I have heard many great things about the ban mian at Top 1 Home Made Noodle and it had been sitting on my to-visit list for forever. Located at the top of Beauty World Centre, the store is famous for their wide variety of handmade noodles, soups and sauces.
I arrived barely past their opening time of 11am on a weekday. But the first thing I saw as I approached the top floor of Beauty World Centre was a long queue leading to Top 1 Home Made Noodle… It was insane.
“The queue always very long,” they said. What an understatement. Thankfully, though, the queue moved rather quickly and the queue-number system helped keep everything in order, too.
The amazing thing about Top 1 Home Made Noodle is how you can customise your entire dish: noodles, type of soup (or no soup), ingredients, and (optional) extra ingredients. While they do have set bowls like their Abalone Clam Hand Made Ban Mee (S$5.50), most people go for the fully customised option.
For the blur sotongs (myself included), the nifty ordering guide and display of the 7 types of mian offered is a lifesaver. So, there’s no need to be intimidated by the “menu” (or lack thereof).
What I tried at Top 1 Home Made Noodle
As it was extremely hot and humid that afternoon, I opted for Dry Ban Mian (S$5) over the Soup (S$4.50) version. I also decided to get Meatball as the main ingredient and added Egg/Vegetable (S$0.50 each), bringing the total cost of my dish to S$6.
I was mildly perplexed as to why the additional egg and vegetables were not already included in the dish, given they are typical ban mian ingredients in most stores. But I can’t really complain, not in this economy.
On mixing up the noodles, I could immediately smell the aromatic chilli and dark soy sauce — I could not wait to dig in.
The sauce coated the ban mian very well and the noodles were incredibly QQ and springy. Exactly what I look for in ban mian.
The combination of dark soy sauce and the chilli was super shiok and I enjoyed it to the very last bite. One caveat, though: I was just halfway through the dish and could already feel the heat of the chilli.
Top 1 Home Made Noodle is not here to play. Definitely ask for chilli separately, or skip it altogether if you can’t take the heat.
Toppings-wise, the shiitake, meatballs and minced meat were well-marinated and tender, going perfectly with the flavourful sauce and spicy chilli.
Penang Heng Heng Handmade Noodles: One-man show whips up handmade ban mian from $5 at Geylang
Being a spice lover, I just knew I had to try out Top 1 Home Made Noodle’s famed Tom Yum (S$5). This time, I got U Mian with Prawn (seasonal price — currently S$5, S$6 or S$7) and added Egg/Vegetable like I did with the Dry Ban Mian.
One whiff of the bright red soup and I could already tell it was going to be spicy.
To my surprise, compared to the tom yum that I was used to, the broth used here was extremely gao and on the thicker side. On the first sip, it had a delightfully sour and spicy kick with a complex, full-bodied seafood flavour. However, I soon realised I had made a grave mistake by not ordering a drink to go with my meal.
I downed the whole bowl of hot, tangy soup, but I think my stomach now hates me. The initially delightful spicy kick from the chilli had slowly transformed into a torturous slow-burn heat. If anything, it reminded me of Korean Samyang Noodles, with which I share a love-hate relationship.
The tom yum is really not for the faint of heart. While I did love it, it definitely would not suit those who are unable to handle spice.
Like the ban main, the u mian had a perfectly springy bite and the thick tom yum coated the thinner noodles very well.
The S$5 Prawn portion had two large, juicy prawns that were extremely fresh. I’m glad I went with seafood instead here, as I loved how the natural sweetness of the prawns went with the tom yum.
Final Thoughts
I am absolutely devastated that I have only just tried Top 1 Home Made Noodle’s delicious offerings despite being a self-proclaimed Beauty World foodie. Whether they are really the “Top 1” ban mian is, of course, debatable but they truly serve up some super shiok and moreish bowls of noodles.
Even if chilli isn’t really your thing, Top 1 Home Made Noodle is definitely worth checking out if you love ban mian; their noodles really pack a punch and, dare I say, worth the sacrifice. I know I’ll surely be back for more.
Expected damage: S$4.50 – S$12.50
Price: $
Our Rating: 4.5 / 5
Top 1 Home Made Noodle
144 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Beauty World Food Centre, #04-44, Singapore 588177
Top 1 Home Made Noodle
144 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Beauty World Food Centre, #04-44, Singapore 588177
