Tiong Bahru wanton mee, char siew & clear soup wantons ($6)!
A Tiong Bahru hawker wanton mee: thin egg noodles in dark soya with generous charred-edge char siew, plus a side bowl of clear soup with wantons. $6.
Lunch at a Tiong Bahru hawker: wanton mee for $6, the SG-Cantonese classic. ๐
What was on the tray ($6):
- Dry wanton mee: thin yellow egg noodles dressed in dark soya and sesame oil, topped with generous slices of char siew
- A side bowl of clear pork broth with a few wantons
This is the dry style, where the noodles come dressed and the wantons live separately in the soup so the noodles stay bouncy rather than soggy. The char siew was the standout: eight or so slices fanned over the noodles, with those caramelised, slightly charred edges (the burnt-but-tasty bits everyone fights over) and a tender, pink-tinged inside. Most $6 plates give you four or five slices, so this felt generous.
The noodles were the fine, thin egg type, with that lovely spring and chew, and the dressing was on the lighter dark-soya side rather than gloopy, which I prefer. On the side, the bowl of clear soup with soft, thin-skinned wantons is the proper Cantonese pairing, a clean pork broth to sip between mouthfuls.
At $6 it is the right price for a well-made wanton mee these days, and the char siew alone made it worth it.
Overall: 4.2 / 5. ๐๐๐ผ Generous, properly charred char siew over springy noodles, with soft wantons in clean soup. Tiong Bahru hawker comfort.
