodles that are usually blanched in stock and then cooked in a savoury sauce. This was my first occurrence with such noodle delicacies, so you can imagine how rare it is to attain it!
Shortly past 10 mins, I was right at the front of the queue. I was greeted by the couple manning the store.
I had a clear view of the both of them, and their actions were literally robotic. The couple were so systematic in organising the ingredients, taking orders, and tearing of noodles. It was as if I was watching a symphony of orchestras— except the musical was taking place in the humble setting of a hawker stall! As the aunty worked on the plating of noodles, the uncle was at the back hand-plucking the noodles, and the sequence continued alternating.
What I tried at Seletar Sheng Mian & Mian Fen Guo
If you know me, you’ll know that I am usually one who opts for dry alternatives. However, with the rainy season that Singapore is currently blessed with, I had to go for a comforting bowl of soup.
Hence, I ordered a bowl of Sheng Mian (Soup) and Mee Hoon Kueh (Dry). Offering a spectrum of sizes, Seletar Sheng Mian & Mian Fen Guo serves portions of S$4/S$5/S$6. I went for the S$5 portion.
On a cold day, hot soup is best to start the day. Based on visual impressions, the portion looked huge as it came in a big bowl.
After taking a sip, I could taste the porky taste that came from the pork bone broth. I was immediately comforted by the warmth that it brought.
Break the yolk and you’ll be greeted with a mouthful of buttery quality. The soft boiled egg is gently cooked in the hot broth, hence acting as a thickening agent and enhancing its flavour to the next level. This is accompanied by the yellow egg noodles that add to the starchy mouthfeel.
I enjoyed the bits of bak chor were included in each mouthful, and this was probably my favourite part of the dish. I loved how the individual pork components of the dish added a beautiful ensemble to my noodle soup meal. In a cloudy bowl of soup, the minced pork made it a little bit sweeter.
Hidden in the bowl were 2 large prawns that were soaked in the essence of the soup. Once peeled, these were incredibly refreshing and flavourful.
For the uninitiated, mee hoon kueh are hand-torn noodles. The dough is separated from a large chunk of flour dough, which explains why the noodles are all odd-shaped.
For Seletar Sheng Mian & Mian Fen Guo, their version had a strong anchovies taste. As I opted for the spicy version, the spice level for this was rather mild.
Likewise for this option, it contained 2 huge prawns as well. These were super fresh and had no hint of sliminess!
Their noodles were chewy in texture and were quite reminiscent of homemade dumpling wrappers. While I thought that these were slightly undercooked to my liking, I realised that the chewiness came from the handmade feature of the noodles. As they stretch, pull, and knead the flour dough themselves, some pieces are meant to be thicker than the other.
Furthermore, the dry versions are accompanied by a bowl of soup for those who fancy a splash of pork broth!
Final thoughts
A turn of my head and the well-loved stall is still attending to a persistent queue. It has been an hour but it seems like Seletar Sheng Mian & Mian Fen Guo is a hot favourite. Well, I don’t disagree, as what’s not to love?
The systematic couple has got it in the bag with an array of comfort food that serves to all.
Expected damage: S$4 – S$6 per pax
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Price: $
Our Rating: 4 / 5
Seletar Sheng Mian & Mian Fen Guo
226H Ang Mo Kio Street 22, Kebun Baru Market and Food Centre, #01-07, Singapore 568226
Seletar Sheng Mian & Mian Fen Guo
226H Ang Mo Kio Street 22, Kebun Baru Market and Food Centre, #01-07, Singapore 568226
