Lao Cai Curry 老蔡 & Mian Wang 1971 麵王 – Gluttony Is My Biggest Sin!

Incessant chattering, long queues, and the clanking of beer bottles – these are usually telltale signs that a HDB coffee shop is in the vicinity. However, after alighting at a bus stop along Bukit Batok Street 52, I walked along the main road feeling slightly perplexed. Although lunch hour was approaching, the neighbourhood was as quiet and peaceful as any other HDB estate at 11AM in the morning, and Sin Eating House was nowhere in sight.

After a little deliberation, I decided to trust GoogleMaps and found Sin Eating House tucked away in a little corner of the estate. Featured on The Strait Times, and having received stamps of approval from various food bloggers, Lao Cai Curry 老蔡 and Mian Wang 1971 麵王 obviously seemed like must-tries.

The two stalls have been passed down through three generations. With more than 4 decades of culinary experience under their belt, the Chua family has not only retained the quality and authenticity of their food, but they have also begun to innovate and improve on them. Mr Chua (left) is the owner of Lao Cai Curry 老蔡, while his brother, Alvin Chua (right), is the owner of Mian Wang 1971 麵王. Mr Chua’s son, Shane Chua, markets the business.

This is Mr Chua’s Fried Breaded Chicken Curry Rice ($5.50). Needless to say, the chicken skin was hella crispy! The Chua family’s secret homemade seasoning is definitely something. Shane did mention that his uncle, Alvin, had spent quite some time studying the recipe of KFC’s chicken to perfect the crispy element as much as he could. The vegetables were fresh with crunchy stems and the potatoes soft, tasty and curry-soaked!

Waking up at 3am every day, Mr Chua makes his famous curry from scratch to ensure that the quality is consistent. Shane mentioned that it surprises him how taxing setting up the curry can be, as some ingredients such as lemongrass can be very troublesome to deal with.

The stall is famous for its curry so I was naturally very excited to try it. The curry was more creamy and coconut-ty than it was spicy, which I think makes it perfect for people who are a little more averse to spicy foods!

Coming from a humble background with limited education, Mr Chua did not have the means to spread the word about his curry dishes which were raved about wherever he went. Mr Chua used to own several F&B businesses in schools, but he was catering to a fixed, and limited, audience. Now, together with his son, Shane, Mr Chua is able to market his business to a way bigger audience.

Fried, flipped and fried for a little longer, the whites of the over-easy eggs served with every Lao Cai Curry 老蔡 dish are cooked through and sported with slightly brown edges. I did not think much of the egg at first because of the thicker film on the yolk, but the moment I broke into the yolk, runny golden goodness came oozing out!

Another dish I tried from Lao Cai Curry 老蔡 was their Braised Pork Curry Chicken Rice ($6.50)! The tender Braised Pork which had equal amounts of juicy lean meat and chewy fat was so delightful. The succulent chicken was also covered in a generous mixture of the signature curry sauce. Every mouthful was packed with flavour!

The recipe of the Chua family’s Hokkien Mee (especially the stock) was created by Shane’s grandfather in 1971. Inheriting the recipe from grandpa Chua when he was just 16, Alvin has been improving on it ever since, ensuring that there is a great amount of ‘wok hei’ in his Hokkien Mee! Also, respecting each other’s professional opinions, Shane does not argue with his father or Alvin if he senses that they are not keen on his new ideas. However, this plate of Salted Egg Calamari Hokkien Mee ($5.50) is an example of a successful experiment. Shane proposed the idea of incorporating contemporary elements such as the Salted Egg into a classic dish like Hokkien Mee.

The salted egg sauce complemented the Hokkien Mee’s gravy very well, making it immensely rich! And that was before I mixed in the chilli. The chilli was only mildly spicy, elevating the temperature of each mouthful momentarily. There were 8 calamari rings, 2 prawns, 2 normal squids, 2 slices of pork belly, and a generous amount of eggs stir-fried into the noodles! For just $5.50, I think it’s very worth it!

This is their newly released Sambal Calamari Hokkien Mee, another product of Alvin and Shane’s collaborative efforts. It is no surprise that no matter how experimental they get with their ingredients, the end product always tastes excellent.

Lastly, I got to try their Mala Calamari Pork Belly Hokkien Mee, which will be released soon! This creation is another testament to the versatility of Hokkien Mee. The mala-infused ingredients had that familiar numbing sensation and spiciness. Will it pair well with the Hokkien Mee? Head down to Mian Wang 1971 麵王 and try it for yourself!

Hokkien Mee has always been part of the menu no matter where Alvin went in the past, be it cooking at hawker stalls or canteens. It was only 3 years ago that Shane finally managed to persuade him to focus on his grandfather’s 1971 Hokkien Mee recipe. Shane thought it was a good idea because of the great reviews his uncle’s Hokkien Mee has received, and the possibility of new pairings.

I’ve noticed that most Hokkien Mee hawkers fry their pork lard bits in batches, keeping them in a Tupperware at their stall front. Left overnight or over a period of days, the fried pork lard bits lose their crunchiness. This is not the case at Mian Wang. At Mian Wang, their fried pork lard is cooked fresh every morning, maintaining the consistency and crispiness of the ingredient!

During my afternoon at Sin Eating House, I noticed more food delivery riders than actual customers. When asked about the difficulties the family business faces due to its secluded location, Shane mentioned that their aim was never to bring home a huge bucket of money. He only hopes that the culinary prowess of the two chefs whom he admires and learned so much from will be recognized and appreciated. If you’re in the Bukit Batok/ Gombak vicinity, do show them some support!

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

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