Food Picks: Old-school noodles at industrial canteen stall Wei Ji Noodle House
SINGAPORE – At a time when noodle chains peddling Teochew noodles have quietly ditched braised mushrooms, Wei Ji Noodle House still makes them from scratch.
Run by Mr Ricky Loo, 69, and Madam Jenny Chong, this stall sticks to tradition – right down to slicing and frying shallots for their own shallot oil, the backbone of both noodle and soup.
Mr Loo is Teochew and holds purist views on food, which explains his refusal to use factory-made sole fish powder. He and Madam Chong – who is Hakka – insist on buying whole premium sole fish, which they fry and grind to season their broth.
Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle ($4) wins points before it is even served. I ask for no ketchup. They reply – almost offended – that they do not stock it. The mee kia is springy and slick with lard, vinegar and housemade chilli. The braised mushrooms are tender with a clean chew and the minced pork is lightly sweet.
Madam Chong snips each rehydrated mushroom by hand – because the flavour is deeper when sliced after soaking. The accompanying soup is savoury, thanks to a measured use of tang chye (preserved vegetable).
Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle Dry at Wei Ji Noodle House.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
The Laksa ($4.50, with an extra $1 for more cockles) is the most accomplished dish. The rempah (spice paste) is made in-house. The gravy has the richness of coconut milk balanced by evaporated milk, with the warm, earthy thrum of galangal and lemongrass. Pandan leaf lends a gentle perfume.
The laksa beehoon is soft but intact. A dollop of sambal, thick with finely ground dried prawns, adds a sharp, tidal note that lifts without overpowering.
Laksa at Wei Ji Noodle House.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
The Fried Fish Lor Mee ($5) is a mixed bag. The battered chunks of dory are crisp and free of that dreaded muddy taste. But the gravy drags the dish down. It is overly thick and goopy, muting the texture of the noodles and flattening the flavour.
Fried Fish Lor Mee at Wei Ji Noodle House.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
An unexpected item that is worth the gamble is the Penang Char Kway Teow ($5.50). Instead of frozen Vietnamese prawns, the couple use oh hei – fresh black prawns from the wet market – which are sweet, briny and full of snap. Beansprouts give crunch; lup cheong adds a waxy, savoury edge; and crisp pork lard croutons bring richness and bite. There is a whisper of wok hei, just enough to lift the plate.
Penang Fried Kway Teow at Wei Ji Noodle House.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
The Handmade Meatball Soup ($4.50) is the quiet hit. The broth, laced with house-fried shallot oil, is clean and addictive. The meatballs are bouncy – each packed with minced pork, bits of carrot, spring onion and a breath of chilli.
Handmade Meatball Soup at Wei Ji Noodle House.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
Where: Stall 6, 01-401 Yi Jia Food Centre, 5036 Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park 2
MRT: Ang Mo Kio
Open: 6am to 3pm (Mondays to Saturdays). Closed on Sundays
Hedy Khoo is senior correspondent at The Straits Times. She covers food-related news, from reviews to human interest stories.
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