Another stall that I so desperately wanted to patronize from Get Together Coffee Shop at block 177 Bukit Batok West Ave 8 is Jiak Song Mee Hoon Kway.
The person behind the stall needs no further introduction. He is non other than Aaron Wong of MasterChef Singapore fame.
A professional photographer and diver, Aaron decided to venture into the hawker scene by selling his favorite hawker food - mee hoon kway!
Since opening his flagship stall at Telok Blangah two years ago, you can now find more outlets at Bedok, Toa Payoh, Tampines, Queen Street (Bugis), Jurong West, and now, Bukit Batok.
There are basically four options here for your choosing:
- mee hoon kway with minced pork ($4)
- mee hoon kway with minced pork and pork slices ($4.50)
- mee hoon kway with minced pork, pork slices and pork ball ($5)
- mee hoon kway with minced pork, pork slices, pork ball and shrimp ball ($5.50)
From the basic with just minced pork to the signature with the full works, you can opt for it either dry or in broth.
Do take note that they only have mee hoon kway and ban mian here. You mian, bee hoon and mee sua are unavailable.
Since it is my first time trying, I have to choose the signature with everything in. Apart from the minced pork, pork slices, pork ball and shrimp ball, expect the usual ikan bilis, egg and obligatory greens. I wished mani cai (sayur manis) was used instead of spinach though.
The minced pork and pork slices were tenderly smooth like they were coated with corn starch. Without any heavy marinade to musk their natural flavors, they are good enough to eat on its own.
I understand that they make their own pork balls and shrimp balls by hand. Hawkers who are willing to do such tedious manual work must be commended!
Taking a bite out of each one, I see only chunks of meat inside therefore I believe that no fillers are added at all.
My only gripe is that they were a little too soft, texturally wise. Would have been better if they were firmer and springier.
I am rather yim zim with the egg in my mee hoon kway. It cannot be overcooked as I dislike the powdery texture of cooked egg yolk on my tongue.
Initially, I did not notice the egg as it was submerged in the broth but the moment I do, I spooned it out and was thrilled to see the yolk still runny and wobbling within the confines of the spoon.
I cannot fathom why the other stalls do not bother to do their egg right?
Personally, I prefer hand-torn mee hoon kway instead of those pressed to a uniform flatness by machine. Hand-torn ones are more chewy with it's irregular shape and thickness.
The ones here are hand-torn alright but they could be slightly thicker for more chewing enjoyment.
And the broth.
The first thing that struck me upon taking a sip is that it is very gao (thick) with a smoky flavor. I do not know how this is achieved but this is by far, the tastiest mee hoon kway broth I have ever tasted.
When having other mee hoon kway, I tend to pour in a saucer or two of chili to give it more flavor as the broth was lacking in taste but there is no need for that here as Jiak Song's broth is robust enough.
I do find my bowl of mee hoon kway on the salty side though. Not just from the broth but also the ikan bilis and the chili dip.
Oh, the chili certainly deserve a mention of its own! It tasted like a combo of chopped chili with tau cheo. It makes a great dipping sauce - the kind that goes well with Teochew style steamed fish!
It is self service here. You queue to place your order and made payment then wait for them to call out the number on your receipt. Every order is made upon order so expect a short wait. I waited about ten minutes.
JIAK SONG MEE HOON KWAY 吃爽手工面粉粿
Get Together Coffee Shop
Blk 177 Bukit Batok West Ave 8
Singapore 650177
Blk 177 Bukit Batok West Ave 8
Singapore 650177
Business Hours
Mon - Sun: 8am - 8pm
Website: https://www.facebook.com/jiaksongsg/
Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/Yc46n9hqeFUjR4Dj8