The hunt for the Best Hokkien Mee in Singapore started because we ate a bowl of delicious $48 Hokkien Mee at Sky on 57; and we wonder if we can find a plate at hawker centres and kopitiams to rival the elevated version.

From Fujian province, Hokkien mee consists of noodles, egg, lard, pork belly, squid, and prawn. It is first simmered in prawn stock so that the noodles absorb it, and then stir-fry.

Singaporeans divide it to wet or dry versions. This does not refer to the stock on the plate; both dry and wet versions can have stock. The wet version is more starchy while the dry version is al dente. The divide is thin, and sometimes, it is difficult to tell if the Hokkien mee is “wet” or “dry.”

But be it “wet” or “dry,” the criteria of a good Hokkien mee are:
1. Noodles have absorbed the stock so that the noodles are sweet on their own;
2. The “sweetness” shouldn’t be from sugar, but from the sweetness of the stock;
3. The chilli can be savory or sweet, but it must complement the hokkien mee. It cannot be the main flavor of the dish;
4. Freshness of prawns and squid;
5. Wok hei;
6. and lardy but not greasy.

In ascending order, these are the 47 plates of Hokkien Mee that we tried:

#47. Ming Yun Famous Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodle 茗云驰名炒福建虾面
117 Aljunied Avenue 2, Geylang East Center #01-12, Singapore 380117
6am-2pm, closed M-W
T: +65 9798 0133

The Hokkien mee is overly sweet, which is made even more jerlat by the very sweet nasi lemak-like sambal. But the tiny bits of lard are crispy bombs of umami that break the sweetness.

Price: $3
Waiting Time: 0
Pros: they have other good food.
Cons: small carpark .

#46. Xie Kee Hokkien Mee 謝記福建面
Blk 51 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Bukit Timah Market and Food Centre #02-174, Singapore 588215

There are 2 Hokkien mee stalls in the hawker centre: Xie Kee and Li Xing (see #43). They both have their strengths and weaknesses. Xie Kee uses a broad flat yellow noodle, so it actually tastes more like KL Hokkien mee (or tai lok meen). Unfortunately, the prawns are not fresh. And they use a sweet nasi-lemak-like sambal, which doesn’t match with the taste of the noodles. If judged on the noodles alone, Xie Kee is better. But if judged as a whole, Li Xing may have a slight edge.

Price: $3
Waiting Time: 6 persons in front of me, 5 min. Very fast.
Pros: Very fast.
Cons: Limited tables and parking during peak hour.

#45. Yong Heng Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee 永兴炒福建虾面
Blk 155 Bukit Batok Street 11, 永兴面家餐馆, Singapore 650155

There are two Hokkien mees at this block. (See Soon Kee #44.) There is no queue system here. Very chaotic. Everyone is standing around, and when ah boy spots you, he will ask you what you want. He doesn’t write the orders down. Ah boy is very sharp and has an excellent memory, but people keep adding more plates because they queue so long and they want to make their waiting time worth it, and ah boy gets confused.

Foodwise, I think the Hokkien mee is rather bland, with a hint of sourness from seafood. The dish is wholly dependent on the chilli, which has an aromatic seafood taste. I won’t queue again.

Price: $3.50
Waiting Time: 30 min
Pros: NA.
Cons: Very chaotic. No proper system.

#44. Soon Kee Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee 顺记福建炒虾面
Blk 155 Bukit Batok Street 11, Li Soon Eating House, #01-322, Singapore 650155
8am-9pm, Closed Mon

There are two Hokkien mees at this block. (See Yong Heng #45.) They still use banana leaf for take-away but unfortunately when I ate in, they didn’t use it. You can also add siew bak to the Hokkien mee at $5, but I opted for the normal one to be fair to other stalls on this list. There is nothing really extraordinary about it, but it’s comforting and nothing to complain about.

Price: $3.50
Waiting Time: 5 min
Pros: They use a beeper, so when it’s your turn, you can go collect.
Cons: NA.

#43. Li Xing Fried Hokkien Mee 利兴炒福建虾面
Blk 51 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Bukit Timah Market and Food Centre #02-145, Singapore 588215

There are 2 Hokkien mee stalls in the hawker centre: Li Xing and Xie Kee (see #46). They both have their strengths and weaknesses. Noodles alone, Xie Kee may be better. But on the whole, Li Xing is better. The wet Hokkien mee is bland, but has wok hei and comes with plump prawns. The sambal, like the kind for sambal stingray, adds flavor to the dish. You can also pimp the dish by adding abalone ($5).

Price: $4
Waiting Time: 5 min.
Pros: NA.
Cons: Limited tables and parking during peak hour.

#42. Gim Chew Fried Hokkien Noodle 锦州炒福建面
207 New Upper Changi Road, #01-62 Bedok Interchange Food Centre, Singapore 460207
10.30am-10pm, Closed Wed

The prawns are not deveined properly, showing the “shit,” which isn’t appetizing. The hokkien itself is  tasteless but saved by extremely salty chilli.

Price: $3.50
Waiting Time: 15 min
Pros: near mrt
Cons: few seats during peak hours.

#41. Kim Keat Hokkien Mee 金吉
Blk 92 Toa Payoh Lor 4, Ocean 92 Eating House #01-264, Singapore 310092
11.30am-9.30pm, Closed Tue
T: +65 9456 0413
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This is a case of beauty over substance. It’s an ordinary but very pretty hokkien mee. The astringent noodles are soggy from being in all that stock, and the stock is so so. It’s nice to have deep-fried pork belly AND lard, but unfortunately, the noodles and the pork are strangers and do not mix with each other.

Price: $4 for non-claypot, $10 claypot for two
Waiting Time: 30 min.
Pros: they deliver. The young girl who took orders knows how to manage expectations; told me it would take 30 min. The cze char here is famous.
Cons: No seats.

#40. Red Stove Fried Prawn Mee 红火炉炒虾面
Blk 69 Geylang Bahru, #01-2781 Geylang Bahru Market and Food Centre, S330069
1pm-12am

Many elderly people were eating it, but it was bland. I guess older people like lighter food.

Price: $3
Waiting Time: 10 min
Pros: they deliver.
Cons: lack of parking.

#39. Yong Ji Fried Sotong Hokkien Mee
665 Buffalo Road, Tekka Market #01-301, Singapore 210665

Edible. The stock is sweet but the noodles haven’t absorbed the essence. The lard is lao hoong, but the chilli has a good kick.

Price: $4
Waiting Time: 0
Pros: Lots of seats
Cons: NA

#38. Seng Huat Fried Hokkien Mee 成发正宗炒福建面
131 Pasir Panjang Road, Pasir Panjang Food Centre  Stall 39, Singapore 118543
T: +65 6473 8922 / +65 9003 3325
12pm-9.30pm, Closed Sun & Ph

Although the noodles are too nuah, and have an alkaline taste, they give lots of pork belly which absorb the prawn stock. Very spicy chilli.

Price: $4
Waiting Time: 0
Pros: friendly hawkers. Beside a mrt.
Cons: NA.

#37. Hokkien Mee
271 Onan Road, Dunman Food Centre #02-28 Singapore 424768
12pm-1am

With abundant firm white noodles and only a few strands of yellow noodles, this mildly sweet and light hokkien mee reminds me more of fish soup. But I was pissed off by the lao hoong lard and the ketchuplike chilli.

Price: $3.50 onwards.
Waiting Time: 5 min.
Pros: big portions. They give a beeper so you don’t have to queue.
Cons: ulu. Limited parking.

#36. Fu Shin Hokkien Mee 福兴
Blk 4A Woodlands Centre Road, #02-66, Woodlands Centre Road Food Centre, 731004
5pm-10.30pm, closed Mon

Lots of customers but the uncle works fast. It’s good value with 3 big prawns. The fishcake gives a sweetness to the dish. But the overall taste is quite bland, and I didn’t like the clay-like texture of the chilli.

Price: $3
Waiting Time: 15 min
Pros: Aunty is very nice and friendly.
Cons: NA.

#35. Bedok South Niu Ji Prawn Noodle 勿洛南牛记虾面
Blk 16 Bedok South Road, Singapore 460016

By day, it sells hae mee tng. At night, the Hokkien mee takes over. It’s slimy, and strangely, except for the wok hei, it is tasteless. Luckily the chilli is very spicy, full of hae bee. There is a better Hokkien mee at the same hawker centre, Changi Village Hokkien Mee at #15.

Price: $3
Waiting Time: 20 min
Pros: NA.
Cons: Hawker centre was quite dirty.

#34. Havelock Road Blk 50 Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee
Blk 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, #01-100 ABC Brickworks Market, Singapore 150006
10.30am-10.30pm, Closed Tue

A dry version that uses mostly yellow noodles. Although the noodles are ordinary, the fantastic chilli makes the dish as exciting as the first time you watched porn. (Also see Yi Sheng #28 in the same hawker centre.)

Price: $4
Waiting Time: 0
Pros: Plenty of tables. Near a multi storey carpark.
Cons: NA.

#33. Sheng Seng Fried Prawn Noodle 生成炒虾面
Blk 41A Cambridge Road, Pek Kio Market and Food Centre #01-40, Singapore 211041
T: +65 6299 3981
11.30am-5pm, Closed Mon

They sever the noodles into short strands, which become very nuah. But the sweet and citrus chilli complements the wok hei. However, this hokkien mee is closer to char kway teow: the strands are coated with egg and there is fishcake.

Price: $3 onwards
Waiting Time: 0
Pros: Plenty of tables and seats. Limited parking.
Cons: Ulu.

#32. Tampines 802 Hokkien Mee
Blk 802 Tampines Ave 4, 长城美华 Chang Cheng Mee Wah coffeeshop, Singapore 520802
4pm-11pm

It’s the dry kind that comes with a sweet sauce. The al dente noodles have no chance to absorb the stock, so it’s tasteless. But the savory, spicy chilli saves the dish.

Price: $4
Waiting Time: 0
Pros: They deliver. Lots of parking. Lots of table.
Cons: NA.

#31. Tian Tian Cooked Food 天天熟食
Blk 104 Yishun Ring Road, #01-153 Chong Pang Food Centre, S760104
5pm-10pm

It sells hae mee tng in the day, and at night, it sells Hokkien mee and popiah. It looks gorgeous, noodles swimming in a pool of stock. The stock has an underlying pungent anchovy-like flavor, which is nice. And the chilli is very salty, making the dish more savory than sweet.

Price: $3.50
Waiting Time: 20 min.
Pros: they deliver.
Cons: pretty dirty hawker centre. I found a cockroach in my sugarcane juice.

#30. Simon Road Hokkien Mee
Blk 210 Hougang Street 21, Singapore 530210
T: +65 9820 8888 / +65 9820 2888
W-Sun 11am-10pm
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The 4th-generation hawker cooks a wet Hokkien mee, that comes with two different types of chilli. The difference is they use more beehoon than yellow noodles. Their rationale is that beehoon can absorb more stock. However, the beehoon is undercooked, and has a crunchy texture that isn’t palatable.

Price: $4
Waiting Time: 0
Pros: Plenty of seats and parking. They give you a beeper, and you collect the food when it beeps for you. Modernization.
Cons: NA.

#29. Bedok Corner Hokkien Prawn Mee 勿洛湾炒虾面
1 Bedok Road, Bedok Corner Food Centre #01-29, Singapore 469572
4pm-9pm, closed Mon

The wet Hokkien mee is very sweet from the prawn stock. A tad too sweet for me. I also didn’t like that it has no texture, all soggy. However, the aromatic and tangy chilli—not at all spicy—lifts up the entire dish, giving it a complexity. Quite good.

Price: $4 onwards
Waiting Time: 4 persons in front of me, 10 min.
Pros: Plenty of tables and parking.
Cons: hard to get here. The granny is a bit attitude, which I’m ok with, but other people in the queue gave me discontent looks.

#28. Tiong Bahru Yi Sheng Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee 益生中峇鲁炒福建虾面
Blk 6 Jalan Bukit Merah #01-13 ABC Brickworks Food Centre, Singapore 150006
3pm-10.45pm
T: +65 9862 9296

Some people are born lucky, and I believe the hawker of Yi Sheng is. There are three Hokkien mee stalls at ABC Market, but only Yi Sheng has a queue. Compared to Havelock Rd Hokkien Mee (#34) in the same hawker centre, Yi Sheng’s wet noodles are slightly better and sweeter, but Havelock’s chilli is more complex and potent. I don’t understand the queue. If there is no queue, I’ll probably eat at Yi Sheng. But if there is a queue, I’ll go to Havelock. There is little difference between the two stalls.

Price: $4 onwards
Waiting Time: 30 min
Pros: Plenty of tables. Near a multi storey carpark.
Cons: NA.

#27. Kim’s Fried Hokkien Mee
Flagship: 62B Jalan Eunos Singapore 419510, T: +65 6747 8766, 11am-1am
Outlets: 56 New Upper Changi Road #01-1366 SK Coffee Shop S461056, 11am-11pm
23 Serangoon Central, Nex Shopping Centre, Food Junction #04-36/37 (Stall 5), S 556083, 10am-10pm

Went to the one at Nex food court. It’s the dry kind, with thicker-than-usual yellow noodles. Quite good, with a mild wok hei, and a mild sweetness. But the prawns weren’t deshelled.

Price: $5.30
Waiting Time: 0
Pros: decent offering at a food court. Expensive.
Cons: not enough seats.

#26. Ho Huat Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee 和发福建炒虾面
221B Boon Lay Place, #01-135 Boon Lay Place Food Village, S642221
9am-11pm, closed Sun
t: +65 6268 1033

Ho Huat serves the dry kind. The noodles are alkaline but the sweet stock and the savory chilli help to cover the astringency. They give long strands of spring onion, instead of the usual diced bits, which adds a nice pungency.

Price: $4
Waiting Time: 7 people in front of me, 5 min
Pros: Friendly boy. Long operational hours. They serve fried rice too, which seems more popular than the hokkien mee.
Cons: No proper queue system. People were just standing around.

#25. Lim Hokkien Mee 林夜市炒福建虾面
427 Changi Road, 福春餐食 Hock Choo Co, Singapore 419870
till 11.30pm

This dry version showcases the integrity of the prawn stock. A good balance of sweetness. The ikan bilis is a good addition to the Hokkien mee, salty to the sweet stock, crispy to the soft noodles. Unfortunately, the chilli is too sweet.

Price: $4
Waiting Time: 5 min
Pros: they deliver. Lots of seats.
Cons: NA.

#24. Singapore Fried Hokkien Mee 新加坡炒福建虾面
90 Whampoa Drive, Whampoa Drive Makan Place#01-32, S320090
T: +65 6251 2857
4pm-1.30am

It’s the wet kind. Tastewise, it’s normal. But when you mix the belachan chilli into the noodles, magic happens. Unfortunately, the chilli should be a complement, not a star.

Price: $4 onwards
Waiting Time: 7 people, but fast. 5 min.
Pros: Plenty of tables.
Cons: limited parking.

#23. Blue Star Fried Hokkien Mee 蓝星驰名福建面
Blk 105 Hougang Ave 1 #02-26, Hainanese Village Food Centre, Singapore 530105

Sometimes an old granny fries it. But when I was there, a man was frying. There are a few special things to note: they use bee hoon, not white noodles; they add tao gay to give texture; the stock is lardy; and the chilli is unique, of chopped chilli mixed with belachan with pungent prawn paste, which I like muchly. Too bad the noodles don’t absorb the stock, and come across as bland.

Price: $3
Waiting Time: 0
Pros: NA
Cons: limited parking. Limited seats during peak hours.

#22. Red Hokkien Mee 月酉鲜
347 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, 347 AMK Food House, Singapore 560347

I asked the aunty how to read the Chinese name for the stall but she doesn’t know too! hahaha. This is a surprisingly good plate. Dry, but the noodles have absorbed the stock, so it’s sweet. The spicy hae bee chilli goes well with it. 酉 is pronounced as you3.

Price: $3.50
Waiting Time: 0
Pros: they deliver to the table. Near MRT station.
Cons: NA.

#21. Bedok North 85 Fried Oyster 勿洛北85蚝煎
Blk 85 Bedok North Street 4, #01-09/10, Singapore 460085
T: +65 8180 7751

There are many stalls selling mee hokkien here but two stand out: Bedok North 85 and Newton Hokkien Mee (#20). The Newton version is dry, more flavorful, and has better texture, but it is alkaline. The Bedok North 85 version is wet, and bland, but has a better, more savory chilli loaded with hae bee hiam, when compared to Newton’s sweet chilli. On the whole, Newton is very slightly better, but since I queued for Newton while Bedok North delivers, I’ll probably just go for the latter because I’m lazy.

Price: $3
Waiting Time: 15 min
Pros: they deliver.
Cons: Using styrofoam plates, killing environment. Limited carpark lots.

#20. Newton Hokkien Mee 纽顿炒福建面
Blk 85 Bedok North Street 4, #01-43, Singapore 460085

There are many stalls selling mee hokkien here but two stand out: Newton Hokkien Mee and Bedok North 85  (#21). The Newton version is dry, more flavorful, and has better texture, but it is alkaline. The Bedok North 85 version is wet, and bland, but has a better, more savory chilli loaded with hae bee hiam, when compared to Newton’s sweet chilli. On the whole, Newton is very slightly better, but since I queued for Newton while Bedok North delivers, I’ll probably just go for the latter because I’m lazy.

Price: $3
Waiting Time: 10 min
Pros: NA.
Cons: self-service. At Bedok, they usually deliver. Using styrofoam plates, killing environment. Limited carpark lots.

#19. Fatty Fried Hokkien Mee 小肥仔正宗福建炒虾面
51 Hougang Ave 9, Ci Yuan CC Hawker Centre #01-16, Singapore 538776
T: +65 9007 5494
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The hokkien mee by itself is above average, although slightly nuah. But magic happens in the chilli. It tastes pure of chilli without much seasoning, and does well with dish.

Price: $4
Waiting Time: 5 min
Pros: big carpark. Clean food centre.
Cons: ulu.

#18. Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodle 炒福建虾面
Blk 724 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6, Ang Mo Kio Food Centre #01-38, S 560724

They give more white noodles than yellow noodles—SPGs, haha kidding. The noodles have a nice al dente structure, swimming in a pool of sweet prawn stock. The chilli is fierce as a drag queen, and may overpower the other tastes. Quite a good plate, no complaints from me.

Price: $3.50
Waiting Time: 5 min.
Pros: Plenty of tables.
Cons: No proper queue system.

#17. Nam Kee Fried Prawn Noodle 南記炒虾面
Blk 448 Clementi Ave 3, Clementi 448 Market Food Centre #01-12, Singapore 120448
11.30am-3pm, 4.30pm-9pm, Closed Sun & Mon

It has the alkaline taste that I don’t like, but everything else is done very well. The noodles are cooked with a nice bite, not soggy; the prawns and squid are bouncy; and the chilli is potent. Quite good!

Price: $4 onwards
Waiting Time: 0
Pros: NA.
Cons: limited parking.

#16. Penang Seafood Restaurant
76 Geylang Lorong 25A, Singapore 388258
T: +65 6841 3002
11am – 12 midnight daily

The Hokkien mee at this cze char restaurant starts from $4, but we ordered the lala hokkien mee which starts from $8. It is a dry kind, and has a good bite. Nicely balanced. The fiery sambal chilli goes well with it. Full review of Penang Restaurant.

Price: $4 onwards
Waiting Time: 0
Pros: Just beside mrt. A restaurant with service and air con.
Cons: NA.

#15. Changi Village Hokkien Mee
Blk 16 Bedok South Road, #01-28 Singapore 460016

Went on Sat night. Closed. Guess it’s a day hokkien mee. This reminds me Ah Hock (#3), Thye Hong (#13), and Tian Tian Lai (#10) because they all have a floral scent and they use more white noodles than yellow. It’s sweet, wet, slurpy with pork belly. Outstanding. (Also see Bedok South Niu Ji Prawn Noodle #35 in the same hawker centre.)

Price: $3
Waiting Time: 5 min.
Pros: NA.
Cons: NA.

#14. Hainan Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee 海南福建炒虾面
505 Beach Road, Golden Mile Food Centre B1-34 S199583
T: +65 6294 6798
11am-2pm, 3pm-9pm, Closed Wed

Dry version. They cut the noodles short, so it can absorb the sweet stock better. The fried shallot adds a fragrance to the dish and the chilli is interesting. Is it cai po in the chilli?

Price: $4
Waiting Time: 5 min.
Pros: Plenty of seats.
Cons: limited parking lot

#13. Thye Hong Hokkien Mee 泰丰
435 Orchard Road, #04-00 Wisma Atria Shopping Centre, Food Republic, Singapore 238877
Outlets at Food Republic
10am-10pm

It’s popular among Filipino tourists and for good reasons. It’s delicious. Although the noodles haven’t fully absorbed the prawn stock, it is very sweet. The chilli is very fierce with a floral hint. My only concern is they don’t peel the prawns.

Price: $5.20
Waiting Time: 20 min. I was first in queue but they cook by batches, and they don’t work fast. You know, some people complain that some hawkers purposely work slowly to build up the queue. I think this stall is one of them.
Pros: Smack in city area.
Cons: Can’t find tables during peak hours.

#12. Original Serangoon Hokkien Mee
566 Serangoon Road, Long San Eating House, Singapore 218181
4.30pm-11pm, closed M

Unfortunately, the sweet gel-like chilli isn’t potent.  But the cooking skill is amazing; this is one of the rare wet hokkien mee to have wok hei, which offsets the alkaline taste. There is a heavy garlicky aroma, which I like.

Price: $4
Waiting Time: 5 mins
Pros: they deliver to the table.
Cons: no parking

#11. Yi Ji Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee 义记福建炒虾面
Flagship: 965 Upper Serangoon Rd, Mee Sek Food Court, Singapore 534721
5pm-3am
Outlets: Blk 805 Hougang Central Singapore 530805, 11am-10pm
511 Bedok North Street 3 Singapore 460511, 3pm-11pm
Blk 51 Old Airport Rd Hawker Centre #01-99, Singapore 390051, 3pm-11pm
T: +65 9026 0217
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Fried beforehand. They only heat it up when served. But the stock is very sweet, and the very spicy chilli is more Malay style which goes well with the noodles. Lots of pork belly to break up the textural monotony of the nua noodles. Very good.

Price: $4
Waiting Time: 0
Pros: same coffeeshop as Punggol Nasi lemak. You can call 8525 2167 to order beforehand to takeaway .
Cons: they fry beforehand, only heat up the food.

#10. Tian Tian Lai Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee (Come Daily Hokkien Mee)
Blk 127, Toa Payoh Lor 1, Toa Payoh West Market and Food Court #02-27 Singapore 310127
T: +65 6251 8542
9.30am-2pm, Closed Mon

Went at 1.30pm thur. Sold out. Went again on Sat morning. It is delicious. It’s the wet version but the noodles aren’t nuah and still retain the texture. The stock is so sweet that it’s almost floral. Usually I don’t like sweet sambal to pair with sweet hokkien mee but in this case, the combination works.

Price: $4 onwards
Waiting Time: 20 min.
Pros: they deliver to your table. Other good food around the area.
Cons: NA.

#9. Eng Ho Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee 荣和炒福建虾面
409 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, Teck Ghee Square Food Centre #01-34, Singapore 560409
4pm-12am, Closed Tue
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Went on Wed, but it was closed. My fault, I should have checked their regular updates on facebook first. I love that they update their facebook. Thanks! It is alkaline but it’s very sweet. They put more beehoon, which can absorb the stock better.

Price: $3.50
Waiting Time: 30 min
Pros: they update their facebook regularly. Plenty of seats.
Cons: NA.

#8. Hong Heng Fried Sotong Prawn Mee 鸿兴炒苏东虾面
30 Seng Poh Road, Tiong Bahru market #02-01 Singapore 168898
11am-8pm, closed Mon

In my hours of online research for this list, I did not come across Hong Heng. It was only when Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand picked it that I knew of the place. When I ate it, I immediately understood why it got Bib Gourmand. It’s angmoh styled hokkien mee; it’s like pasta!

The noodles are cooked al dente, so it’s still bouncy. The other ingredients, prawns, sotong, and fishcake, are already cooked in advance, and dropped into the wok at the last minute, so they still retain their firm texture. The fish cake breaks the monotony of the noodles, giving it a complexity. The chilli is the spicy, savory kind, not the sweet kind, which makes the dish more like a savory pasta, than the sweet food Singaporeans like. Got wok hei. An excellent plate.

Price: $3
Waiting Time: 5 minutes, about 3 guys in front of me
Pros: The stall is clean (which is something Michelin looks for). And the cook is friendly.
Cons: NA

#7. Chia Keng Fried Hokkien Mee 车间炒福建虾面
20 Kensington Park Road, Serangoon Gardens, Chomp Chomp Food Centre #01-02, Singapore 557269
5.30pm-12am

There are two hokkien mee stalls (see Ah Hock #3), both are equally good and different. CK’s version is wet, and sweet, going excellently with the superb crispy lard and very spicy chilli. But it is slightly starchy. Ah Hock’s version is dry; the noodles have completely absorbed the stock, making the noodles very sweet. The chilli is one of the best, with a floral tinge. As a whole, Ah Hock’s plate is very well balanced—a Master’s work.

Price: $3 onwards
Waiting Time: 30 min.
Pros: they deliver to our table.
Cons: limited seats and parking.

#6. Yong Huat 荣发
125/127 East Coast Road, AliBaBa, Singapore 428810
8am-8pm
T: +65 9630 1370

Went on Wed noon, closed. Went the second time. Yong Huat claims to be around since 1949. There is no proper queue system and the uncle doesn’t write down the orders. So he forgot our order and we waited for 40 mins! (But he was apologetic, and very nice about it.)

The stock here is distinct from the rest; it’s a mixture of sweetness from prawns and pork. Great chilli with hae bee (I think). The best thing on the plate is the irresistible lard. Not all lard are delicious. Some stalls do bad lard which is a complete waste of calories. But Yong Huat’s lard is legendary, so crispy with that umami from fats. FATastic!

Price: $5 onwards
Waiting Time: 40 min
Pros: Plenty of seats. They deliver. Friendly uncle.
Cons: No queue system. Hard to find parking. People at Katong/Joo Chiat area drive like maniacs.

#5. Yang Zhou Fried Hokkien Mee 洋洲福建苏东虾面
Blk 40 Beo Crescent, #01-16 Lian Seng Eating House 联成, Singapore 160040
T: +65 6273 0429
10am-8pm, Closed Fri

WOW. Amazing. The first bite is full of lardy goodness, which mellows into an intense sweet prawn aftertaste. Lots of beansprouts to provide a nice crunch to the al dente noodles. Even the sambal, reminiscent of sambal stingray type, goes very well with the noodles.

Price: $3 onwards
Waiting Time: 5 min.
Pros: They deliver to the table. Friendly hawkers.
Cons: limited tables.

#4. Geylang Lor 29 Fried Hokkien Mee
396 East Coast Road S428994
t: +65 733 1388
11.30am-9.30pm, Closed Mon

Went on Wed noon, closed. Went on Saturday, and traffic was terrible. But it is worth it. There is a WOW factor. It has wok hei, which not many Hokkien mee can achieve, and has such intense sweetness. The noodles are a little nuah, which I can overlook, but the chilli needs some improvement. The chilli doesn’t add any value to the noodles.

Price: $6
Waiting Time: 15 min.
Pros: Plenty of seats.
Cons: Ulu. Parking is a nightmare.

#3. Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Noodles 亚福炒福建虾面
20 Kensington Park Road, Serangoon Gardens, Chomp Chomp Food Centre #01-27, Singapore 557269
5.30pm-12am, Closed alternate Tue

There are two Hokkien mee stalls (see Chia Keng #7), both are equally good and different. CK’s version is wet, and sweet, going excellently with the superb crispy lard and very spicy chilli. But it is slightly starchy. Ah Hock’s version is dry; the noodles have completely absorbed the stock, making the noodles very sweet. The chilli is one of the best, with a floral tinge. As a whole, Ah Hock’s plate is very well balanced—a Master’s work.

Price: $3 onwards
Waiting Time: 15 min.
Pros: they deliver to our table.
Cons: small portion. Limited seats and parking.

#2. Xiao Di Fried Prawn Noodle 小弟炒虾面
Blk 153 Serangoon North Avenue 1, Guan Hock Tiong Eating House, Singapore 551153
T: +65 91892629
11am-8pm daily, closed Mon & Fri
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This is a smart, well-rounded rendition. The egg comes in bits of omelette, just slightly charred, to mimic the fragrance of wok hei. The lard too comes in bits and grains, so its crispness gives a texture to the wet noodles and doesn’t come across as jerlat. Chilli is fiery but doesn’t overpower the sweetness of the stock. There is a fragrant garlic aftertaste. Two things that can improve: the noodles are nuah, and the prawns are smelly.

Price: $4
Waiting Time: 15 min (even though I went at 3:30pm)
Pros: na
Cons:  limited parking. Expensive and very tiny portion.

#1. Swee Guan Hokkien Mee 水源福建面
549 Lorong 29 Geylang, Sing Lian Eating House, Singapore 389504
T: +65 9817 5652
5pm-11pm daily

This is extremely sticky, starchy, and has an alkaline taste. Normally I won’t like it, but there are also two kinds of smokiness, from the charcoal fire and the wok hei, and a mild sweetness. The noodles are coarser than usual, so it retains a bite. All these myriad flavors and textures give it a winning complexity. In this case, the culinary skill of the master overcomes all inferior ingredients.

Price: $5 onwards
Waiting Time: 20 min.
Pros: Plenty of seats.
Cons: very tiny portion and expensive. The chilli doesn’t aid the dish.

In conclusion…

Best Hokkien Mee in Singapore (in order)
1. Swee Guan Hokkien Mee at Geylang Lor 29 (wet)
2. Xiaodi Fried Prawn Noodle at Serangoon (wet)
3. Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Noodles at Chomp Chomp (dry)
4. Geylang Lor 29 Fried Hokkien Mee at East Coast Rd (wet)
5. Yang Zhou Fried Hokkien Mee at Beo Crescent (dry)
6. Yong Huat at Katong (dry)
7. Chia Keng Fried Hokkien Mee at Chomp Chomp (wet)
8. Hong Heng Fried Sotong Prawn Mee at Tiong Bahru (dry)
9. Eng Ho Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee at AMK (wet)
10. Tian Tian Lai Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee (Come Daily Hokkien Mee) at Toa Payoh (wet)

For your convenience, I’ve created a map: Best Hokkien Mee in Singapore. The color codes:
Blue: Breakfast & Lunch
Red: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Yellow: Lunch & Dinner
White: Lunch only
Purple: Lunch, Dinner, & Supper
Black: Dinner & Supper
Green: Dinner only
Brown: Unknown

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Note: We do anonymous reviews, do not identify ourselves, and pay on our own. We went to Nam Seng at Old Airport Road three times (Wed noon, Sat noon, another Sat 6pm) and it was closed. Huat Heng at Shunfu market closes on weekends, but when we went on Monday 11am, it was closed. Went again on Wed 1pm, it sold out. 

Written by A. Nathanael Ho.