The Dead Cockroach: Tian Tian Lai Lor Mee @ Blk 359 Bukit Batok Street 31

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Update: Tian Tian Lai Lor Mee has permanently closed.

Lor mee is one of my favoritest thing to eat but regrettably, non of the ones from my neighborhood can meet my expectation. As a result, it is a ongoing mission of mine to always be on the lookout for a nice bowl.

When I found out about Tian Tian Lai Lor Mee at Blk 359 Bukit Batok Street 31, I was thrilled since it is not too far from my place.

There was a short queue in front of the stall but it cleared quickly. I ordered a bowl of fried fish lor mee ($5) which came with two large pieces of fried battered fish, two fried pork balls, braised pork belly slices, half a hard-boiled egg and fish cake slices.

While the auntie was preparing to add condiments to my bowl, I requested for more black vinegar. With a grin on her face, she says that she will give me more of everything (sambal chili, garlic, cut chili padi, coriander, etc).

However, when I took a look at the bowl, it is anything but. I could not decide if she meant it, or just paying lip service.

I thank her anyway and carried my bowl off to look for a vacant table.

Firstly, the fried battered fish. I believed they were fried in advance therefore it has turned cold with a non crispy batter. As for the pork balls, it would be nice if they have a crisp exterior but they seemed homemade so bonus points for that.

What really stood out for me were the well-marinated pork belly. With a balanced ratio of lean and fatty parts, they were a joy to chew on.

As for the braised egg and fish cake slices, they were pretty generic.

I found some suspicious looking stuff at the bottom of my bowl that seemed like crunchy bits made of soybean. You know, the kind used in vegetarian food? Only thing is, they are not crunchy at all.

I usually opt for bee hoon when having lor mee but this time, I decided to have the flat Hokkien noodle instead for a change. The portion is substantial but it could get a little jelak. Now, I recall why I have been sticking to bee hoon all this while.

The viscosity of the lor is thick enough without being overly starchy. It was well-stirred with no lumpy bits forming. Come to think of it, I did not notice any egg ribbons in the lor.

Flavor wise, it was a pretty satisfying bowl of lor mee.

Despite the somewhat disappointing ingredients (fried stuff served cold, crispy batter turned soggy, etc), the lor is above average for me.

Things could turn around if they fry the fried fish and pork balls in small batches to retain the freshness and texture.

I am still willing to come back for a bowl of lor bee hoon with pork belly and perhaps more black vinegar.