Pin Xiang Wanton Noodle: Amazing value for money!
What we liked:
— The food is incredible value-for-money
— The dumpling noodles are especially good
What we didn’t:
— It’s a good wanton noodle option for the area but not the best we’ve tried
In business since 1993, this stall has been drawing in the crowds with their Kuala Lumpur-style black sauce wanton noodles that is incredible value-for-money at only $3 per dish.
Each noodle dish gets you a sizeable portion of noodles, generous amounts of ingredients and lots of green vegetables.
Located at Toa Payoh Lorong 4 Blk 93 Market and Hawker Centre, you’ll see queues forming outside this stall as early as 7am every morning.
It’s run by a husband and wife team — He Mei Fa (50s) and Ye Xue Ying (mid 40s), who setup the stall in their 20s and Xue Ying in particular grew up in Ipoh before she emigrated to Singapore when she was 17.
Aside from the fact that all dishes are priced at only $3, the core attraction is the black sauce gravy that dresses all of their noodle dishes.
The dark braising liquid which is used to cook their mushrooms and chicken feet constitutes part of the sauce and the flavour comes very nicely balanced with a rounded soy savouriness and a delicate sweetness.
That said, we did wish the flavour had a little more pork lard oil and black sauce richness but at $3, we’re not complaining.
The noodles come nicely springy and a generous amount of green vegetables are added into each plate.
Soup on the side is served with every dish and it has a nice big dried anchovy flavour to it.
Do note that when you order the dish, they will ask you if you want green chili.
If you say yes, they will throw it on your noodles instead of serving it in a separate saucer.
It adds a bit of sourness into the dish whether you like it or not as some of the pickling white vinegar gets thrown in as well.
Ironically, our main dish recommendation here is not their wanton noodles but their Shui Jiao Mian (dumpling noodles; $3) because their dumplings come chok full of ingredients — minced pork, chopped carrots, water chestnuts, mushrooms and black fungus.
They are quite sizeable and you get three of them in each order which is fantastic value.
The Mushroom Chicken Feet Noodle ($3) is the other must try here.
The whole chicken feet are impressively large and you get two pieces plus a whole mushroom.
The feet are well braised, with the flavour having seeped all the way through.
The skin and gelatinous bits come impressively soft as a result.
Their Wanton Noodles ($3) which is also frequently ordered, comes with decently cut char siu and nicely seasoned fillings in their wantons, while the Mushroom Chicken Hor Fun ($3) comes with a sizeable whole mushroom and lots of chunky chicken meat.
Both dishes are again portioned generously and are again fantastic value for the price.
