86 Lor Mee: $4 Bowls of delicious lor mee loaded with fried chicken cutlet, ebi prawns & ngoh hiang
About 2 months ago, I discovered 86 Lor Mee at Golden Mile Hawker Centre whilst reviewing Mama’s Curry, located just a couple of rows away. My curiosity was piqued when I noticed a queue gradually increasing in front of the stall at lunchtime…. and we were sitting right in the middle.
This time, I arrived at 11am to avoid the impending lunch crowd, and boy was I right. There wasn’t anyone at all, a stark contrast to the scene that I’d previously witnessed at this very same spot— how lucky!
I had a little chit-chat with the stall keeper, and I found out that she’s originally from Vietnam. The stall has been around for about 2 years and I must say it’s a fried food haven.
What I tried at 86 Lor Mee
There were 5 variations on the menu and I started my early lunch with the Fried Chicken Lor Mee (S$4).
The bowl of noodles was loaded with slices of fried chicken cutlet, pork slices, pieces of pork belly, half a boiled egg, tau geh, a couple of fried wanton skins, a piece of fried fish cake and sprigs of fresh coriander doused in a deep-brownish gravy.
The chicken cutlet pieces were not only perfectly golden-brown , but were also nice and moist.
I rescued the flat strands of yellow noodles from underneath the viscous sauce, giving them glimpses of civilisation as I mixed them up with my utensils. The texture of the noodles was silky soft and managed to absorb all the aromatic notes of the braised gravy.
Even though the broth was thick and gooey, it didn’t feel heavy. Unlike other places which have dominant notes of star anise, the spices used here were perfectly calibrated, resulting in a well-balanced flavour.
Encountering the little pieces of pork belly in each mouthful was like finding hidden treasures. The tender and flavourful meat was filled with bursts of creamy fattiness that enveloped my entire palate.
I then moved on to the next dish, the large Signature Lor Mee (S$7). The bowl of noodles was basically a carbon copy of my previous dish without the chicken cutlet and fried fish cake.
I beckon you to shift your focus to the side plate of fried goodies (just look at the picture). The golden platter had 2 pieces of fried ebi, a couple of fried fish fillets, a single piece of ngoh hiang, a duo of fried wanton skins and slices of chicken cutlet.
Similar to the holy trinity of chicken rice (dark soya, chilli sauce and minced ginger), lor mee also has its own trio of condiments: minced garlic, black vinegar and chilli sauce.
My bowl of mee was taken to the next level after adding the minced garlic and black vinegar. The acidity of the black vinegar enhanced every element of the dish while the fine garlic bits released a mildly-spiced undertone that gave it more oomph.
Describing the chilli sauce to be good would be an understatement— it was mind blowing! Besides possessing citrusy notes, I picked up har cheong and belacan flavours happening concurrently while the spicy kick came in with a sudden bang at the end.
I also have to give a special mention to the ngoh hiang which I initially thought was a miniature fried spring roll. The densely-packed minced meat filling contained mini chunks of water chestnut and vegetable bits which were encapsulated in a paper-thin popiah skin.
Although the fried fish was crispy and not oily, the meat was bland and underwhelming — a real pity. The wanton skins, though, added mini crispy bonuses in-between my slurps of lor mee which was super satisfying.
Final thoughts
It was nice to see a little twist to a dish that we’re all familiar with. Purists may think otherwise, and perhaps even call the police upon seeing this preposterous combination in a bowl of lor mee.
Pay 86 Lor Mee a visit and let us know your thoughts. I’ll be eagerly waiting for them!
Expected damage: S$4 – S$7 per pax
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