板面 (pan mee) ($3)!
Hawker pan mee ($3): hand-torn flat noodles in a clear savoury broth with minced pork, sliced fish, leafy greens, fried ikan bilis and shallots.
Hawker lunch: 板面 (pan mee) at $3. The hand-torn flat noodle soup. 😋
What was in the bowl ($3):
- Hand-torn flat noodles (mee hoon kueh / pan mee) in a clear, savoury broth.
- Minced pork and sliced fish.
- Leafy greens (xiao bai cai).
- Fried ikan bilis (anchovies) and fried shallots on top, with chopped scallions.
- A side of chilli to mix in.
Pan mee (板面) is the Hakka hand-torn noodle dish: a simple wheat-flour-and-water dough that’s pulled and torn into irregular flat pieces by hand, then boiled fresh. That hand-tearing is why no two pieces are the same shape, and why the noodles have that satisfyingly uneven, chewy bite you don’t get from machine-cut strands. The broth here is the clear, comforting kind, light but savoury, built up with anchovies and pork.
The toppings are what make a bowl sing: the fried ikan bilis brings a salty, crunchy umami crackle, the minced pork and fish add the protein, and the greens keep it fresh. Stir in the chilli and it lifts the whole thing. At just $3, this is honest, old-school hawker comfort food, and the kind of hand-pulled noodle stall that’s getting harder to find.
Overall: 4.5 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Chewy hand-torn noodles, a clean savoury broth and that crispy ikan bilis hit. Would re-order.
