New in town: JOFA Mee Pok, Tampines — Your go-to bak chor mee elevated with seafood
Ah, bak chor mee. Call me basic, but it’s been my number one go-to comfort meal since primary school, and probably will remain incumbent in my books way into adulthood. Nothing sounds better than a steaming bowl of springy mee pok drenched in an aromatic combination of chilli and vinegar (oh, and more of both please), which is why every time there’s a new bak chor mee stall in town, I’m already making plans to visit. The next on my list is JOFA Mee Pok, a newly opened store in Tampines.
JOFA Mee Pok is run by two young entrepreneurs, Joel Tan and Fabian Lim. The former of the duo graduated with a degree from the Culinary Institute of America, and brings with him experience from his apprenticeship at two Michelin-starred Restaurant Zén.
The menu is simple and straightforward—mee pok, soup or dry. Their Signature Bowl (S$6) is an elevated version of the perennial bak chor mee, and is topped with clams, scallops, prawn paste balls, mock abalone, fish dumplings, and fish balls. Seafood lovers can opt for extra toppings at an additional S$2, though smaller eaters can opt for their Minced Meat Noodles (S$4.50) which only comes with fishballs and pork balls.
The duo also specially customised their mee pok, with a specific thickness to achieve that perfect springy bite. It also does not have the usual alkaline aftertaste that often ruins the taste of a good bowl of bak chor mee. They also sell bowls of Fried Fish Sticks (S$3), which has garnered support as a popular drinking snack. JOFA Mee Pok has garnered significant praise for their umami rich noodles and unique chilli blend, which consists of dried and fresh chillis, as well as dried shrimp.
JOFA Mee Pok also makes it a point to serve quality soup to their patrons, an upgrade from the usual salty, plain broth that most stalls offer as a side to their bak chor mee. The soup is a rich broth made with pork bones, chicken, red dates, and fried garlic, and is made extra flavourful and tasty because the duo cooks seafood in it. It might be hawker food, but I think I’m pretty convinced that it’ll be worth making the trip down to Tampines for. I think Vera’s right—the east side is truly the best side.
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