Holiday Foodsteps: Seng Huat's Bak Chor Mee

"I just need ONE thing - Bak Chor Mee," so declared the other travel buddy. 

We were told that bak chor mee is quite the staple in Singapore, and can be found in every food court. We wanted something a bit more authentic, though, so we set off on Sunday morning (yes, before the dessert-lunch) in search of the all-important bak chor mee. Having done a quick search on the web the night before (gotta love free wifi), we'd identified a fairly popular spot for the noodles opposite Bugis Junction and when you're a tourist, anything with directions that simply say "opposite (insert major landmark here)" is gold. 

Seng Huat Eating House
492 North Bridge Road (Opposite Bugis Jn)
Singapore 188737
Opened 24 hours

 

It was, in fact, incredibly easy to find - that definitely wins it some extra brownie points. Ordering is as simple as specifying the type of noodles you want and whether or not you'd like your noodles spicy.

 

It amused me that I'd never really had a bowl of bak chor mee before, not that I remember anyway. We each decided on the non-spicy variety, opting for tomato sauce instead of chilli. I can see why it's a national favourite - springy noodles, delicately flavoured minced pork, that distinct flavour of Chinese mushrooms, wrapped up nicely by the slightly tangy and oh-so-appetising vinegar-based gravy. Washed down with a cup of cold white coffee, and you've got yourself a winning breakfast. 

Seng Huat also serves up fishball noodles, and while we didn't try any of their fishball dishes, I think it's safe to say that I'd pick the bak chor mee any day. The one thing that has left me perplexed though, is why, with all the similarities between Singaporean and Malaysian cuisine, we'd never come across bak chor mee in Malaysia. 

Or have I just been looking in all the wrong places?