“You reside in Bukit Panjang? So ulu, however acquired good ke kou mian.”
As somebody who’s lived my complete life in Bukit Panjang, I do know this assertion all too nicely. Hey, my neighbourhood could also be an usually ‘uncared for’ one, however a minimum of folks know of Hai Xian Zhu Zhou; some even journey right here particularly for its tasty ke kou mian.
The concept of this assessment got here to me whereas I used to be beforehand engaged on a Bukit Panjang meals information. I used to be reasonably stunned to find that the stall hadn’t been coated on our website, regardless of its reputation and the way synonymous it has grow to be with my space.
So, why not? I couldn’t go up the chance to write down concerning the ke kou mian I grew up loving. Moreover, I hadn’t had a repair shortly; naturally, my thoughts wandered into the territory of “normal drop or not?”
Hai Xian Zhu Zhou is located within the coffeeshop at 163A Gangsa Rd, close to Bukit Panjang Interchange. I can title a number of issues which may boggle your thoughts in case you’re a first-timer.
First, the title. On Google Maps, it’s Hai Xian Zhu Zhou, that means ‘seafood porridge’ in Mandarin. Its entrance is labelled ‘porridge’ in large daring letters, too. Nevertheless, the precise signboard reads ‘KKM’ and the enterprise goes by ‘Uncle KKM’ on Fb. I frankly can not inform you what its precise title is.
Then there’s the queue; it winds previous pillars and stretches by way of the entire coffeeshop, typically past. Lengthy queues is probably not unusual elsewhere, however they definitely are in Bukit Panjang.
I waited for over an hour that day. Persistence is a advantage that I used to be actually preventing to embrace.
What I attempted at Hai Xian Zhu Zhou
Oh, one factor you need to be aware is that the signboard doesn’t sport worth tags; the bottom worth of a bowl of Koka Noodles is S$5, although you possibly can fork out an extra S$0.50 to upsize yours and an extra S$0.50 to have it Spicy.
I began off with an upsized bowl of what has been my go-to order for the longest time: Spicy Koka Noodles (S$6).
Wow, the bowl was heavy; it was piping sizzling and filled with components, sending a nod my manner concerning the hearty meal I used to be in for. The curly Koka noodles had been cloaked in a gao broth, colored a fiery purple that might scare some. Not for me, although; it solely beckoned to be devoured.
You may very nicely be questioning — how is that this any completely different from instantaneous noodlesone may simply whip up at dwelling? My pal, Hai Xian Zhu Zhou’s broth is all of the distinction; you’ll know from the second you’re taking your first sip.
The broth is wealthy with umami goodness from its discernible pork base. The spice it packs has a pronounced chilli flavour that isn’t overpowering however reasonably addictive. I usually discover myself savouring every spoonful, letting the flavours linger on my palate and the spice tingle my tongue.
One of the best half? You gained’t be left feeling thirsty afterwards because it isn’t MSG-loaded. So, how do you want your packaged instantaneous noodles now?
The Koka noodles have a pleasant springiness and good chew, holding up nicely within the tasty broth with out turning into overly soggy. Furthermore, they bear a delicate egginess that lends a pleasant distinction to the strong spicy broth.
Whereas I personally would favor my noodles to have extra of a QQ sort of chew, I do preserve that these had been completely pleasant and slurp-worthy, serving as the proper complement to the soup.
The bowl was filled with lean meat and pork liver slices, handmade minced meatballs and xiao bai cai.
The agency liver slices had been cooked nicely, rendering a pleasing gamey distinction whereas the xiao bai cai supplied a refreshing crunch that juxtaposed the hearty broth and softer textures properly. Of all, I loved the meatballs — they had been succulent and seasoned nicely, with nutty hints of sesame oil.
Submerged inside the bowl was an egg, although it was barely overcooked and therefore grainy and rubbery. I’d have most well-liked it to be barely underdone so as to add a layer of creamy richness to the broth.
However, this dish maintains its place as an authorized fixed in my repertoire.
The second dish I ordered was the ‘signature’ Scrumptious Koka Noodle (S$5). I had meant to order the Mee Hoon Kueh (S$5) as an alternative, solely to be informed that the dish was unavailable.
Although I used to be a bit of dismayed, I used to be nonetheless equally thrilled that I’d get to pattern the Koka noodles of their unadulterated glory. It was about time I acquired to anyway, contemplating how I’ve all the time gone straight for the Spicy possibility.
The signature broth had a thick consistency and a barely cloudy look. When positioned side-by-side with the Spicy variation, this appeared so much tamer.
I didn’t count on to be blown away by the primary sip of the broth like I used to be; I used to be pleasantly stunned by its depth of flavour. Like its Spicy counterpart, it had a pronounced umami that served as testomony to the stall’s consistency.
Above all, I completely loved how the moreish savoury-sweetness of the pork bones was much more outstanding right here with the absence of chilli. Hai Xian Zhu Zhou has as soon as once more proven its higher hand so far as broth is worried.
So as to add to my delight, golden-yellow yolk oozed out the second I pulled the egg open with my chopsticks. Wealthy and creamy, it imparted a silky high quality to the broth that made every spoonful much more luscious and addictive.
By the point I lastly had my first style of the Koka noodles on this dish, they’d been stewing within the broth for fairly a while. Because of this, they emerged a bit of softer and thicker than the noodles I had tried in my first bowl. Regardless, the feel labored and the noodles successfully absorbed the strong flavours of the broth.
You already know what? This might go head-to-head with the Spicy Koka Noodles in my books.
Remaining Ideas
I’m assured that Hai Xian Zhu Zhou presumably serves up a few of Singapore’s finest ke kou mian. Their forte undeniably lies of their strong broths, though the springy noodles and beneficiant flavourful components had their elements in making every bowl a delight.
For first-timers, begin with the Scrumptious Koka Noodles; I frankly didn’t count on to take pleasure in it as a lot as I did and foresee that it may very nicely grow to be my new go-to. The Spicy Koka Noodles are scrumptious as nicely and will likely be excellent for spice lovers.
Is their ke kou mian definitely worth the journey and wait, although? I wouldn’t exaggerate and say that it’s value going out of your manner for, but it surely definitely makes for a satisfying lunch in case you’re close by. Simply bear in mind to deliver a lot of endurance and a hand-held fan; you’ll sweat buckets whereas ready.
