Eng’s Noodle House
287 Tanjong Katong Road
Singapore 437070
Tel: +65 8688 2727
Opening Hours: 11.00am to 9.00pm, everyday
Should you queue up to eat there? If you’re not in a rush, yes.
Are there secret items on the menu? No.
What is the one thing you must order? The boiled wantons (included in the wanton mee).
There’s something magical about the noodles. Not the noodles as in the dish, but the noodles by themselves. They’re al dente, but it’s so consistent and well done – firm, springy, not too hard, not too soft, with the just the perfect amount of bounce in it. And it’s covered in this colourless thin sauce that gives it a special sort of flavour that you just can’t get anywhere else. I think there’s some fish stock and meat stock in the sauce they use. It’s not too heavy or oily either, so a big bowl doesn’t leave you sick and jelat – it leaves you full and satisfied.
But the wantons are the star of the show. They’re so small and unassuming. But there’s so much flavour packed into them. Each wanton bursts into your mouth in a symphony of flavours (I think there’s pork and seafood inside) and the texture is just right. Even if you leave it alone for a few minutes and attack it later, the wantons are still perfect. If you don’t like anything else, order the wantons. $3 per bowl.
The fried wantons are not bad. Given a choice though, I’d take the boiled ones. The fried wantons aren’t too salty or oily, and still have a crunch even if it’s not the first thing you eat. In another shop, the fried wantons would be the star. Here, the boiled wantons overshadow it.
Vegetables are vegetables, I suppose. Nothing special, but it helps your bowel movements.
The one thing everyone will tell you about is the chilli. It looks so kid-friendly and unassuming. But just a small dollop of it will burn your mouth. If you like your food spicy, well, lather it on. But be warned. The sticker is not there for fun. The chilli is much hotter than it looks.
Eng’s Noodle House is along a stretch of shophouses, and it’s rare to find an entire unit dedicated to one type of food. But Eng’s does it, and they do it well. There are always customers inside, no matter what time of the day you go. But it’s never so full that you have to wait for hours and hours to go in.
The shop is a little warm, but they’ve installed fans so if you sit at the right spot, it won’t be too bad. The large group tables usually get decent fan coverage. And it opens until 9pm! You probably won’t eat wanton mee after 9-ish anyway.
This is the shop at about 8.50pm. Still pretty full! They won’t chase you out at 9pm, don’t worry. They will hint and start to close the shutters, but you can still get out. They’re not rude. Well, except for one small 40-ish dude with glasses who will force you to sit at a small table even if there’s nobody in the shop, but everyone else is really friendly. The lady at the cashier can speak English pretty well, so there’s hope if you got an F9 for Lower Chinese (I know Lower Chinese doesn’t exist, but if there’s a Higher Chinese it implies the other one is Lower Chinese right?).
It’s DIY ordering – fill in the slip and go to the cashier. They’ll deliver the food to you when it’s ready (none of that stupid buzzing device nonsense where you pick it up yourself). Drinks you have to take back from the cashier when you pay.
Order chit. They just raised their noodle prices, but I think it’s pretty reasonable for the quality they give. It’s worth it. You’re worth it also la!
More shots of the infamous bottle of chilli. I think it’s highly amusing, what with the Comic Sans font and the Playdoh orange of the chilli sauce.
Common condiments! DIY style. Yes, that’s a bottle of fried lard. Crispy tasty artery-blocking goodness in a container. They also offer toothpicks, but not Din Tai Fung-minister-will-bring-home-one-bottle standard. Come on, you didn’t come here for the toothpicks right?
The char siew is nothing to write home about though. But really, with such perfect noodles and amazing wantons, why do you need char siew? (I’m not a char siew fan by the way, so this doesn’t bother me.)
You can find parking behind the row of shophouses, or if the heavens bless you with parking luck then you can park along the road (there are lots, but finding an empty one will cost you at least 15 minutes).
Here’s their Facebook page. And ieatishootipost’s review. In case you don’t believe me. I like their food very much.
And I hope you do too.
Leave a Reply