Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
For those living around Holland Village and Buona Vista, do you think paying S$5 for a bowl of wanton mee is pricey for your area? Hui Ying, whose parents run 23-year-old Yap Kee Wanton Noodles at Holland Drive Market & Food Centre, feels that could be one of the contributing factors of their poor footfall.
Note: The stall will be closed on Tuesday & Wednesday (28 – 29Apr 2026).
In her Facebook post which I came across by chance, she thinks that her parents’ wanton mee is one of the best in Singapore —naturally, with a touch of bias. She feels that their business is operating under-the-radar with lower than average sales, despite the hawker centre having a substantial crowd.
“Perhaps it’s a pricing thing – from S$2.50 per bowl more than 20 years ago to S$5 minimally today, I don’t know,” Hui Ying says. She also adds that it could be because of the abundance of food choices at the hawker centre. She encourages netizens to drop by and support her parents.
Curious and wanting to show her parents some support, I headed over to the hawker centre and spotted Yap Kee Wanton Egg Noodles. There were only a couple of customers ahead of me, and business seemed quieter compared to Chun Kee Cantonese Wanton Noodle in the same premise, which had a decent queue. Prices over there start from S$4 for a bowl of wanton mee and S$5 for chicken feet noodles.
Could the lower price be the reason why? Or are the noodles tastier than that of Yap Kee? Any Chun Kee fans in the house? Unfazed, I went ahead and ordered a bowl at Yap Kee.
Meet the owners — 62-year-old Choon Bee and her husband, 65-year-old Richard, who hail from Johor, Malaysia. Richard has a personality that makes him the life of any gathering — outgoing with the sweetest smile . When I asked his age, he jokingly said he was 18, before adding that the secret to staying young is eating a bowl of wanton mee every day (aaaw).
In a period of 23 years, the couple has operated the business in a few kopitiams around the West, and even returned to Holland Drive Market & Food Centre after its 10-month renovation.
Richard’s older brother, who had a wanton mee stall at Johor Jaya, was the one who taught the couple everything he knew about this beloved hawker dish. “He was the pioneer who created the flying wanton mee in JB,” Richard shared.
The couple arrive at 5.30am daily to prepare for the day’s operations, including handcrafting the wantons and swee kao (dumplings). “In the past, we used to arrive even earlier, but we’re getting old and lazy, haha!” Choon Bee exclaimed, with a giggle. The stall closes by 2pm and doesn’t serve the dinner crowd.
I tried the small dry Wanton Egg Noodles for S$5; they also have a large portion for S$6. First impressions, it was a no-frills bowl of wanton mee with an old-school vibe.
After tossing all the elements together, the first mouthful instantly brightened up my gloomy Monday morning. The 100% egg noodles were springy, enveloped in aromatic lard oil, seasonings and chilli. The pork lard nuggets, though tiny and only 3 pieces, were crispy and unctuously delicious.
Personally, I prefer char siew with a little fat and char. The version here wasn’t quite like that, but it also wasn’t the dry, lean ‘cardboard’ kind. I’d say that I didn’t mind it at all.
If I had one tiny gripe, it would be the slightly underwhelming amount of meat in the wantons — I would’ve liked a little more! Other than that, taste-wise, they were right up my alley. The soup was also pleasant and mildly sweet.
So ladies and gentlemen, what do you guys think? Is S$5 indeed too pricey for a matured estate like Holland drive? Above-average noodles and friendly service, albeit S$1 pricier than its competition, I personally didn’t see a problem in that. I wouldn’t mind patronising them again and feel that S$5 isn’t that bad in today’s economy.
To avoid disappointment, get their latest update on their rest days by subscribing to their WhatsApp channel or contact them at +65 8533 0402.
If you’re in the area, would you go show some support to this friendly couple and try their wanton mee? Do share in the comments.
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