霸婆手工面: Homely handmade noodles & delicious multi-coloured mee hoon kuay hidden in Jalan Besar
When I’m seeking a comforting yet satisfying meal, nothing beats a piping hot bowl of noodles to soothe me. I especially love when stalls make their own noodles by hand, which adds to the homely element of the dish. If you’re in search of a great spot for delicious noodles or mee hoon kuay, 霸婆手工面 is the perfect place to visit.
霸婆手工面, which translates to “Grandma’s Handmade Noodles”, opened in Sep 2023, and is tucked away in a coffee shop within Jalan Besar. True to its name, the recipes used to belong to one of the owner’s grandmother. At 霸婆手工面, you can choose from a wide variety of noodle-based dishes, and you can even select the kind of noodles you’d prefer, with options like mee hoon kuay, sheng mian and ban mian.
霸婆手工面 makes their own noodles, which are cooked fresh to order. We saw as the noodle dough was cut and placed through a noodle machine before being stretched by hand and cooked.
What I tried at 霸婆手工面
The most eye-catching dish on the menu was the Happy Bowl (S$6.50), which contained mee hoon kuay in 4 different colours. No additional colouring or preservatives were used, and the unique shades were achieved through the usage of all natural ingredients and — pumpkin for yellow, sweet potato for purple, spinach for green and beetroot for red — ensuring that even children would be able to enjoy the dish.
Aside from the multi-coloured mee hoon kuay, the Happy Bowl came with a runny egg yolk, crunchy ikan bilis, vegetables and minced meat.
I’ll admit that this was my first time ever trying mee hoon kuay, and I was hooked. Each mee hoon kuay piece was chewy and soft with the perfect al dente texture. The crunchy ikan bilis were slightly salty and provided the perfect textural contrast to the silky mee hoon kuay, while the minced meat clusters were delightful to savour.
The broth was exceptional, and it was no wonder why — 霸婆手工面’s soup is made using a special secret ingredient, giving it an addictive umami flavour, and it is boiled overnight to allow its flavours to shine through. I was impressed with the robust, multi-dimensional flavours of the soup, and its creaminess made it the perfect pairing with the mee hoon kuay.
The owner of 霸婆手工面 even shared adorable images of his son enjoying the Happy Bowl — further emphasising on its child-friendly aspect!
Though my expectations for the Dry Ban Mian (S$5.30) weren’t high, 霸婆手工面’s take on the dish blew me away in every aspect. The dish contained ban mian noodles, ikan bilis, vegetables and a spicy handmade sauce.
Like the mee hoon kuay in the Happy Bowl, the ban mian noodles were handmade with an exceptional bouncy texture. Compared to most ban mian from other stalls, the noodles here were thicker and chewier.
Mixing the noodles together allowed for the glistening sauce to coat every strand equally. I was super impressed with every aspect of the dish — the sauce had a surprisingly strong kick to it, yet wasn’t overly spicy. Every bite perfectly showed off the Dry Ban Mian’s full-bodied flavours and umami-ness.
The bowl of soup on the side was phenomenal, too. It was surprisingly rich with a pleasant mild creaminess and a great balance of sweet and savoury flavours. The bits of minced meat within were tender and meaty, making for a delicious and comforting bowl of soup.
Aside from their noodles, 霸婆手工面 offers side dishes, such as the Hakka Pork Belly (S$5), which is marinated and fried to a crisp perfection.
Don’t expect the usual pork cutlets — the Hakka Pork Belly had a very unique taste that reminded me of vinegar and wine. It was exceptionally flavourful, and I loved how tender the slices were. The crisp exterior made it even more enjoyable to consume.
霸婆手工面’s Handmade Meatball (S$4) was yet another fantastic dish. Each ball had been fried perfectly such that the exterior was crisp while the interior was soft and crumbly.
The meat within was fluffy and the meatballs as a whole weren’t too salty. Their freshness made them even more enticing, and they were the perfect side dish to complement the noodle dishes.
Final thoughts
霸婆手工面 isn’t your typical coffee shop stall. Every dish is carefully crafted and handmade with care, which is evident through the taste and quality of every single dish. Plus, their unique rainbow-coloured Happy Bowl and delicious side dishes are hard to find anywhere else in Singapore.
I would certainly recommend paying them a visit whenever you’re in the Jalan Besar vicinity!
Expected damage: S$5 – S$14.30 per pax
*This post was brought to you in partnership with 霸婆手工面.
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