Mei Jing Sandakan Fried Pork Noodle: Native Sabah hawker honours aunty’s recipes with deep-fried pork belly & chicken feet mee

In a sea of Eastern Malaysian stalls in Singapore that sell Sarawak kolo mee and laksa, 1-month-old Mei Jing Sandakan Fried Pork Noodle, which serves Sabah-style noodles, particularly from the city of Sandakan, stands out from the crowd.

This specific feature will be etched in my mind for a long time, as I had aimed to reach Whampoa Makan Place at 6.30am (my earliest tasting during my time at Sethlui.com).

All this hassle was prompted by a comment online mentioning that the specialty fried pork sells out by 7.30am. Well, ladies and gentleman, guess what? It was just a load of rubbish— how naive am I?

I met the owner, Max, a 36-year-old native Sabahan, who modestly said “No la, I’m not that popular!”

Max then pulled out an old photo from 1971, showcasing his grandpa’s eatery. His ah gong had owned a small zi char restaurant called ‘Restoran Beautiful View’, where he was the chef.

Max’s aunt also helped in the kitchen and eventually opened her own food stall selling fried pork-centric dishes at a market.

“During my secondary school holidays, I used to help my aunt at her food stall. This was how I inherited all these recipes over the years,” he added.

What I tried at Mei Jing Sandakan Fried Pork Noodles

I was Max’s first customer of the day (surprise!) and he offered to personally deliver my order to the table.

I initially wanted to order the Sandakan Fried Pork Noodle (S$4.50), but when I spotted the dry Signature Noodle (S$5.50) with a bit of everything, I knew that would be my noodle of choice for the morning.

A huge pork rib, pieces of braised pork belly, golden fried pork slices and green veggies concealed the bed of noodles resting underneath.

I proceeded to mix everything as the noods gradually transformed to a dark brown hue with red specks. Max shared with me that although the noodles aren’t imported from Sabah, he had spent a considerable amount of time searching for something similar..

The noodles were different, indeed; they were at least 3 times thicker than your typical mee kia from a bowl of wanton mee. With its larger surface area, the sauce underneath managed to cling on to each individual strand for dear life.

Every bite filled my mouth with a burst of savoury flavour, followed by a wave of shrimpy notes emanating from the sambal. The noodles were super springy, albeit their thickness.

The fried pork had a delicate, paper-thin layer of crispiness on the surface. As I continued chewing, I found the meat to be tender and flawlessly seasoned. Max shared that he marinates the pork for 1 to 2 days before frying them.

Its taste was somehow indistinguishable to nan ru fried pork, a Hakka dish using red fermented bean curd. However, when I asked Max, he said there that was a slight difference in the spices used. Well, as the local saying goes, ‘Same same but different’, I guess.

Due to its size, the humongous pork rib may look tough at first glance, but it was the opposite; the meat was scrumptious and melted in my mouth like a ripe avocado.

I was surprised to find the braised pork pieces a little lacklustre. Though each piece was soft and possessed a hint of soy, it could’ve been more intensely flavoured.

After chatting with Max, I came to know that he intentionally reduced the seasoning for the braised pork, fearing that if all 3 types of pork were heavily seasoned, customers might complain about the saltiness.

I also tried a bowl of Max’s dry Mushroom Chicken Feet Noodle (S$3.50). It was served with a pair of braised feet, a single mushroom and green veggies.

For those who flee from the sight of chicken feet, I was once like you, finding them as unappealing as something from outer space. Fortunately I dared myself to try them, and they’ve since become one of my must-haves.

The huge chicken feet were braised to perfection, with the silky, soft gelatinous skin falling off the bone easily. I broke it up into 3 parts and savoured each bite until only the bones remained— it was tasty and luxurious.

The robust and earthy notes of the lone mushroom blew me away, but it was a little too tough for my liking. A longer braise would have scored extra points from me.

The clear soup on the side was clean-tasting and naturally sweet, with the dominant flavour of carrot coming through in each sip.

Final thoughts

After tasting both bowls of noodles, I was impressed by the quality and taste. And I look forward to returning to try his soup versions. Although waking up at 5.30am was painful, the delicious food and Max’s friendly demeanour made it worthwhile and brightened my morning.

See you soon, Max!

Expected damage: S$3.50 – S$5.50 per pax

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