Wu Da Ma Xiao Chi Dian Review: Hand-Torn Mee Hoon Kueh With Razor Clams In Toa Payoh

Wu Da Ma Xiao Chi Dian has hand-torn mee hoon kueh in Toa Payoh

If you’re a fellow foodie, you would know that Toa Payoh is brimming with many soul-warming local favourites, such as Kim Keat Hokkien Mee and 68 Nonya Kueh. Situated in the same coffeeshop as Ocean Fish Head Curry, Wu Da Ma Xiao Dian serves up hand-torn mee hoon kueh (MHK) and QQ ban mian that will surely float the boat of carb lovers.

Food at Wu Da Ma Xiao Dian

With five types of noodles and three types of toppings to choose from, there’s bound to be something for everyone here. Despite the variety of choices we were given, settling on our orders was a no-brainer. We decided to get Razor Clams Mee Hoon Kueh Soup with Egg ($6.50), Minced Meat QQ Ban Mee Dry ($4), and Fish Dumpling Soup ($4). 

My personal favourite out of the three dishes has got to be their Razor Clams Mee Hoon Kueh Soup with egg. 

As a mee hoon kueh fan, I appreciate it when hand-torn noodles don’t exude a strong flour taste. Thankfully, their al dente MHK was chewy yet not doughy—a combination that is challenging to attain. 

Besides the hand-torn noodles, this comforting dish features a winning combination of pork slices, minced pork, mani cai, fried anchovies, and a generous amount of fried shallots. Just a heads-up to those who dislike fried shallots: when I write generous, I mean a substantial amount. Since I’m partial to the ingredient, I thoroughly enjoyed how it elevated the flavour of the soup. Plus, I thought the crispy texture complemented the al dente noodles. 

I recommend paying $0.50 more for an egg as it enhances the robust flavour of the soup. Simmered for more than five hours, the soup hit the spot with its hearty flavour, which made for an ideal meal to have on a rainy day. Though the broth is boiled with anchovies for several hours, I particularly liked that there wasn’t any fishy aftertaste. 

Just take a look at how plump and fresh the razor clam is in the photo above; it’s evident why this ingredient stole the show. At first blush, I was amazed by how huge each piece of razor clam was, and it took me by surprise how fresh and chewy they were. A moreish addition that pairs really well with MHK, might I add.

We then tried their Minced Meat QQ Ban Mee Dry. The ingredients are similar to the ones featured in the aforementioned dish: pork slices, minced pork, mani cai, fried anchovies, and a ton of fried shallots.

The noodles are stretched using a noodle maker, and boy, were they delightfully QQ and chewy. The thickness of the noodles was just right, and every scoop felt extra hearty thanks to the long strands and thick texture. Despite sitting out for a while during our shoot, the noodles did not harden, though they were a little dry as a matter of course.

The umami-laden soy sauce was fairly sweet, but thankfully, it was tempered by the aromatic fried shallots. And kudos to Wu Da Ma Xiao Chi Dian for the huge slices and chunks of pork—generosity never gets out of style. I highly encourage pairing your dry ban mian with their house-made chilli sauce, which is said to be a glorious combination of chilli padi, lime, fish sauce and more. This tangy sauce is very punchy, so it’d be helpful to note that less is more. 

Drawing to a close, their Fish Dumpling Soup was my colleague’s favourite dish out of the three. You get nine pieces of fish dumplings, an egg, and mani cai submerged in a flavourful soup. While it tasted relatively similar to the Razor Clams Mee Hoon Kueh Soup, the Fish Dumpling Soup was slightly more flavoursome thanks to the addition of fish dumplings. 

The fish dumplings were not exactly huge, but they were packed with a decent amount of fish that was soaked in soup. Also, the thin dumpling skin was to my liking as it complemented the tiny serving of fish filling within, and the soft and silky texture was just the perfect addition to this dish. 

The stall also offers a good selection of ngoh hiang and fritters, which I believe will make for an ideal side dish to go with your MHK. Prices vary between $1 and $2 depending on what you’re getting. If you’re planning to get their ngoh hiang, I recommend heading down after 10am as they were not ready for sale prior to that. 

Ambience at Wu Da Ma Xiao Dian

We arrived at Wu Da Ma Xiao Chi Dian at 9am, and there were already a couple of patrons waiting, excluding us. Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait for long before getting our order. The stall is nestled in a serene neighbourhood, and it took us about 13 minutes by foot from Toa Payoh MRT Station. Alternatively, there’s the bus option, which only takes you five minutes or so. 

The verdict

You can easily tell that a lot of thought is put into making every dish at Wu Da Ma Xiao Chi Dian. If you love a good handmade mee hoon kueh that is value for money and served in generous portions, I encourage you to pay them a visit. If distance is an issue, you can opt for delivery instead!

If you’re a fellow fan of MHK, check out Kai’s Handmade Mee Hoon Kueh, where you can find handmade MHK by ex-Salted and Hung chef in Old Airport Road. Otherwise, read our Fish Joy Review, which features a new fish soup stall with collagen broth, clam soup and more at Toa Payoh. 

Address: 92 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh, #01-264, Singapore 310092
Opening hours: Sat-Mon & Wed-Thurs 7am to 3pm, 5pm to 8pm
Wu Da Ma Xiao Chi Dian is not a halal-certified eatery.

Photos by Ke-ian Leong.
This was an independent visit by Eatbook.sg.