Hawker Spotlight: Ah Kow Mushroom Minced Pork Mee

When I want to satisfy my craving for Bak Chor Mee (Minced meat noodle), I will often head down to Ah Kow Mushroom Minced Pork Mee to meet my needs. The food pictured here is taken from the outlet at Hong Lim Food Centre. Be prepared to queue for quite some time here, especially on the weekends. This is because the stall is only open 4 days a week (Thursday to Sunday). 

"In Singapore, follow queue won't go wrong right?"

I suppose you can say so, when it comes to hawker food anyway. Your bowl of noodles is served with dumplings, mushrooms, minced pork, salted fish and tossed in vinegar and oil. This strays from the standard make-up of a Bak Chor Mee recipe we have come to see at many food courts around Singapore. There are no fishballs, fishcake or meatballs here, just good old plain minced meat noodle. The verdict? It's definitely worth your time and money, but it'll be enjoyed the most by those who like dumplings and minced pork, as these 2 items are the more outstanding ones. There is a little bit of salted fish in each dumpling, which greatly enhances the flavour and makes the dumpling more fragrant. The minced pork is done such that the pork is very fine, and I like the fact that there isn't that much fat in the minced meat. It can taste a little salty especially with the vinegar and tiny bit of salted fish as a garnish, but it's still okay when taken with the soup. The soup is just your typical clear soup, but like I mentioned earlier, makes it much easier to wash down the saltiness in your palate. 

However, the portions are definitely insufficient for those heavy eaters, and those who want more variety in their Bak Chor Mee will most likely be disappointed as well. It's yet another sad instance where quality hawkers have raised their prices such that it's definitely not value for money in terms of portion, but have solely placed customers returning to enjoy the flavour of the food. That being said, I would still come back and pay premium for their Bak Chor Mee, which is probably one of the better ones around. They have another stall at Old Airport Road Food Centre, another foodies' haven. However, I find the Minced Pork Mee to be better at this stall, although the one at Old Airport is more generous with their portions. Do head down if you're in the area!

Expect to pay: $5

#02-42
Hong Lim Food Centre
531A Upper Cross Street