Tuesday 30 September 2014

Tiong Bahru Lor Mee – Delicious But Not My Kind of Food

Tiong Bahru Lor Mee

Singapore Lor Mee originated from South Chinese Hokkien Dish. A bowl of thick yellow noodle, covered in thickened seafood soup. Normal toppings will include braised pork belly, ngoh hiang, fried fish, grated garlic and a dash of black vinegar.


My first encounter with Lor Mee in Singapore was more than 8 years ago, during the time when Lor Ah Soo wet market was having a renovation and moved to a temporary location. To my surprise, it was so much different from the Lor Mee that I ate in a Malaysian Restaurant during my uni days in Melbourne.

Malaysian Hakka Lor Mee - Wah Kee - Clayton, VIC Australia.
Photo Credit: Avlxyz - Flickr

Malaysia's version of Lor Mee is white in colour, not black like the Singapore version. Using a thick round egg noodle covered with thick broth that is robust and smooth. The eggs are stir into the broth and topped with a generous serving of pork lard. The other ingredients used is sliced pork, prawns, fish cakes and vegetables. This white Lor Mee also known as Hakka Lor Mee. (In case you are in Melbourne, here is the location)

Malaysian Hakka Lor Mee - Wah Kee - Clayton, VIC Australia.
Photo Credit: Chiliong - Urbanspoon.com

Since my MIL like this dish so much, I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately Singapore Lor Mee was not what I expected and I was not able to finished the portion that I ordered. From that day onwards, it never crossed my mind to order Lor Mee.

Recently, I was asked by a SMU student doing her social media project to give this place a try. Curiosity got the best of me, so I decided to give this place a try.

Check out the ingredients

Like the name, Tiong Bahru Lor Mee originated from the popular Tiong Bahru Market. I ordered the $5 version which has fried fish and additional toppings.

Lor Mee

The thick flat noodle was cook just nice. Slightly springy, or to borrow the Italian phrase 'al-dente'. Toppings include braised pork belly, braised egg, ngoh hiang and fried fish are tasty and well executed.

Lor Mee - Check out the Noodle

I can't say I did not try, but my taste buds just can't agree with the combination of garlic, black vinegar and thick seafood soup. The garlic taste is just too overpowering, however without it, the soup base is not robust enough to provide flavour to the noodle. Truly an acquired taste needed for this dish.

Overall, the Lor Mee here is better than the one I tried eight years ago. Everything is nicely executed, but it is just not for me. On the positive note, I finished all the fillings except for the gravy. For Lor Mee lovers, I do recommend this place for them to try. Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 7.5/10
Value: 7.5/10
Service: n/a
Ambiance: n/a
Budget per Person: $0 - $10

Tiong Bahru Lor Mee
51 Old Airport Road
51 Old Airport Road Food Centre
#01-124
Singapore 390051

OH:
Thu – Tue: 09.30 – 16.00

Closed on Wednesday.

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