Is Ban Mian better dry or with soup?
Before we settle the debate, let us agree that whichever your preference may be, there is no denying that any disagreements are borne out of a love for Ban Mian.
So, give Hui Wei Chilli Ban Mee 回味 which has been around for more than 30 years a shot.
The Geylang Bahru Market & Food Centre is also home to hidden gems and compatriots, such as Cheok Kee Boneless Braised Duck and Yuan Yang Spinach Soup.
All of them received a Michelin Bib Gourmand Singapore award in 2023. Seems like the Michelin inspectors decided to visit Geylang Bahru after all these years.
As for Hui Wei 回味 (meaning reminiscent) Chilli Ban Mee, they have ridden the wave on their quality Ban Mians which invites customers from all over, even when Geylang Bahru is not exactly one of the most centrally located hawkers out there. (It is near Geylang Bahru MRT station DT24.)
Queues start early, sometimes even before the stall is ready to business at 11am.
The menu available is not limited to just Ban Mian.
It actually includes items like Ke Kou Mian ($4.50, $6), Seafood Ee Mian ($5, $7), Tom Yum La Mian ($5, $7) or even Sliced Fish Bee Hoon ($5, $7).
Even so, the star is their namesake, carried by the quality of the noodles which the owners handmake (well, rolled via a machine) meticulously.
For those who likes the dry version, you are in luck. The Dry Ban Mian ($5) noodles will be topped with minced meat, meatballs, poached egg, and a copious amount of their spicy homemade chilli.
Auntie asked if I wanted “little chilli or a lot”, and I requested for “medium spicy”.
The first thing you notice when biting into a mouthful of Dry Chilli Ban Mian is the texture of the noodles.
The noodles are freshly made in-stall, giving them a soft and pleasantly chewy texture.
I liked the Mee Hoon Kway as the slight irregularities in the handmade noodles also allow them to catch and hold more of the flavourful combination sauces.
It included a sweetish dark soy sauce, special recipe chilli and pork lard oil, delivering a punch of taste in every bite.
Yes, the sauce. The mixture did have a distinctive fiery kick, and an exhilarating spiciness that hits you right away (especially if you are not used to chillies).
The meat was marinated and cooked until tender, while the egg’s creamy yolk added a luscious richness that tied all the components.
There is also a soup version, with Ban Mian ($4), Sliced Fish Ban Mian ($5, $7), and Fried Fish Ban Mian ($5, $7) being the variations.
Between the two, I thought that the soup version was more ordinary (though still above average), and it was definitely the Dry Chilli Ban Mian that stands out more here.
Hui Wei Chilli Ban Mian is an all-rounder, for the days where you are craving good noodles.
Hui Wei Chilli Ban Mian
Geylang Bahru Market & Food Centre #01-58, 69 Geylang Bahru, Singapore 330069
Opening Hours: 11am – 9:30pm (Mon – Thurs, Sat – Sun), Closed Fri
Other Related Entries
Jiak Song Mee Hoon Kway (Telok Blangah Crescent Food Centre)
L32 Handmade Noodles (Geylang)
Greenview Café (Far East Plaza)
Ah Wang La Mian Xiao Long Bao (Zion Road Food Centre)
China Whampoa Ban Mian (Whampoa)
Read: DFD Singapore Michelin Bib Gourmand Reviews
* Written by Daniel Ang and Dean Ang. Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.
Personally i feel the black sauce too “gao” and prefer the egg too cooked(yolk not running) for me.
Overall a very good dry version chilli ban mian. The chilli really give you a good kick and noodle really good.
Especially like the couple behind stall really humble, chatty n treating the customer nicely. This is something most famous hawker do not have.
This also remind me another nice and humble couple that also make a good chilli ban mian. I would recommend u should go try them, Banting Traditional Cuisine now in the River Valley area.
Thanks for recommending Daniel. Banting is good – think they have the “DFD recommends” logo somewhere at their stall. haha.