I arrived late for the makan kaki meet up. Actually, the makan session was already over by the time I got here (from my medical appointment 🤭). Kaki kaki had done all the tastings, all the guinea pig work 🙏 and encouraged me to get the lor mee from Xiang Ji.
I didn't dash for it because I am not really a fan of lor mee or anything that is starchy for that matter. But, the long queue got me curious.
What is it about Xiang Ji that keeps people lining up non stop for those starchy noodles? Afterall, this is not the only lor mee stall at Old Airport Road.
There is only one way to find out.
(oh... The signboard says they have zha jiang mian too. Next time... .)
Actually, I got my food pretty quickly. The youthful folks behind the stall were well organised and worked fast 👍
There were $4 and $5 servings, and I got the got big one.
Buyer's remorse straight away.
The serving was Yuuuch!
A mound of thick yellow noodles, topped with ngoh hiang slices, braised pork belly slices, a whole braised egg, and pulled fried fish, lots of it. Most of the noodles and toppings were smothered, hidden under a starchy gooey brown sauce. Then, there were chopped garlic, raw chili pepper, chili sauce, coriander, and black vinegar.
The thick gooey gummy starchy brown sauce or lor (in Hokkien Chinese).
(This turned watery as my meal progressed. Lor mee is like that.)
The thick noodles after I rolled and tossed it in the lor.
Next time, I shall order the $4 version or the $5 version but ask for less noodles.
Anyway, the thick flat noodles were tender, spongy and tasted a bit savoury, tangy, spicy, as I had the chili sauce, minced garlic, and vinegar, all rolled into it.
Xiang Ji is generous with hand torn pieces of fried fish. The white meat was tender and I was able to discern a subtle bit of fish sweetness 👍
The ngoh hiang and braised pork belly slices were okay too.
I did my best but I just couldn't. The $5 bowl was really filling. Tasted quite nice too. The best thing, I feel is the generous amount of tasty pulled fried fish meat.
Stall name: Xiang Ji Lor Mee 香记卤面. 炸酱面
Address: 51 Old Airport Rd, #01-81, Singapore 390051 (stall in Old Airport Road Food Centre)
Nearest MRT: 5 minutes walk from Dakota station
Hours: 7am - 3pm (Tues off)
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/kT9eEzWfp1mXkr1M9
Written by Tony Boey on 19 Apr 2024
Didn't use to be popular when I started eating this. I always went there because Xin Mei Xiang had a snaking long Q every morning even at 9am. Wonder how the tables have turned.
ReplyDeletePeople's tastes changed or follow online recommendations?
This one has been the underdog for very long liao. Pre-covid I did a comparison btw the this and XMX, and didn't understand why this didn't have the queue. To date, they still maintain their quality while XMX pretty much went down the drain.
DeleteI first had Xiang Ji lor mee about 8 years back at Old Airport food centre because the queue that morning at XMX was simply crazy. XMX then was the de facto go-to stall for lor mee in the East, but that day I made a mental note that Xiang Ji's version was delectably good and would give XMX a good run for its money. Subsequently when XMX started the franchising, and standards start to vary from stall-to-stall, the queues evaporated and Xiang Ji's star started to shine in Old Airport FC.
ReplyDeleteXiang Ji gravy is less fragrant and spice dimension. Those who prefer a stronger profile who prefer the other stall. Mai hiam buay pai jiak. Just need to add more garlic, chilli and vinegar
ReplyDeleteI like their lor mee, there a tiong bahru lor mee too but haven't try it yet. Whenever I'm there will just automatically go to xiang ji 😂
ReplyDelete