How was it ah?
Restaurant Name: Wanton Noodle at KPT Kopitiam Cuisine: Chinese Average Price per Person: SGD 3 (add 50 cents for extra noodle, $1 for extra char siew) Location: Hougang, Singapore Recommendations: Wanton noodle
Ratings (out of 5) Taste: 4 Creativity/Authenticity: 4 Atmosphere: 2 Service: 3 Bang for Buck: 5
Shiok !!!
"Where are the fried wantons?"
I asked when my boyfriend as he set the bowl down in front of me.
"There are no fried wantons, this is the soup kind"
I looked at the bowl of wanton noodle with a mix of suspicion and disappointment. All of my favourite wanton noodles that I've ever eaten always had a delicious side of fried wantons accompanying it. Even the Singaporean wanton noodle's long lost cousin from Indonesia, famously known as Mi Pangsit (which literally means Wanton Noodle) always come with fried wantons. As a fried food aficionado, some soft ass wanton ain't really gonna cut it.
"Trust me, it's really good," my boyfriend said, nudging the bowl closer to me.
As I pulled and mixed the noodle with the soy sauce, the aroma hit me. The thick sweet fragrance of the char siew mixed with the rising steam hidden amongst the noodle rose slowly up, promising that there's more than meets the eye with this bowl.
So far so good.
When I took the first bite though, I understood the beauty of this dish. The noodle was springy and had a good bite to it, every strand was coated with a delicious mix of the lard and sauce originally found at the bottom of the bowl, The mixture of spices and oil didn't overpower the dish but instead enhances it.
After I shovelled a generous portion of the noodle into my mouth, I took a bite of the char siew, Like the noodle it has a similar simplicity that is balanced with an indescribable umami. If this bowl of noodle is a Calvin Harris song, the char siew pieces are the beat drops, punctuating the highs.
And finally, the wantons. The little babies had a lot to prove, and boy did it proved me wrong. The soup and the wantons is like the Michelle to the wanton's Obama. It gave the much needed softness and balance to the dish, washing away the sauce from the noodle while preparing you for the next bite.
I think it'll be safe to say that I'll be back for more. At $3.50 a pop, this dish will definitely tempt me to go for second round next time.
KPT Kopitiam Hougang
401 Hougang Ave 10, Singapore 530401
