Is Jin Xi Lai (Mui Siong) The Best Bak Chor Mee In SG?

Jin Xi Lai (Mui Siong) Minced Meat Noodle has famous BCM

Since the completion of Alderic’s excellent best bak chor mee (BCM) series, and after revisiting our ranked guide to the best minced meat noodles in Singapore, I’ve been on a bit of a BCM pilgrimage myself. I’ve visited some unfamiliar spots such as Hock Lai Seng and Fan Ji Speciality Noodle, as well as old favourites including Seng Kee Bak Chor Mee and Macpherson Minced Meat Noodle. But in my opinion, there’s one spot that stands above the rest, and that’s Jin Xi Lai (Mui Siong) Minced Meat Noodle at Jalan Besar.

I’ve been to Jin Xi Lai several times over the years, and each time was better than the last. During my first visit, I hyperfocused on the pork liver—as Jin Xi Lai fans will know, the liver here is out of this world. But subsequent visits saw me come to appreciate every element of their BCM, from the beautiful mee pok to the flawless blend of chilli and vinegar.

So, as Eatbook approaches its 10th anniversary, I decided to revisit what is probably the best bak chor mee in Singapore for a review.

Food at Jin Xi Lai (Mui Siong) Minced Meat Noodle

I got a large serving of dry Minced Meat Noodles ($7.50) with, of course, mee pok as my noodle of choice. If this is your first time feasting your eyes upon Jin Xi Lai’s fare, you’re probably thinking: those liver slices look ridiculous. And you wouldn’t be wrong, because the stall offers some of the thickest-cut liver in bak chor mee history.

The liver here is often compared to foie gras, and that’s not an exaggeration. Size of each slice aside, the liver is velveted to perfection, creating a tender, juicy, and almost creamy texture. There was none of that dry, sandy texture you sometimes get with overdone liver.

Don’t worry about that bit of pink on the liver—like a perfect medium rare steak, that’s a testament to just how succulent and juicy each slice is.

Remarkably, the other ingredients in the soup were great, too. The pork slices remained tender and moist even as they sat in the soup. The fishballs were a nice bonus—soft, springy, delicate in flavour.

The umami soup came with its characteristically cloudy appearance. It was tasty and did the job just fine, though there are several bak chor mee stalls with better, more complex soup, such as Ah Ter Teochew Fishball Noodles and the aforementioned Seng Kee, perhaps due to the greater variety of ingredients or more unorthodox ones.

Now, on to the noodles. The texture of the mee pok was close to perfection, with the al dente label really fitting the bill here. Each chewy and springy strand was beautifully coated with a mix of chilli sauce and vinegar. Crucially, it doesn’t lean heavily on either the chilli or vinegar, giving it a nice, balanced flavour profile.

Some may find this to be less exciting than, say, Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle with its aggressive use of black vinegar, but there is skill in the restraint here at Jin Xi Lai. Pork lard and shallots added to the noodles’ fragrance.

The noodles also come with fishcakes and, somewhat controversially, bean sprouts. The fishcakes are okay—a bit of a superfluous addition, considering everything else was already so tightly integrated. I kind of like the addition of bean sprouts, though, as it added a refreshing crunch that feels more intentional than, say, the piece of lettuce more commonly seen in BCM.

Ambience at Jin Xi Lai (Mui Song) Minced Meat Noodle

Image credit: Lionel Low via Google Maps

Jin Xi Lai is located in Yi He Eating House, a coffeeshop that recently got something of a facelift. Patrons may remember it used to look rather old and dingy—now it is brightly lit and cleanly constructed. Do note that you’ll need to wait rather long for your bowl of BCM, as Jin Xi Lai is very popular. We had to wait 40 minutes for our bowl, despite arriving at 10am. Others have waited over 90 minutes during peak hours.

The coffeeshop is a three-minute walk from Jalan Besar MRT Station.

Jin Xi Lai (Mui Song) Minced Meat Noodle – Eatbook Review

To me, Jin Xi Lai is the platonic ideal of BCM, a perfect marriage of superb noodles and incredible toppings—with the pork liver being the piece de resistance. I’ve waxed lyrical about this stall enough, so if you’ve yet to try it, do yourself a favour.

For two other noodle spots that I’m a big fan of, read our Liu Lang Mian review and Cheeky Signature’s review.

Address: 638 Veerasamy Road, Yi He Eating House, Singapore 200638
Opening hours: Thurs-Tue 7:30am to 7:30pm
Tel: 9114 3731
Website
Jin Xi Lai is not halal-certified.

Photos taken by Marcus Neo.
This was an independent review by Eatbook.sg.