I’ll be frank. Whenever I see a stall helmed by a younger face, I almost instantly assume that the food can never be as good as, say, an older hawker with years of experience. But everyone knows that running a hawker stall is no knife-through-butter journey, as supported by The Straits Times, so with this thought in mind, I put my silly stereotype aside and headed down to Shiok Hokkien Mee.
For context, Shiok Hokkien Mee is run by two Gen Z hawkers who now have five stalls under their care. We visited the newest branch in Tiong Bahru!
Like many hokkien mee stalls, Shiok Hokkien Mee offers a simple menu with essentially one dish served in different sizes and variations. Their signature Shiok Hokkien Mee comes in $6, $8, and $10 portions, and we went for the medium-sized option.
What’s interesting, though, is they offer a Kosong Mee that goes for only $3.50. There’s no meat, seafood, or other toppings besides the stir-fried noodles made using their seafood broth. Curious, we got a Kosong Mee to compare and see if there were any big differences.
We first tried their regular hokkien mee. Here, the noodles boasted heady seafood notes, thanks to the stock that’s cooked and simmered overnight. I was hoping for a strong wok hei simply because of the online reviews I’ve read, but it was milder than I’d expected. I wished there was more of that smoky, charred flavour I typically anticipate in a good plate of hokkien mee.
Crowning each plate of hokkien mee are prawns, tiny pork belly strips and sotong bits, a generous serving of pork lard, and a scoop of house-made chilli sauce.
One of my favourite things about their hokkien mee is the texture of the noodles; the yellow noodles and bee hoon were soft and chewy, but not to the point of mushy or slimy. I know some prefer their noodles more al dente for a firmer bite, but I think these noodles did a pretty good job of absorbing the savoury stock.
On the other hand, the pork lard was a slight letdown. I love enjoying my hokkien mee with lots of crispy, deep-fried pork lard for that added burst of flavour and texture, but the ones here were airy and pillowy, and not exactly fatty or crunchy. You can get more pork lard upon request, though—a small gesture that I really appreciate.
The ingredients were a mixed bag. I didn’t have any gripe with the prawns, but the pork belly and sotong bits were a tad too small for my liking. They didn’t do much to enhance the flavours or textures of the dish, so much so that the plate of hokkien mee could do without these ingredients. I would have enjoyed it a lot more if said ingredients were bigger, or if the pork belly had a distinct meat-to-fat ratio.
On a brighter note, their house-made chilli was delicious. It’s not the most common to get sambal belacan in your hokkien mee, as sliced red chilli or a thicker, dried shrimp-forward paste is typically used. What made their sambal belacan especially tasty was the coarse chilli seeds that added a fiery punch. A little goes a long way with their chilli, so have it sparingly!
On to the Kosong Mee: I found this dish to be value for money. Despite not having any toppings, the seafood stock-infused noodles, accompanied by pork lard and sambal belacan, made for a filling, satisfying lunch.
FYI, you can add more ingredients to substantiate your meal. For example, you can pay an additional $0.80 for eggs, $1 for more noodles, and $2 for a mixture of all the ingredients.
The hokkien mee stall is the newest kid on the block at Food Paradise, a coffeeshop that’s a quick four-minute walk from Tiong Bahru MRT Station. While it’s not the most spacious, it helps that the space is relatively well-ventilated. As the lunch rush began, we saw a line of young diners joining the queue at Shiok Hokkien Mee, which was a heartwarming sight. It’s nice to see Singaporeans support younger hawkers.
While there were some misses, Shiok Hokkien Mee is still worth a visit if you’re in the area. Don’t expect to try the best hokkien mee here; instead, go with an open mind—like I did—and enjoy a decent lunch or dinner without breaking the bank.
Check out our Instagram video below for our review of Shiok Hokkien Mee.
In related content, read our guide to the best hokkien mee in Singapore. We also have a piece on what makes a good hokkien mee, as contributed by famous hokkien mee stalls.
Address: 11B Boon Tiong Road, Singapore 163011
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 10:30am to 8:30pm
Website
Shiok Hokkien Mee is not a halal-certified eatery.
Photos taken by Marcus Neo.
This was a media tasting at Shiok Hokkien Mee.
Summary
Pros:
– Kosong Mee makes for a value-for-money meal
– Down-to-earth, efficient crew
– Great location
Cons:
– Generally lacking a prominent wok hei flavour
– Pork belly and sotong bits were too small
Recommended dish: Kosong Mee ($3.50)
Address: 11B Boon Tiong Road, Singapore 163011
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