Lor mee ($5)!
Tanjong Pagar hawker lor mee — dark thick gravy with braised pork, fried fish, fried beancurd skin, ngoh hiang, fried wonton skin, braised egg, chilli paste, garlic. $5.
Lunch today: lor mee at a Tanjong Pagar hawker for $5. 😋
What was in the bowl ($5):
- Dark, thick lor mee gravy.
- Braised pork belly, fried fish chunks, fried beancurd skin (foo chuk), ngoh hiang and fried wonton skin.
- Braised half egg.
- Chilli paste, minced garlic, sliced chilli padi and coriander condiments.
Lor mee (卤面) is the Hokkien braised-noodle dish, thick yellow noodles drowned in a dark, starchy gravy thickened with cornflour and egg, seasoned with five-spice and braising sauce. What sets a good bowl apart is the loading: here you get braised pork belly for richness, fried fish chunks and fried wonton skin for crunch, beancurd skin and ngoh hiang for variety, plus a braised egg, so every spoonful pulls up a different texture.
The gravy on its own is rich and one-note, which is exactly why the condiments matter. Stir in the garlic, vinegar and chilli the proper way and they cut right through the starch, sharpening and lifting the whole bowl. The coriander and chilli padi add a fresh, fiery kick on top. A satisfying, old-school hawker lor mee at a very fair $5.
Overall: 4.2 / 5. Gravy was the proper thickness, the mix of proteins gave great texture variety, and the garlic-chilli-vinegar finish lifted the richness. Solid hawker lor mee. 😋👍🏼
