He Jia Huan Ban Mian

A food visit to the Balestier area isn’t complete without a stop to whampoa market . Sometimes known as Whampoa Drive Food Centre, the huge complex is split into two blocks and a wet market, where you’ll be spoiled for choice by the variety of stalls. The “Morning Market” at Blk 91 serves the early birds, while Blk 90 next door only gets busy later in the day. But no matter the time of day you drop by, there’ll always be something open, even if it’s at 2am on a Sunday night (except when it's closed for cleaning, of course).

This guide focuses more on the hidden gems of Blk 90, where most of the stalls are open from late afternoon onwards, thus its other nickname as the “Night Market”.



Another popular hawker store with a few outlets around the island, He Jia Huan Ban Mian is more of a supper fix for any late-night noodle cravings as their outlets open till late. Prices for their noodles average about $3.50 to $5 for a bowl, with an ultimate indulgent bowl of Specialty U-Mee at $12. Queues for their noodles can be quite long, especially during the wee hours of the night.



As a fan of ban mian, I had to order a standard bowl ($3.50) and see what the hype was all about. The noodles were soft and bouncy, in a bowl of clear broth and egg, topped with fried ikan bilis. The minced pork pieces were plentiful and easy to bite. So far, so good. After a few mouthfuls, it was clear that the soup was getting a bit too salty, and got a bit too over-seasoned for my liking.



I also got the dry version of ee mian ($3.50) to try. Mixed with a dark sauce base, the noodles weren’t what I expected at all. There was an intense smoky, charred flavour that simply exploded in my mouth from the first bite. Then came the second kick from the spicy chilli. The bowl came with vegetables, minced pork, and a beaten egg.



The accompanying bowl of clear soup had bits of ee mian noodles, which I used to tone down the strong flavours of the ee mian. Just like their neighbour Huat Heng Char Kway Teow, the strong, smoky flavours is a love-it-or-hate-it thing.

One thing that I have to admit is that He Jia Huan Ban Mian’s handmade noodles are the bomb. The starchy noodles are chewy, and they tend to soak up the sauce or soup broth, making for juicy and flavourful bites.