219 Sarawak Kolo Mee: 3-in-1 kolo mee & Taiwanese lu rou fan, hidden in Punggol coffeeshop
If you ever find yourself wandering deep inside the Punggol estate, you may come across 219 Sarawak Kolo Mee, located within Happy Hawkers in 671 Edgefield Plains. While kolo mee stores aren’t all that rare in Singapore, 219 Sarawak Kolo Mee stands out for its unique offerings.
219 Sarawak Kolo Mee specialises in kolo mee and Kuching laksa, but also serves bowls of Taiwanese lu rou fan (braised pork rice), ngoh hiang and assorted fried fritters. This large assortment of dishes makes it extra enticing for diners, given the options available.
What I tried at 219 Sarawak Kolo Mee
Most kolo mee stalls offer 3 types of noodles: Red, black and white. If you are often unable to choose from just 1 of these options, you may be happy to learn that 219 Sarawak Kolo Mee offers an All in One Kolo Mee (S$6.90), a dish that comes with all 3 types of noodles. Aside from the trio-coloured noodles, this dish is topped with char siew, minced meat, fried lard and a fried wanton.
I started off by taking a bite of the white kolo mee— this classic variation is made by tossing noodles in shallot oil and lard, giving it loads of fragrance and flavour. 219 Sarawak Kolo Mee certainly delivered, as the noodles were springy and chewy with a nice shallot aroma throughout.
The red kolo mee gets its vibrant scarlet hue from the addition of char siew sauce. Compared to the white version, I found the red kolo mee to be just slightly saltier, although it tasted very similar. It was also springy and QQ, and I loved biting into the fried shallot pieces within.
Finally, I ended off with the black kolo mee— the noodles were mixed in soy sauce to give it its distinctive dark colour. Of the 3 noodles, this one was the saltiest and most intense in flavour.
In all honesty, if I had not paid much attention to the colour of the noodles, I probably wouldn’t have been able to distinguish between the different flavours. For the most part, the noodles had very similar taste profiles, with the only noticeable difference being the slight variation in saltiness.
I quite enjoyed the assortment of toppings on the noodles— the char siew was meaty and chewy, while the minced meat was salty and not too tough. The bits of fried lard added a satisfying crunch to the dish, while the crispy wanton also provided a unique variation in texture.
I’d say that S$6.90 is a bit steep for a relatively normal plate of kolo mee. As all 3 noodles tasted quite similar, it’s probably more worth to get a single flavour for S$5.50 instead.
Having tried the signature kolo mee, I decided to order something a little different and settled for the Taiwan Lu Rou Fan + Soup Of The Day (S$7.90). This set came with a bowl of braised pork rice topped with a hard boiled egg, and a bowl of Chinese soup at the side.
The braised pork was pretty tender, with a good mix of fats and meat. The braised sauce leaned more towards the savoury side, and when paired with the fluffy rice, it made for an ultra comforting meal. I loved the home-cooked taste of this dish, and the hard boiled egg was a nice touch to make it even more filling.
The bowl of soup on the side acted as a pretty nice palate cleanser for the rich braised pork. It was made with sliced carrots, corn and soft cabbage, and had a light, slightly sweet flavour. The carrot slices were super tender to the bite, while the juicy corn offered a bit of resistance, and burst in my mouth.
Final thoughts
The dishes at 219 Sarawak Kolo Mee were pretty hearty and tasty. The prices were a little on the higher side, but were still relatively affordable, especially given the adequate portion sizes.
I’d love to try their other offerings, like their wu xiang and their mala kolo mee. Though 219 Sarawak Kolo Mee may be a little out of the way for most, those residing in Punggol should definitely give this stall a try.
Expected damage: S$4.90 – S$7.90 per pax
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