Bookmark these 10 places for a delicious bowl of lor mee in Singapore
Enjoy a bowl of comforting lor mee in Singapore? Originating from China’s Fujian (Hokkien province), lor mee is a dish that you’ll easily find at most hawker centres in Singapore.
The “lor” refers to the gravy, a thick, goopy sauce that’s often seasoned with star anise, cinnamon, and five-spice powder, while “mee” just refers to the noodles under all of that sauce. That said, it isn’t just taken with yellow mee, though — some hawkers also offer other options such as thick beehoon.
The gravy in a bowl of lor mee is undeniably the star of the show, but what would a good bowl of lor mee be without the accompanying ingredients? Usual suspects include lor bak (braised pork belly), braised egg, fishcake, ngoh hiang (spiced meat roll), and fried fish.
Depending on one’s preferences, you can also opt to top it with a generous serving of minced garlic, coriander, sambal chilli, and even a splash of black vinegar for that extra tanginess!
Feeling hungry already? Here are our 10 favourite go-to spots for a steaming bowl of lor mee in Singapore:
1. Xin Mei Xiang Lor Mee
Why visit? Xin Mei Xiang Lor Mee has quite the story — it first started out as a humble hawker stall at Old Airport Road in 1973, and has now expanded to multiple locations across the country including an eatery at Balestier. It was also awarded a Michelin plate in the local version of the Michelin Guide in 2019.
Despite scaling up, the owners have stayed true to tradition and have worked to keep its prices within an affordable range. But that doesn’t mean it scrimps on quality; in fact, the owners insist on using batang fish in its lor mee for its texture and taste, despite its higher price.
If you’re looking for greater value, here’s a tip: Visit before 11am on weekdays to enjoy S$1 off all bowls!
Crowd favourites: The signature lor mee (from S$6 for a small bowl) comes with all the goodies — batang fish, braised pork, and braised egg, and is an easy choice especially if you’ve never tried this concept before.
However, if you’re dining in a bigger group, or love variety for the table, there are also bowls with a specific protein, such as the double fish lor mee (from S$6 for a small bowl) or braised pork lor mee (from S$5 for a small bowl).
Some outlets also sell the stall’s take on prawn noodles (from S$7.70), where you can even request a unique combination of prawn broth and lor mee gravy, and other interesting sides worth a try. The Balestier eatery, for example, serves up small bites such as fried cod fish in three flavours (S$7.70) and Hakka-style pork belly (S$5.50).
If you happen to be at Old Airport Road Food Centre, here are the other hawkers we love there.
2. 137 Lor Mee Prawn Mee
Why visit? As its name might suggest, 137 Lor Mee Prawn Mee has only two things on its menu — lor mee and prawn mee — and with all speciality stalls you just know they’ve got their recipes down pat.
The stall opens at 6.30am but, be warned, the dishes often sell out quite early. In fact, it’s not uncommon to see a snaking queue even in the wee hours of the morning. We recommend coming hungry, as the portions are pretty generous!
There’s no second-guessing the prices here, too — each type of noodles going for S$4 and S$5 for a small or large bowl respectively.
Crowd favourites: The crowd-drawing lor mee (from S$4) here comes with a generous dose of black vinegar, chopped garlic, and coriander.
It is accompanied by a fried fish coated in a crisp batter, which surprisingly stays crunchy despite being covered with the sauce, and half a braised egg, offering a satisfying round-up to the entire meal. The chilli sauce adds an extra oomph as well — be sure to mix this in!
If you’re interested in visiting Tampines Round Market Food Centre, here are our top picks.
3. 178 Lor Mee
Why visit? 178 Lor Mee is reputed for serving its lor mee with a twist, topping each bowl with fried shark meat. It has been featured in the local Michelin guide from as early as 2016, and has been awarded a Michelin Plate for a number of editions, including the most recent 2026 one.
This humble Tiong Bahru Market hawker stall has also been featured in several international news programmes, and was also famously reviewed by Japanese actor Yoshihiko Hosoda, known for his roles in movies such as Detroit Metal City.
You’ll often find a queue in front of this stall; but don’t be deterred as it moves fast. Just remember to come early as it tends to sell out before its closing time.
Crowd favourites: You only have one choice to make here — a small (S$4.50) or large portion (S$6) portion. If you’re there just for the deep-fried shark nuggets, it was temporarily out of stock when we visited earlier in October and was replaced with fried fish, so manage your expectations accordingly.
Besides the fried fish, the bowl came with a few slices of pork, some fishcake and some pieces of batter — if you’d like to add more protein, an additional egg costs S$0.80.
We couldn’t help but feel disappointed about the unavailability of the shark meat, but at least the braise was robust without being too cloying. The five-spiced flavour sat well on the tongue, with just enough savouriness to warm you right up. The inclusion of batter also gave the lor mee a good textural contrast.
Tiong Bahru Market is full of great eats! One of our favourites includes Jian Bo Shui Kueh.
4. Kampong Lor Mee
Why visit? Kampong Lor Mee keeps its food affordable, with bowls of lor mee going from S$3.50 a pop. We like how it stays open throughout the day, catering to the early birds, afternoon visitors who could be coming in at odd hours after a visit to the nearby Pulau Ubin, and diners who might be after an early dinner.
It has only one thing on its menu, which is — as you might have guessed — lor mee but the stall switches things up with not just one, but seven different types of lor mee, with each having a different champion ingredient, such as cod fish or yam roll!
Crowd favourites: Go for the comforting yam roll lor mee (S$3.50), which adds a sweet and earthy flavour to the five-spiced gravy.
We also couldn’t get enough of the cod fish lor mee (S$5), which offers fantastic value. We’re big fans of the creamy texture of cod fish; plus, the premium nature of cod fish also generally sees it with a high price point, but not here!
If you can’t decide which bowl, but don’t have space for multiple ones, you can also opt to add on ingredients such as ngoh hiang (S$2) and crispy chicken cutlet (S$2) to get the best of both worlds.
5. Ming Chung White Lor Mee
Why visit? Ming Chung White Lor Mee serves up a style of lor mee that you don’t see often in hawker centres here — its version comes with a white broth. The stall is a spin-off of the famous Ming Chung Restaurant (which serves Putian cuisine), and is run by the restaurant founder’s great-grandson. A new outlet has just popped up at the refreshed Ion Orchard Food Opera as well, so it’s now even more convenient to grab a bowl!
The stall sells many of the restaurant’s popular dishes, with the lor mee being its shining star. Each bowl contains lor bak, which is braised for one to two hours at Ming Chung restaurant before being brought to the hawker stall. Special care goes into the handmade wheat flour noodles as well, said to be imported from the Putian region.
Crowd favourites: The lor mee (S$7) here is based on a family recipe that features a medley of ingredients, such as seafood (prawns, clams, and sotong), fried yam, beancurd skin, lor bak, and vegetables. Unlike the usual thick lor mee gravy, the gravy is light and appetising, with a natural sweetness from the seafood.
Add on the fried batang fish (from S$8 for two pieces) for an even more satisfying meal. The fish is delightfully fresh, encased in a light batter that does away with any oily smell.
If you’re a fan of seafood, the stall also serves a hearty plate of stir-fried flower clams (from S$12 for a small plate). The clams are fresh and juicy, and doused in a savoury sauce. Be warned: the chilli gives quite a kick!
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6. Amoy Street Lor Mee
Why visit? Dating back to 1959, Amoy Street Lor Mee now has multiple branches across the island, and has cultivated quite the fan following. Not only is its lor mee very affordable, it also packs each bowl with a generous amount of ingredients. Extremely value for money, we say!
Each bowl contains a quartet of “four Heavenly Kings” ingredients, as the stall adorably calls them. This delicious medley contains a mix of batang fish, fried fish, prawn roll, and pork belly. The gravy is also reportedly thickened with plain flour instead of tapioca starch, preventing it from turning watery.
Crowd favourites: The lor mee (from S$3.50) offers a choice of yellow noodles or bee hoon, or even a mix or both if you’d prefer. Alternatively, add a dollar for a bowl of lor mee with extra fish (S$4). Big eaters will love the Jumbo meal (S$5.50), which entices with an upsized portion.
The gravy here is goopy without being too starchy, coating each strand of noodles well. Add a generous scoop of minced garlic, which together with the vinegar, offers a sharp tang that cuts through the savouriness.
Bookmark these 15 stalls at Whampoa Food Centre that are bound to satisfy those cravings.
7. Lorong Ah Soo Lor Mee
Why visit? Unlike the usual fried fish lor mee, Lorong Ah Soo Lor Mee sells a unique rendition of shredded duck lor mee. The stall owners decided to make this change to prevent any choking on bones, especially as most of its patrons consist of the elderly. How thoughtful!
Most days, the stall only stays open for 3.5 hours. Often attracting snaking queues, it commonly sells out of its famous lor mee long before its closing time of 3.30pm.
Crowd favourites: There’s only one type of shredded duck lor mee (from S$4.50 for a small bowl) on the menu. The dish does feel healthier with the shredded duck, making it great for those counting calories. However, if you’d like, you can add a side of fried fish (S$1 per piece). We recommend going for the large if you’re a meat person, as it comes with significantly more shredded duck than the smaller bowl.
The bowl also contains slices of ngoh hiang, as well as half a braised egg. Customise your bowl with your desired amount of minced garlic, black vinegar, chilli padi, sambal chilli, and spring onions — and dig in!
8. Shun Li Ah Ma Lor Mee
Why visit? Shun Li Ah Ma Lor Mee wins on both aesthetics and taste. We appreciate how the ingredients aren’t simply covered by the thick gooey sauce, and are instead arranged in an appealing manner. Cut chilli padi and coriander add a pop of colour, whilst the glistening pork belly is sliced generously.
Shun Li Ah Ma Lor Mee is only open for four days a week, so catch them when you can. The stall is known for its generosity: besides heaping ingredients, extra noodles are also available upon request. And at no additional cost, too!
Crowd favourites: The lor mee (S$5.50) piles on the ingredients despite its modest price point. A big piece of fried fish, thick slices of pork belly, half a braised egg, ngoh hiang, and crunchy flour bits are thrown in to sweeten the deal.
We like that the lor bak is only sliced upon each order, keeping it fresh and tender. If you’re feeling particularly hungry, you can even ask for more noodles at no extra cost!
9. Feng Zhen Lor Mee
Why visit? Dating back to 1997, Yew Tee Feng Zhen Lor Mee first started off as a hawker stall in Yew Tee. Now, it has expanded to have a second eatery at Jurong East.
The customer service here is second to none. In fact, customers often praise the stalls’ efficiency and friendliness. Regulars’ orders are memorised, whilst new customers are warmly welcomed with warm smiles. If you’re looking to order a meal from somewhere that feels like home, this is it.
Crowd favourites: You’ll find six types of lor mee on the menu, including the popular Yuan Yang fish lor mee (from S$6 for a small bowl). It contains a trio of ingredients: lor bak, fried fish, and homemade meatballs. This comes on top of fishcake slices and half a boiled egg. The gravy is smooth and thick, with sweet and herbal accents. We recommend adding lots of chilli as well!
The cuttlefish fies lor mee (from S$5 for a small bowl) is a standout as well, containing chewy cuttlefish encased in a light batter. If you’re feeling particularly hungry, the stall also sells sides like prawn rolls (S$5) and ngoh hiang (S$5).
10. Zhi Xiang Special Lor Mee
Why visit? This is for all the health-conscious diners: Zhi Xiang Special Lor Mee serves its food with no MSG. Rest assured that this doesn’t compromise on taste in the slightest; its special lor mee comes laden with lor bak, ngoh hiang, half a braised egg, fish cakes, and more.
What makes it stand out, too, is the addition of fried shredded yam — which is handmade every morning, mind you. This adds an earthy flavour to the overall taste profile, with a slight nutty overtone. The yam strips are crispy yet tender, soaking up the gravy well. Out of our list, this stall opens the earliest, too: early birds will love how it’s open bright and early at 5am, six days a week.
Crowd favourites: The special lor mee comes in three sizes; the small (S$4) is without yam, and the medium (S$5) comes with yam.
Craving for more? More yam is available at S$2 a serving. The large (S$6) upsizes the whole bowl, resulting in a glorious concoction guaranteed to satisfy every craving.
For more delicious hawker fare, check out the all-new Woksta at ABC Brickworks serving up wok hei-laden pasta, or grab some kway chap using our list as a guide!
E-lyn gets happy easily: All she needs is some sashimi, fresh oysters, and wine thrown into the mix.
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