Mushroom wanton noodles ($6)!
Tanjong Pagar hawker — dry mee kia with whole braised shiitake mushrooms, kai lan greens, dark soya dressing, plus side soup with wantons. $6.
Lunch today: mushroom wanton noodles at a Tanjong Pagar hawker for $6. 😋
What was on the tray ($6):
- A dry mee kia plate with dark soya dressing, kai lan greens and 5-6 whole braised shiitake mushrooms piled on top.
- A side bowl of wanton broth with greens.
The base is classic dry wanton mee: mee kia (the thin, springy egg noodle) tossed in a dark soya dressing so the gravy coats rather than drowns, with blanched kai lan for greens, kept separate from a clear side soup of wantons. What makes this version stand out is the topping.
Instead of the usual minced pork and char siew, the star here is the whole braised shiitake mushrooms, which makes it the vegetarian-leaning take on the dish. Good shiitake are slow-braised for hours in dark soy, sugar and a splash of Shaoxing wine until they turn glossy, deeply savoury-sweet and almost meaty in texture, soaking up all that braising liquid like little flavour sponges. Five or six whole caps is a generous, hearty topping for $6, and they pair beautifully with the springy noodles.
Overall: 4.3 / 5. The mushrooms had proper braised depth, the mee kia had real spring, and the side wanton soup was clean. A lovely vegetarian-friendly hawker bowl. 😋👍🏼
