KangJi Curry Mee is a hidden Penang curry noodle bar in Far East Shopping Centre, and it has pig’s blood!
Do you remember the last time you heard of Far East Shopping Centre? No, not Far East Plaza — this is five minutes away from it, a few doors down from Wheelock Place.
While it is located in Orchard, this shopping centre is not a place that would be top-of-mind for most folks.
But there might just be a reason to visit this “bird-no-lay-egg” mall now: KangJi Curry Mee, a noodle bar selling Penang curry noodles that’s hidden on level five of Far East Shopping Centre.
KangJi Curry Mee was opened in 2024 and has a unique vibe, since it actually shares a space with Gai Inn Izakaya, which opens from 5.30pm.
The unique set-up basically makes it feel like a ramen bar, where everything runs through the central wooden counter, and you can watch the chef at work, blanching the noodles and dousing it in curry broth.
If we are talking about Penang delicacies, it is much easier to hunt down a good plate of authentic Penang char kway teow than a good bowl of Penang curry mee, for sure.
Oh, yes, the chef behind the concept is from Malaysia — so you can expect a good, authentic bowl here.
Authentic Penang curry mee in Singapore
Admittedly, the fancier noodle-bar setting means this bowl of noodles will be a tad more expensive than what you’d find in a neighbourhood hawker setting.
That said, the price point is not absurd for Orchard.
Two options are on KangJi Curry Mee’s menu: Signature curry mee (dry or soup, S$9.90), and premium curry mee (dry or soup, S$19.90).
For both options, you get to choose between yellow noodles, bee hoon, thick bee hoon, or egg noodles as the base.
The difference between each bowl is basically the ingredients you get. Unless you are a huge seafood lover, the signature option will be good enough for most diners!
We opted for a bowl of dry signature curry mee and soup premium curry mee. The former comes with Thai crispy pork, fish cake, egg, tau pok (tofu puffs), and pork skin, while the latter adds on cockles, prawns, and squid.
The key element here is obviously the soup, and KangJi Curry Mee’s rendition is on par with the bowls we’ve tried in Penang.
This one is rich with spice notes, slightly creamy, and carries a heady coconut aroma — quite comforting and addictive.
Our choice of mixing yellow noodles and bee hoon was also a good one, as the noodles gave that familiar springiness, while the bee hoon allowed more broth to be soaked up for more flavourful slurps.
Comparatively, the dry noodles — which are tossed in dark soy sauce and then jazzed up with curry — felt more run-of-the-mill, since you don’t get the full brunt of the curry’s flavour.
As for the other component, we particularly enjoyed the tau pok and how it bursts in your mouth with torrents of fragrant curry broth.
The cockles that come with the premium curry mee are also plump and fresh, without any hints of odiousness!
Depending on your luck, KangJi Curry Mee also periodically offers pig’s blood (S$3) as an add-on — precisely how we enjoy curry mee in Penang.
We got to say: The pig blood here is delightfully clean and silky, with no funk, and nicely absorbs some of that curry broth flavour.
Besides the curry mee, you can also find simple and hearty sharing sides such as banana leaf otah (S$2.50 for one, S$7 for three) and ngoh hiang ($6 for one roll).
These are decent, but nothing to shout about — considering the price, you’re better off getting more curry mee.
Overall, we say KangJi Curry Mee is a great spot to keep in mind for the next time you are craving a good bowl of Penang-style curry mee.
Sure, it’s not as cheap as a hawker centre stall, but it’s quality curry mee, and we also appreciate the unique and cosy noodle bar ambience!
For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on the gorgeous viral bar located in a protected heritage house and Chagee’s aesthetic new limited-edition art-inspired collection.
Tue 9.30am - 2.30pm
Wed 9.30am - 2.30pm
Thu 9.30am - 2.30pm
Fri 9.30am - 2.30pm
Sat 9.30am - 2.30pm
- Orchard
Evan started off writing about food on Instagram, before joining outlets such as Buro and Confirm Good to pursue his passion. His best work usually comes after his first whisky shot in the morning.
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