We tried Singapore’s worst-rated Bak Chor Mee chain

There is nothing that comforts me more than a bowl of bak chor mee and perhaps it’s the simple bowl of noodles that I can eat every day without being sick of. Fun fact: I have even had it for 1 whole month straight for lunch or dinner or even sometimes both. I think that also gives me the right to call myself a bak chor mee connoisseur.

One thing still stands out to me, how bad can a bowl of bak chor mee get. I mean, meat, noodles, sauce/gravy to toss the noodles in, how bad can it really get? Well, I am going to find out with this worst-rated bak chor mee Chain: Ding Ji.

Ding Ji is a brand under the Fei Siong group which also runs my go-to bak chor mee brand EAT, mainly for its convenience as it is located just a couple minutes from my house. Ding Ji has many outlets spread all around Singapore with many open 24 hours to cater to the drinkers.

Yet, they have many outlets below 3 stars on Google reviews with the majority of them in the 2-star region. That said these in the 2-star region have less than a hundred reviews but yet have seen a brutal beating from the crowd. There is only one way to find out if they are really bad or not.

What I tried at Ding Ji

I went to the Ding Ji outlet nearest to me, at Bukit Batok, and was also conveniently one of the lowest Google review stars with only 1.9 stars with 28 reviews (at time of writing). Most of them criticise an elderly man who has a bad attitude with overcooked food.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I was unable to try the food this elderly man made, and was shown to this friendly old lady instead. The first we tried was their Signature Noodles (S$5.80).

What makes it particularly special is the rich, flavourful broth, which is simmered on the spot using scoops of the water used to boil the minced meat to extract deep, concentrated flavours.

This process ensures that each bowl is packed with umami, a savoury depth that is hard to find elsewhere. The soup is served generously with an array of ingredients, including sliced pork, pork liver, minced meat, fishballs and meatballs.

Each component adds its own texture and flavour to the dish, creating a well-rounded and satisfying meal that can be enjoyed at any time of day.

For a S$5.80 dish, I was surprised by the generous amounts of meat given. On top of that, as the soup was boiled on the spot with dried goji berries, it elevated the soup from the regular soup that you get together with your bak chor mee.

There is a deep savoury flavour with sweetness from the minced meat and goji berries. Be careful though, this soup is extremely addictive!

Next, we had the more affordable option, the Fishball Minced Meat Noodles (S$3.80). For someone who always has a hard time choosing between a fishball noodle or a minced meat noodle, this was definitely the best of both worlds for me.

This bowl had simple ingredients minced meat, fishballs, fishcake, meatballs and noodles. Despite being made with simple ingredients, this does hit the spot and reminds me of an old-school bak chor mee hawker stall. For S$3.80, can anyone really complain about this? I think it is difficult to find such a cheap bowl of noodles anywhere else.

Final Thoughts

All in all, I honestly do not think they deserve such bad ratings. Perhaps I got lucky that day and had an aunty who was friendly with a great attitude, and perhaps I went on the right day when all the dishes were cooked perfectly. But that does not justify how 2 bowls of noodles can be made that well and at such an affordable price range.

If there was one thing that I want to complain about, it would be that there are just not enough noodles. I had finished the Fishball Minced Meat Noodle in 3 mouthfuls, which if I tried, could be done in 2. That said, diners can also opt for extra noodles for S$1 more, which I still feel is a reasonable price.

In summary, Ding Ji does not deserve its bad reviews. But with that said, although I probably wouldn’t travel 30 minutes anywhere to eat Ding Ji if I am near one of its outlets, I would not mind having them again. Give them a shot!

Expected damage: S$3.80 – S$6 per pax

For a list of all the locations, contact numbers and operating hours, please click here.

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