Amoy St Lor Mee: Famous lor mee since 1959 worth queuing for
I first heard of Amoy St Lor Mee when I chanced upon a Facebook group thread. Netizens were singing high praises about its food, with a lot of them having had it from the popular S$2 opening week promo in Sengkang. It had formed a fan base quite early into its business, so I was naturally curious to explore it.
It’s located at Fernvale Hawker Centre & Market which has created a buzz in the north-east. This newly-opened hawker centre shares space with the Fernvale Community Club and clearly looked to be popular.
I knew I had come at a peak hour but I was still surprised at the crowd. There is an evident “hip” vibe to the hawker centre which has been built to cater to younger tastes. I surveyed the stalls to try and spot my lunch provider for the day.
I soon located it, looking deceptively ordinary on the outside but with a line long enough to make me sigh in hunger. I took it as a sign that I was about to have a good meal.
As I waited impatiently in line, I soon realised, to my stomach’s delight that the line was moving very quickly. The team at the stall is very efficient and by the time you’re done paying, your food is ready to be picked up.
What I tried at Amoy St Lor Mee
Their menu is pretty limited but I didn’t find that to be an issue. If it’s catering to the hungry post-work crowd, I believe many like me wouldn’t want to be flooded with choices. I would much rather pick from a small menu and make a fast decision. Of course, I chose the Lor Mee (S$3.20), the price of which I still find hard to believe. For the sake of exploring the extra ingredients, I also ordered the Jumbo Meal (S$5.50). I added the Dory Fish Nuggets (S$2) to my meal, too.
I took on the challenge of finishing it all by myself and dove in. I started things off with their signature Lor Mee. It comes with its four main ingredients— pork belly, prawn roll, fried fish and batang fish. I also added some chilli sauce and parsley for taste. The gravy was extremely thick and was of below-average spice level. But it tasted like a mixture of many spices, giving it an aromatic taste.
The pork belly and prawn roll stood out as they were bursting with flavours. While the fish toppings weren’t particularly impressive, they went together with the whole dish. Amoy St Lor Mee is clearly generous with their toppings, so every bite of noodles was accompanied by some meat.
The Jumbo Meal, which is an up-sized Lor Mee, was next in line. For S$5.50, I was satisfied with the portion but you might disagree if you have a bigger appetite.
I was a little disappointed that the only new additional topping was a soft-boiled egg. But the egg yolk was runny and tasted great with the gravy and the noodles. There was a whole lot more pork, prawns, and fish in this one, resulting in a very filling meal.
Finally, my extremely full stomach was ready to snack on some Dory Fish Nuggets. The batter was crispy and golden-brown on the outside, with the fish being soft and flavourful within. My only complaint would be not having more of it but for S$2, I believe it’s good enough. Although I thought I couldn’t eat anymore, the nuggets were done in five minutes. I had to stop myself from going for more.
Final thoughts
After finally trying the food from the famous Amoy St Lor Mee, I believe my opinion differs from popular ones. I would rank the Dory Fish Nuggets as my favourite item out of all three. I enjoyed it thoroughly and would’ve gladly paid more for a greater quantity. The fish was cooked to perfection and the crispy batter complemented it.
The Lor Mee does deserve the love it receives and the long queues are evidence of its high demand. The gravy stands out with its distinct taste. You can also sense that the toppings are treated individually and not just added to enhance the gravy. Because of this, they come together beautifully and infuse their individual flavours into the dish. I wouldn’t recommend going for the Jumbo Meal unless you have a considerable appetite, although the runny yolk does give the dish something extra.
The other items that they have on the menu are— Lor Mee (extra fish, S$4.50), Braised Pork Belly (S$2), Prawn Roll (S$2), and Batang Steak (S$2). You can add on extra noodles for S$0.50.
The Amoy St Lor Mee stall at Sengkang does live up to the brand’s reputation. The hawker centre is spacious and it isn’t too hard to find seats, even during peak hours. But be warned to come with some time on your hands if you’re going to queue up for this one. Although it moves fast, the waiting time can be as long as half an hour. The food feels like a warm sunday morning, so it’s definitely worth the trip. I’ll come again and bring someone along to save me from finishing their supply of Dory Fish Nuggets.
Expected damage: S$2 – S$5.50 per pax
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