$5 old-school wanton mee & roast meat since Eighties alongside East Coast Road

I’ve stayed within the East all my life, however I’ve by no means stepped foot into Mei Yuen Restaurant. 

Located reverse Chin Mee Chin Confectionery, only a few retailers down from Neptune, this old-school espresso store stands out like a sore thumb among the many new inflow of classy cafes due to its age-old signboard and inside.

Mei Yuen Restaurant has been round because the Eighties (even earlier than I used to be born!), and the whole lot about this place displays simply that.

From floral prints on partitions to the identical moss-green mosaic ground tiles at my grandparents’ home, Mei Yuen Restaurant was oozing with nostalgic vibes. It even had a small grandfather clock hanging on a wall, and the world on the again had steel sheets for ceilings.

If I closed my eyes, I might virtually think about that I had been transported again in time to the Eighties— simply with out the gaudy Thai techno music enjoying within the background, after all.

Rather than a singular restaurant, this age-old eatery operates extra like a espresso store, with 2 foremost stalls promoting roast meat, duck and char siew. 

One stall sells duck and char siew, whereas the opposite affords hen and roast pork. Note that you simply’ll must order from every stall individually, identical to a kopitiam. Tthere aren’t any menus out there, so that you’ll must strategy its employees to ask for costs.

Like an aged married couple, the 2 stalls have been bickering with one another after I visited Mei Yuen Restaurant on a weekday for lunch. “She’s ordering wanton mee from here, not from you, so mind your business,” I overheard a employees member from the duck stall say in Chinese.

What I attempted at Mei Yuen Restaurant

I’ve heard many good issues about Mei Yuen Restaurant’s Wanton Mee (S$5), and knew that this was a must-try dish. 

Plenty of consumers on Google had complimented the stall for its old-school style, which has stayed constant ever since they’d dined at this institution because the Eighties.

If nostalgia had a flavour, this might be it.

The noodles have been springy and chewy, with the right quantity of sauce such that every strand of noodle was thinly coated with it. 

I might style a slight trace of ketchup and pork lard— all of the hallmarks of a conventional plate of wanton mee. Above all, there was a biting spice from the chilli, which crept in in the direction of the top of each spoonful and lingered all through the entire meal.

What a brilliant easy, but extremely addictive plate of old-school wanton mee.

Mei Yuen Restaurant’s char siew hit the spot. It was minimize erratically, with some items being thicker than others— a positive signal that it had been made in-house and freshly minimize on the spot.

These have been tender but chewy items of char siew which got here with quantity of fats. Taste smart, it was sweeter than anticipated.

I want that they’d include extra smoky char, however they have been nonetheless delectable nonetheless.

The wantons have been coin-shaped, and the pores and skin was so delicate that it tore aside on the slightest strain. The minute I popped my first wanton into my mouth, I used to be immediately offered— it was stuffed with tender, meaty softness, and every round ball melted in my mouth with ease.

My solely gripe was its quantity, as I had solely counted 3 wantons on my plate. Give me extra, please!

Most wanton mee dishes include a chicken-based clear soup— much like those given with shrimp wanton soups— however Mei Yuen Restaurant’s soup was extra natural and savoury. To some extent, with its sturdy soy-based style profile, it even jogged my memory of Malaysian-style bak kut teh.

This was definitely a refreshing selection of soup, and it was one which perked me up with its herbaceous notes.

Out of curiosity, I made a decision to order a plate of Roast Pork (S$5). You may order Chicken (S$5) from the identical store, and make it a meal by including S$0.50 for Rice.

Unfortunately, Mei Yuen Restaurant’s Roast Pork fell flat in each style and texture. 

Its crackling pores and skin wasn’t as crisp as I’d have favored, and whereas the meat was sufficiently tender, it lacked that tell-tale savoury saltiness that got here with most roast pork dishes.

The solely factor I’d commend can be its portion. For S$5, the beneficiant serving dimension was actually spectacular— I might simply share this with a eating associate or two.

Final ideas

Just getting into Mei Yuen Restaurant made me really feel like I had been transported again in time. From conventional mosaic tiles to washed out orange plates and cutleries, it goes with out saying that this explicit institution has been round for a protracted, very long time.

History apart, I genuinely loved my plate of Wanton Mee. Not solely have been the delectable slices of char siew extremely satisfying and yummy, I liked the straightforward mixture of ketchup, pork lard and chilli, which shaped an ideal coupling with the springy wanton noodles. Not to say, its parts have been beneficiant and the noodles by no means appeared to dwindle, even after half an hour of consuming.

While the Roast Pork wasn’t my favorite merchandise that day, you may wager I’ll be again to strive Mei Yuen Restaurant’s different objects, akin to its Chicken Rice (S$5.50) or Duck Rice (S$5).

Affordable and fuss-free— what extra might you ask for?

Expected harm: S$5 – S$7 per pax

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