Cheongfun Noodle @ Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre

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Update: Cheongfun Noodle has permanently closed.

Located at the yellow section of Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre, Cheongfun Noodle is one of the newly opened stalls offering Hong Kong-style rice rolls (cheong fun) and ban mian (handmade noodle).

If my intel is correct, the six-months old stall is run by a Mr and Mrs Wong. The husband, a Hong Konger handmade the cheong fun while the wife, a Malaysian, prepares the noodle.

I chanced upon a photo of their chili ban mian dry ($5.30) on social media when they had just opened. It looked so darn good that I decided it is what I will have but you know what they say procrastination did to men?

So, I finally got my ass off the couch and head down to Chinatown. The stall is not hard to find in the maze-liked food centre if you come up by the myCK Department store escalator.

It is the first stall on your left which used to be Lao Ren Jia Roasted.

After so many months, I had clearly forgotten that I wanted the chili ban mian dry. I ordered the soup version instead which, honestly, does not appear that appealing to me.

It was only after Mrs Wong has started making my order did I realize my folly but it is too late to change my order.

I do not know the cause for the milky color. I hope it is not the excess flour from cooking the noodle directly in the broth.

I prefer my broth to be clear.

What I thought to be two rolls of ngoh hiang (five-spiced meat roll) turns out to be a mixture of shrimp and minced pork wrapped in beancurd skin. I like the addition of the shrimp as it adds sweetness and springiness to the mixture.

The noodle portion is quite substantial with a firm and gummy mouthfeel.

The biggest surprise came from the two pork balls with good bouncy texture. I could be mistaken but I think there is the presence of tung kwai in it which I find irresistible.

I also ordered the mixed sauce cheong fun ($2.80).

Other flavors available included char siu ($4), shrimp ($4.50) and beef ($4.50).

It is basically two rolls of plain cheong fun topped with sesame seeds and peanut butter in soy sauce. The sambal served on the side is robust and quite the deal breaker.

Do ask for it for the umami richness.