Dry mee hoon kuey ($4.50)!
Tai Seng coffeeshop dry mee hoon kueh: hand-torn flour noodle pieces tossed in sauce with minced pork, fried ikan bilis and scallion, soup on the side. $4.50.
Lunch at a Tai Seng coffeeshop: dry mee hoon kuey, $4.50. ๐
What was on the tray:
- Hand-torn dough pieces: the flat, irregular flour-and-egg noodle sheets, pinched and torn by hand
- Minced pork: the seasoned crumble through the noodles
- Fried ikan bilis: the crispy anchovies scattered over
- Scallion + fried shallot for aroma, tossed in a light sauce
- Soup on the side: the milky ikan bilis-and-pork broth
Mee hoon kueh (้ข็ฒ็ฒฟ) is the hand-torn cousin of ban mian: the same flour-and-egg dough, but instead of being pressed through a noodle machine, the dough is pinched and torn into irregular flat pieces by hand. The result is thicker, chewier and more rustic, with each piece a slightly different thickness, so some stay al dente while others go silky. The unevenness is the charm, and it is why purists order MHK over the machine-cut ban mian.
The dry version is the one the soup loyalists forget to order: the same hand-torn dough and toppings, but tossed in a light sauce (soy, lard, a touch of chilli or vinegar) with the broth served on the side. The case for dry is that the dough texture stays distinct instead of softening in soup, and the fried ikan bilis stay crisp rather than going soggy, salting and crunching every mouthful. You still get the broth alongside.
The fried ikan bilis matter more in the dry format: in soup they soften within minutes, but on a dry toss they hold their crunch to the last piece. The minced pork carries the savoury base.
At $4.50 for a dry mee hoon kueh with soup at a Tai Seng coffeeshop, this is honest budget-hawker pricing.
Overall: 4 / 5. ๐๐๐ผ The hand-torn dough with the crisp ikan bilis was the standout. Budget hawker done well, would re-order.
