Bak chor mee — dry mee pok + soup with fishballs & meatballs ($9.50)!
BCM dry mee pok with chilli vinegar, braised mushrooms, fried lard, lettuce, plus side soup with fishballs and pork meatballs. $9.50.
Lunch — bak chor mee dry mee pok + side soup at $9.50. The Teochew classic. 😋
What was on the tray ($9.50):
- Dry mee pok bowl (bottom, rooster plate) — yellow mee pok flat noodles tossed in dark vinegar-chilli sauce (visible black + red puddle), topped with braised shiitake mushroom slices, crispy fried pork lard cubes (chu-yu char), and a leaf of lettuce on the side.
- Soup bowl (top) — clear pork broth with fish balls, pork meatballs, a slice of fishcake (orange-yellow), and chopped coriander + spring onion on top.
Bak chor mee (肉脞面) is the SG-Teochew minced pork noodle — the dry version has the mee pok dressed in black vinegar + chilli + lard oil + soya sauce mix, topped with mushrooms, lard cubes, lettuce, and minced pork. Side bowl gets the pork broth + fish/meatball combo.
The chilli + vinegar dressing is the whole point — too much vinegar = sour-shock, too little = bland-greasy. The balance is the test of a good BCM stall.
Braised mushroom slices are the umami booster — shiitake simmered in dark soya + sugar adds the sweet-savoury depth that distinguishes BCM from plain mee pok.
Pork lard cubes are the textural showstopper — rendered pork fat fried crispy, scattered through. Adds nutty-crunchy bursts in every bite. Skipping the lard = skipping the dish.
Side soup with fishballs + meatballs is the standard pairing — clear broth balances the heavy chilli-vinegar dry main. Coriander + scallions are the brightening herbs.
Total: $9.50. Premium hawker BCM (proper bowl, not $5-6 budget version).
Overall: 4.1 / 5. Chilli-vinegar balance was right, lard cubes were crispy + generous, mushrooms had good depth, side soup was clean. Reliable BCM bowl. 😋👍🏼
