We queue 30 mins to try the viral laksa from Uncle Ah Teck’s Noodle House at Chinatown Complex
A 30-minute queue for laksa? That’s how long we had to queue for a bowl of noods at the new Uncle Ah Teck’s Noodle House at Chinatown Complex.
In the age of social media, word of new openings spreads like wildfire and it’s not rare to see huge crowds popping up overnight — and Uncle Ah Teck’s Noodle House is probably one of the most viral we’ve seen this year.
Located in the quieter green zone of the otherwise bustling Chinatown Complex Food Centre, this stall is a pretty straightforward one that serves laksa — and only laksa.
But what’s drawn in all the foodies is the CV of the man behind it.
If you decide to head down and mingle with the crowd, there is an elderly man clad in chef’s whites and sporting a puffy toque blanche (a traditional chef’s hat).
This is chef Kim Teck, the stall’s owner and also the legendary uncle that the former Hilton Orchard’s (now Voco Orchard) coffeehouse noodle station is named after.
Wait, what do you mean Voco Orchard also has an outlet?
Well, not exactly. The chef had served at the hotel for 42 years, and became such a fixture that the hotel named the noodle station after him.
And so in October, when the talismanic chef decided to leave the hotel after four decades, and the name left with him.
In a touching gesture to the stalwart chef, the management decided to give him the iconic signboard as part of his farewell!
Word has since gotten out about the chef’s backstory, which is why long queues are forming at Uncle Ah Teck’s Noodle House.
Seeing all the hubbub, we decided to see what the hype was about.
We visited around 11.30am on a Thursday, and it took us around 25 to 30 minutes to get to the front of the queue.
Hilton’s Uncle Ah Teck’s Noodle House legacy
Uncle Ah Teck’s Noodle House’s menu is very straightforward, with only one item on the menu: Laksa.
You get three different variations: Traditional laksa (S$4.50), chicken drumstick laksa (S$6, limited to 20 bowls daily), and sea prawn laksa (S$7).
Each bowl comes with fish cake, tau pok, beansprouts, and half a half-boiled egg — but no hum (blood cockles), though.
Most people would say that the broth is the key ingredient in a bowl of laksa and we thought the broth at Uncle Ah Teck’s Noodle House was pretty solid.
It’s comforting, slightly sweet, and imbued with coconut milk fragrance, but tasted a bit bland at the start, even if the flavours did come through after a while.
The style of broth is less like the lemak Janggut-style laksa, and closer to the mellower style of broth you can find at other famous stalls such as Sungei Road or Yishun 928 — but maybe even lighter?
But yes, sorry Uncle Teck, we thought it could do with a bit more spice fragrance and richness.
On the other hand, the two of us who visited had differing opinions on the thick bee hoon that came with the laksa.
One thought it was overcooked, while the other thought it was perfectly fine and made for a good silky slurp.
However, there were no disagreements over which was our favourite out of the three versions served at Uncle Ah Teck’s Noodle House.
The sea prawn laksa was the obvious winner, triumphant over the rest due to its two sizable butterflied prawns, which also seemingly enhanced the milder broth’s flavour with a tinge of delectable prawn sweetness.
We also enjoyed the assortment of tau pok, which were a delight to bite into, since they absorbed the broth nicely.
The cleaved-up chicken in the chicken drumstick laksa was also quite decent, being silky and tender — but remember to come early if you want to score a portion of this, since Uncle Ah Teck’s Noodle House only serves 20 bowls of this a day.
Final verdict? It’s a bowl of laksa that’s definitely better than your average hawker stall and also has such a rich history behind it, and definitely worth a try especially if you prefer a comforting and more balanced broth.
However, we would probably wait for the hype to die down before we return – we’re just not quite convinced that it’s a queue-for-30-minutes bowl of laksa.
But we’re sure there are plenty of long-time fans who are elated that they can still get a taste of Uncle Ah Teck’s Noodle House!
For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on the new and everything-under-S$30 Italian restaurant with a view at Jewel and where to go with your friends and family with indulgent festive feasts in December.
Thu 8am - 2pm
Fri 8am - 2pm
Sat 8am - 2pm
Sun 8am - 2pm
- Chinatown
- Outram Park
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.
Read more stories from this writer.