QQ signature noodles (招牌面) ($6)!
Bugis Sarawak kolo mee style signature noodles: springy egg noodles with char siu, minced pork, meatballs, fried wanton skins and bok choy, clear soup side. $6.
Lunch at Bugis. QQ signature noodles (招牌面), $6. Kolo mee style. 😋👍🏼
What was in the bowl:
- Springy thin egg noodles: the pale kolo mee type, tossed in shallot oil and lard, no dark soy drowning
- Char siu slices: the red-rimmed roast pork, fanned around the noodles
- Minced pork mound: the fried-shallot-flecked topping piled in the centre
- Meatballs (2-3): the firm bouncy type
- Fried wanton skins: golden crispy sails stuck on top
- Blanched bok choy: folded green tuck at the front
- Side bowl of clear soup: pork stock with scallion
Kolo mee (哥罗面) is the Sarawak signature noodle, the pride of Kuching. Where the West Malaysian / Singapore wanton mee leans on dark soy and sweet sauce, kolo mee keeps the dressing pale: lard, shallot oil, a touch of white vinegar and light seasoning, letting the noodle’s spring carry the dish. The name “QQ” is exactly that promise: Q / QQ is the Hokkien-Taiwanese term for the bouncy-chewy texture, the al dente of the noodle world.
The noodle is the point here: thin, curly, cooked fast and rinsed so it stays springy rather than soft. Toss-coated, not sauced. If you grew up on Singapore wanton mee the first bite reads almost plain, then the lard-and-shallot aroma builds.
The topping stack covers the classic kolo mee trio and then some: char siu (in Kuching it’s often dyed red and minced over the top), minced pork for the savoury base note, meatballs and crispy wanton skins rounding out the “signature” (招牌) designation, the everything-on-it bowl of the stall.
Sarawak food in Singapore is still a small niche: a handful of kolo mee and Sarawak laksa specialists spread across hawker centres, mostly run by East Malaysians. Worth seeking out because the style genuinely differs from anything in the local Cantonese-Teochew noodle canon.
At $6 for the loaded signature bowl, this is fair specialty-noodle pricing, a dollar or two above a basic wanton mee but with double the toppings.
Overall: 4.4 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Springy QQ noodles lived up to the name. The lard-shallot toss was the standout. Would re-order.
