When you bring up Lor Mee, there are 2 stalls that come to mind. One is Xin Mei Xiang Zheng Zong Lor Mee, which this post is about, and Tiong Bahru Lor Mee, which is my main basis for comparison. On a regular day before lunch hour (1145am), expect to queue around 45 minutes for this dish. Midway through queueing, you will be asked for your order, and when you actually do reach the counter, your order will be confirmed and your preferences (such as the addition of chilli and vinegar) will be finalised. Don't feel exasperated as people who usually buy from this stall order between 4 to 10 bowls so sometimes the queue can really feel like a Christmas Eve jam. Just start to play a game on your phone or scroll through your news feed and I'm sure you'll get there in no time.
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| Image taken from Xin Mei Xiang's Facebook Page |
I will usually order the $4 bowl of Lor Mee as it comes with shredded fish, and for noodle choice I'll have mixed bee hoon and egg noodle. I recommend a bit of chilli to go with the dish if you can stomach spiciness, and a bit of vinegar enhances the flavour. The shredded fish is actually decent because you can actually much on 1-2 inch pieces of semi-fried fish, and the lean meat does not have too much of a fatty portion which is good. The crux to this dish is the gravy, which I believe is yet another family secret (the stall is run by a group of sisters and their spouses). The starch added gives it the right amount of consistency and the taste is pleasant, with or without the vinegar (adding vinegar is recommended!). Another good thing about this is that you don't feel thirsty after eating it so that's great too.
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| Image taken from Xin Mei Xiang's Facebook Page. |
On days when Xin Mei Xiang (XMX) is open, you will find like 15 people in the queue at a time (hence the approximate 30-45 minute wait). In contrast, Tiong Bahru Lor Mee (TB) will have like 5 people at a time, if a queue even forms at all (I observed this!). On the other hand, when the former is closed, Tiong Bahru Lor Mee suddenly has a stream of people who probably did not want their trip to Old Airport Road Food Centre ending up as a wasted one. The difference lies mainly in their gravy. TB's one is much thicker and tastes more like the conventional Lor Mee gravy whereas XMX's is lighter and more distinctive. Also, the shredded fish at XMX comes in much larger pieces and is much more flavourful than its counterpart. The lean meat you'll find at TB also is saltier but that's not that much of a concern for me.
Expect to pay: $3-5 ($4 and above is recommended)
#01-113
Old Airport Road Food Centre
51 Old Airport Road
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