The public has voted! DBS PayLah! has just announced its list of 15 nominated hawker stalls for the DBS PayLah! Hidden Gem Hawker Awards, three in each of five regions. The three nominated hawker stalls in the West region are:
Cheng Mei Shi Lor Mee
48A Tanglin Halt Road #01-14
Singapore 148 813
Huang Da Fu Bak Chor Mee
31 Commonwealth Crescent #02-94
Singapore 149 644
Soh Food
7 Empress Road #01-106
Singapore 260 007
I visited both Cheng Mei Shi Hao Wei Dai and Huang Da Fu Bak Chor Mee and tried their lor mee and bak chor mee respectively.
Located in Tanglin Halt Market, Cheng Mei Shi Lor Mee is operated by second generation owner Derek Ng and it has been around for more than 50 years. Their menu offers five noodle dishes headlined by the Signature Lor Mee ($3). The Signature Lor Mee features thick flat yellow noodles basking in a viscous – thankfully not gloopy – chicken stock-based gravy with braised chicken slices, battered and deep-fried fish, braised egg, bean sprouts as well as a riot of condiments including minced garlic, chilli padi and spring onions. Absolutely delicious and I wonder how I’ve overlooked it in all its years of existence!
Unlike the quintessential Singapore lor mee (braised noodles), Cheng Mei Shi Hao Wei Dao’s comes with braised chicken slices – instead of pork belly – and uses the sweeter and more aromatic plum vinegar rather than Chinese black vinegar.
Huang Da Fu Bak Chor Mee at Commonwealth Crescent Market and Food Centre debuted in 2016 and is owned and operated by former auditor Jimmy Teo. The stall is known for two things: long operating hours (currently 7am to 3pm and 7pm to 3am) and its value-for-money dry bak chor mee (minced pork noodles) with prices starting from $3.50 each, arguably one of the city’s cheapest bak chor mee.
The generously portioned dry bak chor mee comes with your choice of noodles (mee kia or mee pok) doused in black vinegar, pork lard and a punchy homemade sambal, and is served minced pork, pork slices, pig’s liver, mushroom bits and lettuce. There is also a bowl of clear broth served on the side.
DBS created the DBS PayLah Hidden Gem Hawker Awards recently to help unearth the most underrated hawkers in Singapore. If you’ve never visited any of these hidden gem hawker nominees, do check them out and then show them your support by going online to vote for them at the following link:
https://www.dbs.com.sg/Contact/dbs/cards/hawkers-award/vote/default.page
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BIBIK GOURMAND 