Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
Tom’s Cityzoom Mee Pok Tar first landed on my radar mostly because of the name. The word “Cityzoom” tickled my brain cells. In addition, the stall’s Chinese name, 乡城鱼脞面, roughly translates to “minced fish noodles”. Essentially, this stall sells a fish-based version of bak chor mee… And I love fish.
The only snag? Tom’s Cityzoom Mee Pok Tar (or Tom’s Mee Pok, for short) opens at 5.30am, and is said to sell out quickly. This meant I needed to get out of bed early to make my way down to Ghim Moh Road Market & Food Centre A.S.A.P. if I wanted the goods. I set my alarm for 5.30am and prayed I’d get up.
I reached Ghim Moh Market at around 7.30am, and thanks to the queue, easily located Tom’s Mee Pok. Guess I wasn’t the only early bird. I hopped into the queue before it got much longer.
Despite the length of the queue, it moved relatively quickly. I eventually got close enough to look at the menu.
Tom’s Mee Pok only sells their signature fish noodles, known as Standard (S$4/S$5), but you can choose which type of noodle you want. Add-ons are also available, starting from S$0.40 for Fishball (1 piece).
What I tried at Tom’s Cityzoom Mee Pok Tar
I ordered the Standard at S$4, chose mee pok, and asked for chilli and vinegar. I’d read great things about the fried fish wanton, so I got 2 pieces at S$0.50 each. Before long, my order was ready.
The S$4 portion of noodles comes with fishballs in a bowl of soup, slices of fishcake, and 1 piece of wanton. As I began mixing the noodles up, I realised that there was a lot more in the bowl than I expected initially. Thank goodness I didn’t get the larger portion.
The mee pok is springy and al dente, with a slightly eggy taste. The chilli was piquant and savoury, and the spice levels were manageable for my low tolerance levels. I couldn’t really taste any vinegar, unfortunately — I would’ve preferred a stronger punch.
The fried fishcake contained chopped leeks, offering a springy, juicy texture with a burst of natural fish sweetness. I also liked the slightly salty and chewy exterior. I definitely regretted not ordering extra.
63 Laksa: $2.80 bowls of Sungei Road-style laksa at Ghim Moh Road Market
The fried wantons, oh the fried wantons. Each of these was a delicious, crispy morsel filled with fish paste and umami. I really should have ordered more. The owner prepares these by hand every morning, and once they’re gone for the day, they’re gone. If you want to grab some, you need to be early.
The accompanying soup had 2 fishballs inside (shallots and spring onions were added by me). It had a pleasant natural sweetness from cabbage, and I found a tiny bit of minced fish in my bowl. While the fishballs weren’t as heavily seasoned as the fried fishcake, they were still tasty. They were also on the softer side, but still bouncy enough not be mushy.
Final thoughts
So… was it worth crawling out of bed at the crack of dawn for? I’d say yes. I haven’t had mee pok like this before, and every element of the dish held its own while still being cohesive as a whole.
Even after I was done eating, almost an hour later, the queue was still going strong. Tom’s Mee Pok clearly is doing something very right.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need a nap.
Expected damage: S$4 – S$5 per pax
