Tasty crispy claypot noodles, wealthy broths & seafood-filled components

I used to be sifting by our lengthy, lengthy record of reader-recommended stalls once I got here throughout Fook Kee Ipoh Well-known Claypot Noodle.

I don’t find out about you, however one thing in regards to the ‘Ipoh’ in its identify referred to as out to me like a ‘seal of approval’ for authenticity. In addition to, I’ve had solely one of the best experiences at such Malaysian-named institutions. These, mixed with my penchant for his or her signature providing of crispy claypot noodles, have been sufficient to get me on a pilgrimage to Ubi.

As their identify suggests, Fook Kee is a Malaysia-famous model recognized for its speciality of Ipoh-style claypot noodles. They first made their Singapore debut in Aljunied in Jul 2023 however have since relocated to the kopitiam at Ubi Frontier.

They’ve not too long ago opened 2 extra stalls — one in Katong and one other in Chinatown, which I sadly solely found days after my 3-hour spherical journey to Ubi. Sigh.

On the (mockingly) vibrant facet, it had simply rained that afternoon. The air was chilly and the sky was overcast — solely the proper climate for piping sizzling soup! My go to couldn’t have come at a greater time.

The kopitiam that homes Fook Kee is tucked deep within the Ubi industrial space. Roomy and furnished with numerous tables, it’s clearly designed to cater to bustling workplace lunch crowds. I suppose that explains why it was so quiet once I visited within the late afternoon.

Ulu because the stall is, individuals willingly make the journey for his or her noodles. I imply, simply check out that ‘Singapore Finest Meals’ sticker, full with 5 stars. Behind the glass counter, stacks of crispy noodles beckoned enticingly beneath the glow of warmth lamps. Yeah, it’s no marvel persons are drawn in.

What I attempted at Fook Kee Ipoh Well-known Claypot Noodle

I began with none apart from Fook Kee’s famed Ipoh Signature Claypot Noodle (S$6). The noodles arrived simply as they appeared on show — an attractive block of golden-brown goodness that sported an attractive crisped exterior. How these noodles retained their form so completely at the same time as they simmered away within the rustic claypot won’t ever not be a marvel to me.

An egg was cracked into the dish earlier than it was served, its silky yolk draping over the mattress of noodles. Beneath, an array of components peeked out from the effervescent broth.

At first look, the claypot noodles bear an nearly uncanny resemblance to the gang favorite yee mee. There’s greater than meets the attention, although; these noodles are literally a particular kind of egg noodles particularly crafted for claypot dishes.

The noodles have been springy and had an incredible mouthfeel that struck the proper steadiness between crispy and chewy. They softened as they simmered, although to not the purpose of sogginess, and retained an exquisite agency bounce with each chew. Flavour-wise, they bore a delicate egginess that paired effectively with the savoury broth.

Moreover, I seen that every noodle strand was wavy and irregularly formed, in distinction to the sometimes clean texture of yee mee. These textural ‘nuances’ served because the beautiful hallmark of handmade labour that I merely adore.

The noodles have been accompanied by a number of pork slices and minced meat chunks that have been well-marinated and simmered all the way down to an unimaginable silky tenderness; it’s no exaggeration to say that they virtually melted in my mouth. There have been additionally many thick and gentle slices of napa cabbage that gave the broth a pure sweetness and a pleasant depth of flavour.

Now, I keep in mind feeling fairly underwhelmed by the broth on my first sip of it. It was an entire completely different story in a while, although. The initially clear broth steadily took on a cloudy mild brown hue as I labored my means by the bowl.

Clearly, the broth had been enriched with the essence of the claypot noodles. The gentle porky flavour of the broth grew to become extra pronounced with every spoonful, coaxed out and complemented by an umami richness imparted by the noodles. The consequence? A lightweight but full-bodied broth that had me savouring each final drop and feeling completely glad.

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As I perused the menu, I used to be notably intrigued by the Blended Treasure Soup (S$7). I obtained a kick out of its Chinese language identify, 全家福, which interprets to ‘comfortable household’.

The ‘household’ ensemble comprised a medley of components you don’t usually discover at noodle and soup stalls: fortune baggage, contemporary prawn balls, shrimp wantons, crab nuggets and beancurd pores and skin seafood rolls. Oh, the abundance of seafood-filled treasures on this bowl lived as much as its identify, alright.

Quite the opposite, the presentation of the dish was somewhat lacklustre. It was so simple as a cloudy grey-ish bowl of broth with the components nestled inside.

However, as they are saying, by no means decide a guide by its cowl. Albeit its drab look, the broth proved unexpectedly strong. Its consistency resembled a fusion of creamy collagen and milky tonkotsu broth, with distinct candy notes of contemporary seafood and greens that infused a daikon radish-esque flavour that jogged my memory of a comforting oden.

The components inside have been scrumptious as effectively. The fortune baggage have been my favorite of the lot. These hefty morsels have been gentle but toothsome, full of tasty orange fish paste studded with tiny pearls of roe that burst with umami that lingered on my tongue. Having solely ever had mochi-stuffed tofu pores and skin fortune baggage from Japan, I used to be taken by nice shock.

The shrimp wantons, every encasing a large contemporary prawn, have been one other stand-out. Their silky skins have been so delicate that they virtually disintegrated within the soup and took on a slurp-worthy consistency harking back to kway teow noodles.

The prawn balls have been equally spectacular, embedded with entire chunks of contemporary prawns that lent each a satisfying crunch and pronounced sweetness that complemented the savoury broth.

Ultimate Ideas

I didn’t count on Fook Kee Ipoh Well-known Claypot Noodle to impress me as a lot because it did. The Signature Claypot Noodle lived as much as my noodle-loving expectations and extra with its flavourful soup and crispy, chewy noodles. Equally, I deeply loved the strong Blended Treasure Soup and the abundance of tasty seafood-filled components — superb worth for cash!

You possibly can positively rely on each dishes to heat you up on a chilly, wet day. To be trustworthy, they’re price digging into even on sunny days. Nonetheless, I’ve to confess that I’m unsure I’d courageous one more arduous journey to Ubi Frontier for it. I suppose I’ll simply anticipate extra particulars about their Chinatown outlet, for now.

Anticipated injury: S$5.50 – S$7 per pax

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