25 is located in Treasures, a neighbourhood coffee shop in Bukit Merah Central (10 minutes walk from Redhill MRT). I was there at 10:30am - there was already a healthy crowd of residents but not overcrowded yet.
By the time I am done eating, a long queue had formed up at 25 Minced Pork Noodle stall. It was not even lunch time yet.
The youthful boss was very polite and friendly. I ordered the signature set ($7) and he asked if I like an egg added to the soup which I declined for this time as I wanted to taste the original soup which 25 is famous for.
Wondering how the stall name No. 25 came about, it's not the Blk number, not the coffee shop unit number but actually the anniversary date 25 July of the couple Lam Geng Han and Chelsea Goh, who run this stall (source credit: 8 Days).
The mee pok (broad ribbon noodles) were generic but got the exact "lively" springy (suang kou 爽口) texture I like. The noodles were very amply greased with plenty of sauce. My lips were smeared with lard with every slurpy mouthful I took 😬
The sauce was lardy, spicy, savoury, sweet - I like. There wasn't any vinegar but there's a bottle at the counter which we can help ourselves to. I didn't bother to get up from my chair as the sauce was just right for me 👌
The soup was robustly umami savoury salty with pronounced dried scallop and ti poh (dried sole fish) umami. It reminded me immediately of Seng Kee bak chor mee's soup. There was a visible layer of grease on the soup which was slightly intimidating 😬 I am a timid guy 😌
Cannot see the cockerel motif 公雞碗 😬 The soup was cloudy though only of watery to medium body.
In the soup, there were lean pork slices, liver slices, fish dumpling, dried fish maw, etc.
The two fish dumplings were nice - tender crunchy and overlaid with assertive flavours from the soup. By itself, the fish dumpling was quite sweet.
The liver were good too - cooked to just the right soft tender doneness. (I removed the thinly sliced liver from the hot soup to prevent overcooking.)
I enjoyed my brunch at 25. The best things here for me were the well balanced, robust tasting sauce and the well executed noodles with the perfect texture for me 👌
25's soup is no doubt very popular, their cause celebre but it's a tad too greasy and too salty for my liking, the same way which I felt about the famous Seng Kee bak chor mee in Ang Mo Kio. Both 25 and Seng Kee are wildly popular for their soup, so it is just me 😁
I will be back but for the entry level versions sans the famous soup as I love their noodle doneness and their well balanced full flavoured sauce.
If you have tried 25, please share with us your views 🙏
Similar type bak chor mee in Singapore:
Seng Kee in Ang Mo Kio 👈 click
Seng Kee in Serangoon Garden 👈 click
Macpherson BCM in Tai Thong Crescent 👈 click
Hi Tony, do you know if Ah Kow Bak Chor Mee at Bukit Batok has reopened for business? Heard that the stall owner John has closed the stall recently. You had done an excellent review of Ah Kow previously.
ReplyDeleteThe last I spoke with John in the middle of the year, he is taking a break due to increasing rental costs by the Bukit Batok kopitiam. He is in the midst of hunting for an alternative location
ReplyDeleteThank you Ray for you update. Appreciate it much (Tony)
DeleteAfther 45 yrs in F & B business was really glad to receive your daily update....have been following your infomation a few yrs en now I`m pension will try to visit the interesting food store not only in Singapore but also in Malaysia....Once again thanks for your wonderful work.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your wonderful work...!
ReplyDelete