The Dead Cockroach: Keng Heng (Whampoa) Teochew Lor Mee @ Golden Mile Food Centre

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The second stall that I wanted to visit at Golden Mile Food Centre is called Tong Ji Mian Shi (桐记面食).

Seriously, can the hawkers from this food centre impress me any further?

First, there is the healthy fried kway teow with heaps of chye sim and now this - lor mee with fried lotus root!

Ooh, it certainly got my attention and I cannot wait to try it.

Unfortunately, I am greeted by a vacant unit (#01-100) with no signboard when I got there.

Thinking that I might have gotten the unit number wrong, I circled the row of stalls a couple of times but it seems they are gone for good.

Thankfully, there is another very popular lor mee stall at the food centre called Keng Heng (Whampoa) Teochew Lor Mee (慶興(黃埔)潮州鹵麵) which have appeared on Makan Places: Lost & Found.

It is also the winner of the 2012 King Of Kings (王中王) award.

As its name implies, the stall actually had its beginnings at Whampoa Drive Food Centre. It was there for a good ten years before shifting to Lucky Plaza Food Centre for the next three years. It shifted again and this time, they came to Golden Mile.

If you had paid attention to their name, theirs is Teochew lor mee and not the usual Hokkien lor mee. What is the difference between the Teochew and Hokkien style?

Isn't lor mee just... lor mee?

According to the owners, Teochew lor mee does not have braised egg. They emphasized more on the braised meat and ngor hiang. Their lor which is cooked from a broth of chicken bones, pork bones and anchovies is also not as sweet.

Apart from the braised meat and ngor hiang, other ingredients included fish cake, battered fish meat, fried wanton and fried fish skin.

I ordered the medium bowl ($3/$4/$5) and requested for bee hoon.

When my order was ready, the auntie topped my bowl with condiments such as chopped spring onions, garlic, chili padi, black vinegar and their special homemade sambal chili.

I find their lor very gao (thick). After I finished stirring and the lor had clung on to the noodle, there is not much of it left. One thing I like about it is that the lor did not turn watery at all.

I liked the battered fish which did not turn soggy despite being submerged in the lor. The braised pork is also tender and flavorful.

It was all very satisfying from beginning to end. I do not care if the lor mee is Hokkien or Teochew style. My only concern is whether it is delicious and that is all it matters.

Unfortunately, the fish skin is no longer crispy due to soaking in the sauce. Next time, must whack the fish skin first.

In all seriousness, the fish skin is nice. I wished there is more of it.