Poon Nah City Home Made Noodles Review: Famous Abalone Clam Mee Hoon Kueh In Paya Lebar

Poon Nah City Home Made Noodles has handmade mee hoon kueh at City Plaza

Poon Nah City Home Made Noodles has been a staple of Paya Lebar for almost three decades now. Throughout the years, they’ve amassed a host of fans who swear by their handmade noodles. This includes one of my colleagues, who lives nearby. He testified that he’d been a regular here since he was a child, and still comes by every now and then for their comforting bowls of mee hoon kueh.

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Food at Poon Nah City Home Made Noodles 

Per his recommendations, we started with a crowd favourite, the Abalone Clams Mee Hoon Kueh ($6). While it’s called “abalone clams” on the stall’s menu, they’re more commonly known as  a type of Pacific razor clam. 

The clams themselves were subtly sweet and on the chewier side. They weren’t the fleshiest, which was a little disappointing considering the price. On the other hand, I liked that the mee hoon kueh wasn’t too thick or floury. It was also cooked al dente and had a nice bite to it. 

An unexpected highlight of this dish was the vegetables. Most handmade noodle stalls use spinach, Chinese cabbage, or bok choy, but you’ll find sayur manis leaves, AKA mani cai, at Poon Nah City. Positive Google reviews praise the sweetness of the leaves, which soak up the tastiness of the broth, giving it a distinct flavour.

Speaking of the broth, one thing that’s immediately noticeable is its lighter taste. Other stalls have a more porky flavour to their broths, but Poon Nah City’s rendition is heavy on ikan billis. Additionally, it’s served without an egg, which makes the broth clearer. Personally, I can’t bear to have handmade noodles without an egg, but many seem to prefer this version.

Besides the vegetables, Poon Nah City is also well-known for their chilli—they even sell them in tubs at the stall. It’s extra spicy and piquant, making it a great complement to the noodles. If you’re a spice-lover, both my colleague and this TikToker suggest mixing some chilli into the broth. Trying it for myself, I did enjoy the additional kick that’s added to the whole dish.  

This chilli also pairs well with their sides, of which we got a serving of Crispy Beancurd ($3). They’re thoroughly fried, making them super crunchy. 

While they don’t have a strong flavour on their own, they make for an addictive snack when enjoyed with the chilli.

Back to the noodles: although Poon Nah City is known for their noodle soups, I was surprised to find myself preferring the dry version.

Unlike their soup version, which can be ordered with different ingredients such as abalone, fish maw, or fish slices, the dry one only comes as a single option. Dubbed the Home Made Noodle Dry ($5.50), it came with two decently sized prawns, minced meatballs, fried ikan billis, and mani cai. I opted for you mian here, but you can have it with any other noodle of your choice, including instant noodles, ban mian, and bee hoon.   

The you mian was my favourite part of the dish, as it was springier than other ones I’ve tried. Its texture felt like a cross between la mian and udon, which made it incredibly satisfying to chew on.  

Compared to other dry handmade noodles I’ve had, the sauce here was slightly thinner and a little more sweet than savoury. Combined with the prawns, this dish reminded me more of hei mee than dry handmade noodles. This isn’t necessarily a downside, though, as I am a fan of this version.

One gripe I had with this dish was that the prawns were slightly mushy and hard, which hints at them being somewhat overcooked and not quite fresh. For the price, you also don’t get much noodles.

Ambience at Poon Nah City Home Made Noodles 

Poon Nah City Home Made Noodles might be hard to locate for those unfamiliar with Paya Lebar. It’s tucked away in a small food court on the topmost floor of City Plaza, an old-school shopping mall situated a 15-minute walk from Paya Lebar MRT Station. Apart from its nostalgic vibe, diners can escape from the heat as the food court is fully air-conditioned. 

The verdict

With their distinct broth and sauce, Poon Nah City Home Made Noodles serves up unique bowls of handmade noodles. It might not be my exact cup of tea, but I can see why they’ve garnered a loyal customer base over the years. Those looking to try something new can definitely pay this stall a visit if they happen to be nearby.

If you’re looking for more good eats in the area, drop by KINEX mall and try the famous Korean chain BHC Chicken! Otherwise, you can head to Soul Coffee for tarot readings and horoscope-inspired drinks. 

Address: 810 Geylang Road, #05-02, City Plaza, Singapore 409286
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 10am to 8pm, Sun 10am to 7:30pm
Tel: 6741 4221
Website
Poon Nah City Home Made Noodles is not a halal-certified eatery.

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Photos taken by Daryl Lim.
This was an independent review by Eatbook.