Tiong Bahru wanton mee — char siew + clear soup wantons ($6)!
Tiong Bahru hawker wanton mee — thin egg noodles dressed dark soya with charred-edge char siew slices, side bowl of clear soup with wantons. $6.
Lunch — wanton mee at a Tiong Bahru hawker for $6. The SG-Cantonese classic. 😋
What was on the tray ($6):
- A round white plate of dry wanton mee — thin yellow egg noodles dressed in dark soya + sesame oil, topped with multiple slices of char siew (BBQ pork) with visible caramelised charred edges + pink interior.
- A side bowl of clear pork broth with 2-3 floating wantons (the thin-skinned dumplings).
SG wanton mee is the dry-style HK-Cantonese noodle dish — thin egg noodles tossed in dark soya + sesame oil + a touch of lard, topped with char siew + wantons, side bowl of clear broth where the wantons live (separated from the noodles to keep the noodles bouncy + not soggy).
Char siew test: the SG version of char siew is the glazed BBQ pork — pork shoulder/belly marinated in honey + soya + five-spice + hoisin + Shaoxing wine, then roasted/grilled until the outside caramelises into the signature dark mahogany char with the pink-tinged tender inside (the pink colour comes from the curing).
This version had proper char on the edges (the burnt-but-tasty bits = the “hak yan tau” parts that locals fight over) + pink interior. The slices were generous (8+ slices visible) — most $6 hawker wanton mee gives 4-5 slices.
Noodles were the fine thin egg noodle type (HK-style), with that signature spring + chew (“sun” texture) that distinguishes good wanton mee. The dressing was on the lighter dark-soya side (some SG stalls overdo the dark sauce + make it gloopy, this one didn’t).
Side bowl of clear soup + wantons = the proper Cantonese pairing. Wantons (pork + prawn filling, thin wrapper) live in the broth so the skin stays soft + the noodles stay dry. Soup is light pork-bone broth, palate cleanser.
At $6 = the right hawker price point for a proper wanton mee (most stalls have crept up to $6-7).
Total: $6.
Overall: 4.2 / 5. Char siew was the standout (generous portion + proper char + pink interior), noodles had the right spring, side wantons were the soft contrast. Tiong Bahru hawker comfort. 😋👍🏼
