Don’t be mistaken. Tiong Bahru Yi Sheng Fried Hokkien Mee is located at ABC Brickworks Food Centre at Jalan Bukit Merah (and not Tiong Bahru), and is easily considered one of the best Hokkien Mee you can find in Singapore.
The queue waiting for a plate of wok-fried prawn noodles ($4, $5, $6) is very long, easily close to an hour during peak hours. I usually head over during late hours, so the wait is still manageable.
After it was listed in the Singapore Michelin Bib Gourmand , the line has gotten much much longer. (The other Bib Gourmand listed Hokkien Mee is Hong Heng Fried Sotong Prawn Mee at Tiong Bahru Food Centre.)
This stall has been around for close to 40 years, and is run by the second generation hawker Mr Toh Seng Wang. His father used to sell the noodles on a pushcart, and moved to this food centre in the 80s.
Uncle Toh is already nearing 70, often wearing goggles cooking up a storm behind his large wok.
Before I go on writing about it, I need to talk about “auntie” who is there taking orders and collecting cash.
Don’t step on her toes. Don’t get on her bad books. Don’t make changes after you order. Tell her what you want clear and concisely.
Tip: Once you make your orders, you sit around to wait like the other customers as the noodles are fried in batches. REMEMBER who is in front of you. There was once my order was skipped… and guess who got scolded… me.
I try not to take photos of Uncle Toh frying anymore, because kenna ‘scolded’ again, ”Are you here to eat or take photos?” Okay, okay, sorry, sorry.
She was probably having a bad day. Be nice to her.
The plate of noodles comes with a sizeable amount of toppings including prawns and sotong.
Hokkien mee fans are sometimes divided between dry and wet versions.
The noodles cooked in prawn stock is considered moist, though I won’t say it is wet, brimming with umami flavours, with good wok-hei.
What makes it special is also the sambal chili with bits of ikan bilis.
Though lime is provided, I usually squeeze very little as I enjoy the rich flavours on its own.
With all that said, there is another Hokkien Mee stall at the corner of the same food centre called “Havelock Rd Blk50 Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee”.
Perhaps they don’t have the “Michelin” luck, but they have their own fans too. I actually patronise this stall slightly more often, though the old hawker couple don’t open their stall that frequently now.
Tiong Bahru Yi Sheng Fried Hokkien Mee serves up good plate of Hokkien Mee which is a result of decades of experience that cannot be replicated.
Uncle Toh revealed in an interview that he has no one to take over his stall, and will fry ”until I can’t do this any more.”
Tiong Bahru Yi Sheng Fried Hokkien Mee
ABC Brickworks Food Centre Unit #01-13, Blk 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, Singapore 150006
Tel: +65 9862 9296
Opening Hours: 3pm – 10:45pm (Mon – Tues, Thurs – Sun) Closed Wed
Other Related Entries
ABC Brickworks Food Centre Hawker Guide
Hong Heng Fried Sotong Prawn Mee (Tiong Bahru)
Sheng Seng Fried Prawn Noodles (Pek Kio Food Centre)
Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Mee (Serangoon Garden)
Come Daily Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee (Toa Payoh)
* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.
That is one “almighty auntie” u have to be nice to! She is somewhat like Thanos with inifinity gauntlet+gems, and she can make your hokkien mee order in a 1-hour Q disappear with a snap if u step on her toes!