As Singaporeans, we are all familiar with ban mian, the comforting dish we all enjoy despite the scorching heat here. Xiao Mei Ban Mian in Woodlands offers the dish in question, but is unique in that it also offers other noodle dishes that have Burmese influences.
Xiao Mei Ban Mian was opened by Khine Zar Lin, who during the pandemic was retrenched from her job as a software engineer. This led her to venture into F&B, with the idea of marrying her favourite local dish, ban mian, with noodles from her own Burmese heritage.
One of their most popular dishes is Pork Belly Ban Mian ($5.20). What helps this bowl stand out is the presence of shabu shabu pork belly in the soothing broth. The flat noodles here, meanwhile, are chewy and a good conduit for the savoury flavours of the broth.
Another one of their popular dishes, and the one that’s not commonly found in Singapore, is Myanmar Style Pig Organ Bee Hoon (from $7.50), which comes with soup, or dry. You can choose to have this with mee hoon kway or bee hoon, though the latter is said to be the better choice.
If you go for the dry option, the noodles are tossed in a mixture of lard oil, sesame oil, and soya sauce, giving the noodles a strong flavour. The dish is then topped with offals, handmade meatballs, tofu, quail eggs, and green mustard leaves. To make it even more aromatic, it is garnished with fried garlic, shallots, spring onions, and Burmese ground pepper.
If you’d like some sides to go with your noodles, you can opt for the Fried Gyoza (from $2.30), which are fairly average renditions of the Japanese dumpling. The crunchiness of the gyoza, however, should contrast the soft, silky noodles in a fun way.
If you are interested in Burmese cuisine, check out Little Myanmar Halal Foods review. Alternatively, check out our best ban mian in Singapore listicle for ban mian you should try!
Address: Block 892C, Woodlands Drive 50, #01-02, Singapore 732892
Opening hours: Daily 9am to 9pm
Tel: 8189 0081
Website
Xiao Mei Ban Mian is not a halal-certified eatery.
Photos taken by Kia Ee Hor.
This was an independent visit by Eatbook.sg.