Mee Siam which means “Siamese noodle” in Malay, is a local hawker dish which makes for an ideal breakfast type of food. (Okay, so I wanted to write this because it is quite under-rated.)
A basic Mee Siam comprises of rice vermicelli (bee hoon) along with tau pok and hardboiled egg, all of which are in a tangy and sweet-spicy gravy.
While there are dry versions around, this listicle focuses on the wet style which is more commonly found in Singapore.
For this Mee Siam guide, I generally highlighted stalls which has Mee Siam as the star dish. There are a couple of stalls around which offered not-bad Mee Siam, but they may have ‘stronger’ Mee Rebus or Mee Soto (thus you may find some of your favourite stalls in future guides).
Also, there are a couple of chain stores such as (some) Killiney Kopitiam, Qiji and Kaffe & Toast which serve up pretty-decent Mee Siam as well.
Jia Xiang Mee Siam
#01-35 Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Opening Hours: 9am – 8pm (Mon – Fri, Sun), 11:30am – 5pm (Sat)
Two words – old school!
There is usually a steady queue for the Mee Siam ($3), Lontong ($3) and Nasi Lemak ($3). All of which were reasonably priced considering the portion size.
The owner has been serving up Mee Siam for more than 50 years, having learnt the recipe from her mother. Don’t be fooled by the faded signboard, because it is the food that really matters.
You get a myriad of ingredients spread atop the orange bee hoon such as hard-boiled eggs, tau pok, tiny fried crouton-like flour puffs (which makes this really different), a thin piece eggs, fried ikan billis, and finished with a dollop of chilli and self-made shallot oil.
Once you taste the gravy, you know where the magic is – the right proportion of sourness with that zing. Some people may find this more sour and tangy than the average version, but I find this is where the allure is.
Also, this is one of the few Mee Siam stalls in which you can ‘upgrade’ your plate with other ingredients such as ngor hiang, fish cakes, fried omelette and tau kwa.
The Royals Café
19 Upper East Coast Road, Singapore 455209
Tel: +65 8481 0080
Opening Hours: 9:30am – 9pm (Mon – Sun)
On its menu and website, you would find that The Royal Café’s Mee Siam is rated “Best Mee Siam In Singapore”.
The Royals Café has a bakery style setting, for diners to enjoyed a nice spot at the Crescendo Building. Most people visit the place to buy baked goods such as whole cakes and breads. The dining area itself is a bit small and cramped, but has a laid-back and causal vibe which is ideal to enjoy your meals in a peaceful setting.
The Signature Nyonya Mee Siam ($7.90) contains ingredients such as prawns, egg, bean sprouts, taupok chives and homemade sambal chilli on beehoon.
The paste itself is said to be made using 12 – 15 different ingredients to give it that richer and tastier flavour.
There was something unique about the gravy of this particular Mee Siam, mainly in the texture which was rich and creamy with semi-thick consistency.
Not forgetting a tangy punch to balance the savoury components of the dish.
Delicious 美味 Mee Rebus, Mee Siam, Lontong
7 Tanjong Pagar Plaza, #02-02 Singapore 081006
Opening Hours: 8am – 1pm (Mon – Tues, Fri – Sun), Closed Wed, Thurs
This stall only sells 3 items – Mee Rebus, Mee Siam and Lontong, all affordably priced at $3.50.
It is quite an under-rated stall looking at how little coverage it received, but the line of customers and regulars do not lie. Some of its items are sold out quite early during the day (like lunch time) so do not come too late.
The Mee Siam, complete with the thin orange rice vermicelli and tangy piping-hot gravy, tasted rather old-school (like those I had while growing-up) – a taste that is fast disappearing.
Mazni’s Family
Amoy Street Food Centre #01-71, Singapore 069111
Opening Hours: 6:30am – 2pm (Mon – Fri), Closed Sat, Sun
Mazni’s Family was initially known for its Ayam Penyet and was previously located at Changi Airport Terminal 1, but they have shifted all their focus to the classic Malay treats like Mee Siam, Mee Soto, Lontong and Mee Rebus.
All the dishes are prepared with wholesome flavors and authentic taste, and reasonably priced to make them an instant favorite of the crowd.
Mazni’s Family’s Mee Siam ($3) is one of my most favourite dishes at the stall.
You cannot help but devour every spoonful even if you are not that hungry. I loved that sweet and tangy orangey gravy that coated every strand of the vermicelli noodles.
Plus the Mee Siam came in a bowl, so you are getting quite a bit of that decadent gravy.
You can also get a begedil ($0.60) to add a rich texture and a perfect balance of savouriness to the dish.
Lao Chao Zhou 老潮州
Ghim Moh Market and Food Centre #01-18, Block 20 Ghim Moh Road, Singapore 270020
Opening Hours: 8am till sold out (Mon – Sun)
The stall opens at 8am, and is usually completely sold out by afternoon. There are two items on its menu – Satay Bee Hoon ($4, $6) and Mee Siam ($3) which are both popular.
Their Mee Siam ($3) with beansprouts, taupok, egg, chives, chilli and tiny shrimps, is definitely worth a try with a lovely assam twang. Yup, not many Mee Siam come with crispy shrimps which add some light crunch and saltiness.
The sweet-spicy gravy was just slurp-worthy tasting like how a grandma would prepare with a well-guarded recipe.
The broth has a bright Assam tang and not so sweet unlike some that makes you want to surrender your fork immediately after the first bite.
Squirt in the wedge of lime, mix in some sambal and there is the comforting bowl of noodles that hits the right points on sweet and sour.
Grandma Mee Siam
665 Buffalo Rd, #01-311, Tekka Centre, Singapore 210665
Tel: +65 9634 1228
Opening Hours: 8am – 3pm (Mon – Sun)
This stall at Tekka Food Centre is running successfully for over 40 years, so one can only imagine the homely flavours with a recipe of Mee Siam passed down from generations.
What is special about this stall is that you can also order ngor hiang pieces on the side, with items such egg roll, sausage, cuttlefish, fried fish fritters, and meat balls (priced between $1 to $3 per item).
At only $2.50, the Mee Siam itself was quite inexpensive and filling, with plenty of spring onions for garnishing and a touch of sambal for that kick.
The gravy itself had some slight sweetness and tanginess, though I would think some may refer a gravy that is richer and more robust.
Hup Hup Mee Siam
80 Circuit Rd, Singapore 370080
Opening Hours: 6am – 2pm (Mon, Wed – Sun), Closed Tues
Hup Hup Mee Siam gained quite a bit of social media attention from the “Hawkers United” group on facebook.
This 2nd generation hawker stall serves a variety of dishes that make for the perfect comfort food on a rainy day, from Mee Siam, Laksa to Lor Mee.
There are two serving sizes of Mee Siam ($3, $3.50) in which the vermicelli noodles were topped with bean sprouts and fried bean curd, and there was split boiled egg on the side to complement the dish.
The gravy is made with fresh coconut milk instead of prepacked ones, and also has a different taste from the usual.
I thought that it was the homemade chilli that gave it that special ‘lift’, but it could be considered very spicy for some.
Shi Xian Mee Siam
409 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, #01-24, Singapore 560409
Opening Hours: 7am – 12:30pm (Wed – Sun)
Shi Xian Mee Siam at Ang Mo Kio’s Teck Ghee food centre attracts a single long queue, for customers craving for simple and homely Mee Siam (and Mee Rebus) with wholesome flavors and homemade gravy.
But they are considered quick, and the wait would be about 15 minutes or so?
All their normal bowls are priced at $2.50 – very affordable, but you can always top it up for a larger portion for just $0.50.
The plate did look very simple in presentation, but it was the flavoursome gravy that was fragrant and rich along with the little fried shrimps and onions that would win fans over.
The bee hoon itself was also soft and supple, complementing the wholesome gravy really well.
Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa
Blk 531A Upper Cross Street, Hong Lim Market & Food Centre #02-66, Singapore 051531 (Chinatown MRT)
Opening Hours: 10:15am – 3pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun
When I texted my friend I wanted to try Hong Lim’s famous Fruit Juice Crayfish Mee Siam, she thought I left out the “and” and meant fruit juice and clayfish and mee siam.
No, no, no. This dish is everything in one.
This Michelin Bib Gourmand listed stall serves up Fruit Juice Mee Siam which can divide opinions (some love, some not quite), because it is just so different from all the rest.
Hawker Daniel Soo uses only fresh products and ingredients because health for customers is his number one priority.
The Mee Siam is more tangy, sour and slightly citrusy, very unlike any other mee siam you ever tried. There is no assam added, only some “secret ingredients” which he refused to reveal.
A special blend of juices is concocted in place of the usual tamarind water used. This not only cuts through the richness of the Mee Siam gravy, but lends a fruity fragrance to the dish.
Robert Mee Siam
91 Whampoa Drive, #01-43, Singapore 320091
Tel: +65 9838 8229
Opening Hours: 9am – 2:30pm (Sat, Sun, Tues, Wed), Closed Mon, Thurs, Fri
The Robert Mee Siam stall is quite economical, and a good option when you want to eat something delicious and filling on a budget.
Their signature dish is Mee Siam at $3, with additional egg or bee hoon at 50 cents each.
At first glance, a regular serving of Mee Siam seems quite different than what you’d expect. Instead of the thick orange gravy, the colour looks on the paler side.
But once you dig into your meal, you will discover a hint of sweet and assam-sour taste from the gravy.
This is not as rich as I would have loved, but a not-bad nostalgic tasting plate. The topping of chives added a nice crunch.
Other Related Entries
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10 Famous SATAY Stalls In Singapore
10 ROTI PRATA In Singapore
10 Must-Try CHAR KWAY TEOW In Singapore
10 Must-Try PRAWN NOODLES In Singapore
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