Top eateries to satisfy your Ban Mian cravings

Beauty World Food Centre is home to a slew of hawker gems and Top 1 Homemade Noodle, which has been around for over 30 years, is one of them — in fact, be prepared for a queue.

The dry option ($5) gives you chewy noodles tossed in a thick dark soy sauce and a fiery chilli sauce, and is topped with the likes of flavourful minced meat, braised mushroom slices and meatballs. You can also opt for prawn, clams or fish slices.

If you go for the soup version, its clear and sweet broth is also a winne. It’s also got specialty mala and tomyum ban mian.

144 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, #04-44, Singapore 588177

Owned by a couple, this stall in Geylang has made a name for itself with its supple handmade noodles, served in an eggy broth or tossed in a savoury-sweet sauce.

The pork ban mian boasts soft handmade noodles dunked in an eggy broth with a hint of sweetness. You’ll get crisp anchovies, as well as both sliced pork and hefty chunks of minced meat that make for a satisfying and hearty bowl. But apart from pork, you can also go for prawns, sliced fish, clams, meatballs, and even chicken.

Its dry ban mian has also garnered legions of fans.

558 Geylang Rd, Lor 32 Geylang, Singapore 389509

For the ultimate indulgent ban mian, check out the Abalone Home Made Noodle, which is loaded with abalone, abalone clams, prawns, meatballs and fish maw – available in both soup and dry versions.

Cooked with dried ikan bilis and soybeans instead of pork bones, the soup is lighter and clearer but still flavourful. It also doesn’t come with an egg.

The dry ban mian, mixed with dark soy sauce, boasts a sweeter flavour. Or you can add a punch with the homemade chilli sauce.

91 Whampoa Dr, #01-24, Singapore 320091

It offers both the broth and dry versions, but it’s the dry chilli ban mian ($5) that’s a crowd-puller.

The noodles are springy, and apart from the usual suspects of minced pork, vegetables, ikan bilis and mushroom, there’s the added crunch of shredded black fungus to add texture to the bowl, as well as a gooey onsen egg. Add its homemade chilli to the mix and it makes for a gratifying bowl.

7 Maxwell Rd, #01-07, Singapore 069111

Another dry ban mian spot to check out would be Ng Kuan Chilli Pan Mee, which is known for its dry chilli ban mian. The Signature Ban Mian comes with a poached egg, fried garlic and shallots, ikan bilis and the homemade chilli, which seriously brings on the heat, but don’t expect dark sauce in this rendition. The noodles are springy and offer a firm bite, and are quite lovely when coated with the runny yolk.

Apart from the classic minced pork, you can also choose your ban mian with sides like fried pork, chicken cutlet and – all of which had run out on our visit, sadly.

Our gripe was that the fried garlic and shallots came disappointingly stale and soft, rather than fried to crispy perfection, and stuck to our teeth upon chewing. We’d also have preferred a more flavourful sauce, though the chilli would find favour with spice lovers.

Various locations islandwide. Visit here for more information.

One thing’s for sure – this ban mian stall doesn’t skimp on its ingredients, whether it’s the bowl of overflowing soup and noodles, or the heap of fish slices, ikan bilis and cabbage, so you can be sure of a full belly.

Serving up noodles with a nice bite, the dry ban mian comes mixed with a dark sauce, though some might find it a tad oily. It’s also not served spicy. If you prefer something that’s lighter on the palate, the broth version offers a clear, light soup that isn’t short on flavour.

Apart from the ban mian, the mee sua and mee hoon kuey are popular with the crowd, too.

186 Toa Payoh Central, #01-402, Singapore 310186

This ban mian chain has over 10 stalls in coffee shops islandwide, which dole out affordable noodles from $4.50 – though this could mean a difference in consistency across its outlets.

Apart from minced meat, you can also sink your teeth into thin pork belly slices that aren’t usually found at other ban mian stalls, as well as batang fish slices and prawns. If you like a bit of punch, there’s a flavourful Tom Yum version to kick things up a notch.

Various locations islandwide. Visit here for more information.

Located at the coffee shop on the fifth level of City Plaza is Poon Nah City Home Made Noodle. Its ban mian comes in a variety of choices, from a choice of minced pork to fish slices, prawns, clams, and even baby abalone.

The clear broth is light but tasty, and the noodles are soft and silky.

But it’s mostly all carbs with this ban mian – there’s no egg and we would certainly welcome a more generous portion of toppings, especially minced meat. But if that’s not substantial enough, you can amp up your meal with fried sides like luncheon meat, fish cake, fish ball, and more.

810 Geylang Rd, #05-02 City Plaza, Singapore 409286

This article was first published in Women’s Weekly.

Additional reporting by: Latisha Sonia Shaymentyran