麵荘 Mian Zhuang – Delicious Handmade Ban Mian Tucked Away in Chinatown

Located in the bustling district of Chinatown, Hong Lim Market and Food Centre is brimming with stars in the hawker centre universe and hidden gems alike. Many new faces in the hawker scene belong to the latter and up-and-comer banmian stall 麵荘 Mian Zhuang is one of them. Tucked away on the first floor towards the back of the food complex, 麵荘 Mian Zhuang sends out heaping bowls of QQ noodles made from scratch. 

Just from the storefront alone (sleek aesthetics of the menu board), you can tell how modern the stall is. Jonathan and Vanessa, the young couple running the stall, already had the business up and running prior to the COVID pandemic and kept going strong as they braved through the Circuit Breaker with home delivery orders via Whatsapp. Truth be told, I did have a taste of their banmian then but I knew I had to try it again to see if having it freshly-cooked hits any differently (spoiler alert: it was MUCH better). 

Poring over the variety on their menu as well as the different choices of noodles they offer, I was at a loss. Even when I helplessly looked over at Jonathan for some assistance/recommendation, he just laughed and said the noodles depend on the customers’ preferences and it doesn’t really affect the quality of the overall dish no matter which one I picked. If you’re like me and are hopelessly indecisive, go with the ones already on the board — unless you’re as unlucky as I was and the noodles are already sold out. 

For my first dish, I went for the Handmade Mee Hoon Kueh with Abalone Clams ($4.50/6.50) which comprised ikan bilis, spinach, mushrooms and handmade meatballs. Quantity-wise, they were very generous with the pieces of mee hoon kueh and I liked how the kueh didn’t become overly soggy from soaking in the broth as time went by. Speaking of, the soup was light yet sweet and flavourful at the same time. As for the abalone clams, each one was chewy and juicy, adding a layer of texture to this otherwise simple dish. 

The highlight for me had to be the handmade meatballs. These unassuming nuggets of meat were wonderfully marinated and tasted so good that I kept fishing around for more in my bowl. Sadly, that was the one ingredient that they were not as generous with, so I absolutely recommend that you add more meatballs when you make your order. Dip them into their handmade chilli for a spicy kick and if you become a fan, you can purchase this tongue-tingling concoction at $5.50 a bottle. 

The signature Handmade Ban Mian (Dry) with Prawns ($5/7) paints a more appetising picture with its dark sauce and prawns. The banmian was well-coated in the savoury gravy and had a good bite. This bowl also had my beloved meatballs which I wasted no time in inhaling. 

Jonathan mentioned that they leave the heads of their prawns on for flavour and also that “it looks nicer”. They still took the effort to de-shell the body of the prawns to make it easier for people like me who abhor peeling their own prawns. 

While their noodles are up to par and enough to put me in a food coma, my only wish was that I could savour more of their ingredients. Otherwise, this is one banmian stall I would travel to again for a good noodle fix.

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

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