$3.50 bak chor mee utilizing 87-year-old household recipe in Bukit Merah

As I approached Sheng Ji Fishball Noodle in Bukit Merah, the very first thing I seen was that every merchandise on its menu didn’t include an accompanying worth. Suddenly, my eyes noticed a big textual content in crimson within the nook: “$3.50”. 

Turns out, all the things on this stall prices a mere S$3.50— and I’m penning this as Singapore’s inflation fee edges in direction of a 14-year excessive!

Sheng Ji Fishball Noodle is positioned inside a Kim San Leng espresso store at 116 Bukit Merah View. It was the stall with simply the longest queue, with over a dozen individuals queuing up for a bowl of inexpensive bak chor mee or laksa. The stall additionally sells char kway teow, although I famous that it was unavailable on the day I visited.

Despite being alarmed by the lengthy queue, I seen with a pleasing shock that the orders are taken manner upfront, with a single aged aunty taking orders for 7 to eight individuals at one go, reciting their orders on the high of her head as soon as they attain the highest of the queue. Impressive!

Apart from the shockingly low-cost costs, Sheng Ji Fishball Noodle has a reasonably wealthy household historical past. 

It’s run by a husband-and-wife staff— Mr Goh and Mdm Keo— who’ve been within the enterprise for 37 years. Their bak chor mee recipe comes from Mr Goh’s father, who allegedly spent 50 years perfecting it ever since he made a residing promoting Teochew-style bak chor mee close to the Singapore River. Once he retired, he determined to cross on his recipe to his son.

This implies that the bak chor mee recipe is 87 years outdated!

Not to say, Sheng Ji Fishball Noodle has two stoves and cooks to arrange its bak chor mee and laksa, that means that they might serve clients with twice the effectivity.

It took me lower than 7 minutes earlier than it was my flip to obtain my meals. And I used to be the twelfth particular person in line!

What I attempted at Sheng Ji Fishball Noodles

Already impressed by Sheng Ji Fishball Noodle’s historical past and fast effectivity, I bought right down to enterprise and ordered a bowl of Bak Chor Mee (Dry) (S$3.50). I requested for mee pok, and was happy to see that it got here with loads of components— pork slices, fishballs, sliced fish cake, lard and spring onions.

Upon my first toss, I may already scent the telltale indicators of a basic bak chor mee. There was that alluring, sharp scent of black vinegar, in addition to a smoky fatty scent from the crispy lard.

Would this Bak Chor Mee’s 87-year-old recipe stay as much as its hype?

My first style was sadly fairly disappointing. Though I may style a biting spiciness from the chilli and a smokiness from the lard oil, the noodles had been near tasteless, as if the aunty behind the range had forgotten so as to add soy sauce or salt to my dish.

Thinking that maybe I hadn’t combined the bak chor mee properly sufficient and that each one the savoury sauces had sunk to the underside of the bowl, I made a decision to offer my noodles one other thorough combine, however discovered my second mouthful to come across the identical destiny of plain noodles.

Frankly, I used to be left confused— the place was that sharp vinegar that I had smelt whereas tossing the noodles? Why had been so many individuals queuing for this bowl of plain Bak Chor Mee? Or may it actually be that the aunty had forgotten so as to add soy sauce to my bowl?

Despite the dearth of flavour, I’ve bought to say that Sheng Ji Fishball Noodle bought its mee pok texture excellent. The noodles had been bouncy but silky, and retained a barely gritty texture from being tossed within the chilli sauce to create a really satisfying mouthfeel.

Deciding to offer Sheng Ji Fishball Noodle the good thing about the doubt of getting an “off” day, I moved on to the remainder of the components.

The components turned out to be the saving grace of the dish. The pork slices had been marinated properly and remained tender and springy, whereas the fishballs and fish cake slices had been supple and added that QQ chunk to the complete dish. In explicit, I loved Sheng Ji Fishball Noodle’s lard bits, which had been given in a beneficiant quantity, and had been completely crispy and sinful. 

Though its color was near clear, Sheng Ji Fishball Noodle’s soup was surprisingly candy and comforting, with loads of tiny minced pork meat floating round within the bowl. 

In order to avoid wasting the noodles, I ended up pouring in some soup and soy sauce from my chilli sauce saucer. Together with the contemporary components, I thought-about this bowl of Bak Chor Mee comparatively redeemed from its preliminary destiny. But nonetheless, for S$3.50, this was an extremely beneficiant bowl of Bak Chor Mee, and I’d definitely think about it if I used to be on a price range.

Sheng Ji Fishball Noodle’s Laksa (S$3.50) fared a lot better than the Bak Chor Mee. Swimming in a bowl of lemak laksa gravy had been thick bee hoon noodles, sliced fish cake, strips of tau pok, beansprouts, cockles (that are elective, in case you don’t like them), and a dollop of home made chilli.

The Laksa broth was creamy and spicy, and the one factor I completely beloved was that it wasn’t overly milky. Instead, I may style the gritty texture of the rempah and the sunshine coconut milk on the similar time. This was a bowl of well-balanced Laksa, and regardless of the overwhelming quantity of recognition for its Bak Chor Mee, I discovered myself gravitating in direction of Sheng Ji Fishball Noodle’s Laska as a substitute!

For S$3.50, I used to be shocked to see round 5 cockles. Albeit small— I’d say they had been the scale of a thumbnail— they had been briny, just like the ocean, and tasted like oysters. For the worth of a bowl of Laksa, I’d say you’re actually getting your cash’s value with the beneficiant quantity of components on this bowl of Laksa!

Final ideas

Regardless of whether or not or not it was an “off” day when it got here to my disappointing bowl of Bak Chor Mee, it’s fairly spectacular for Sheng Ji Fishball Noodle to supply it at such an inexpensive worth, particularly with rising prices these days. And only for that alone, I’d say it’s undoubtedly commendable and price giving them a shot, particularly in case you’re within the space. 

But if the Bak Chor Mee does find yourself disappointing you prefer it did for me, then attempt the Laksa as a substitute— you received’t remorse it!

Expected injury: S$3.50 per pax

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