Mian Wang 1971 – Hokkien Mee With a Modern Spin in Bukit Batok!

Tucked behind a pillar of Sin Eating House in Bukit Batok is Mian Wang 1971 which puts a modern twist on the ever-loved local favourite Hokkien Mee. Here, they offer plates of gooey goodness that has been “zhnged” up with Salted Egg Calamari, Chicken Cutlet and even Sambal Pork Belly!

A sucker for freshly fried Salted Egg dishes, I was ecstatic to try out their Salted Egg Calamari Hokkien Mee ($6.50). Gimmicks aside, this pairing truly slapped.

The rings of Squid donned a thin golden-brown batter. As I made it past the crisp coating of batter and sank my teeth into the tender yet springy Calamari, I thought that while the aromatic Salted Egg Sauce was nicely soaked up by the deep fried squid, the salted egg flavour was slightly more subtle than I had expected. That said, when eaten together with the Hokkien Mee itself, the rich, buttery flavours of the Squid was just enough to complement the noodles.

The noodle to gravy ratio was just right — not too dry nor too soupy. On top of that, the sauce clung to the mix of yellow noodles and bee hoon well, making every bite a satisfying one. The dollop of sambal chilli that sat on the corner also carried with it layers of sweet, spicy and smoky notes.

The Hokkien Mee was accompanied with the usual suspects — sliced pork belly, prawns, squid and huge chunks of glorious Pork Lard sprinkled on top. Not only did the pieces of lard give a nice crunch, but they also added a hint of saltiness to the dish.

Struggling to decide if I should go for the Red Flamed Braised Pork Hokkien Mee ($5.50) or the Crispy Chicken Cutlet Hokkien Mee ($5.90), I heeded the staff’s recommendation of the latter.

The only difference between this and the first plate I had would be the side that came with it. Once again, I was genuinely taken aback by how well done the slab of chicken was. Like the Calamari, the chicken was wrapped in a crisp batter with the chicken itself still tender and juicy! The seasoning was on point and went hand-in-hand with the wok hei in the noodles.

I also really appreciated how they separated the fried items and the noodles, so that the fried items won’t get soggy.

Having enjoyed the modern twist on one of my favourite foods, I’ll be back to get my hands on their Hokkien Mee with Sambal-based toppings soon!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.