Jia Xiang Mee Siam📍Redhill #01-35 • Old School Tuckshop Flavours 红山佳香米暹

Jia_Xiang_Michelin_Mee_Siam_Redhill_#01-35_红山佳香米暹

Kaki kaki's office is just steps from Redhill market & hawker centre. He has been raving about Jia Xiang Mee Siam. Finally made the trip today as I was running an errand nearby.

Jia Xiang has been here a long time as the time weathered signboard attests. The menu has now reduced to just two items - mee siam and lontong plus optional add-ons / toppings.

Learned something today, mee siam is 米暹 and lontong is 隆冬.

Ms Tan 陈美英 ran the stall with her mother since the 1980s. Ms Tan 陈美英's mother has retired and she works alone now as her husband is also not well.

The stall opens from 12 noon to 3pm daily now (it used to operate from 8am to 6pm in the past).

Most of Ms Tan customers are regulars, residents from the neighbourhood. Life would go on, hum along, unremarkably, quietly, happily in a contented way.

Then, Jia Xiang got named in the Michelin Guide 2026 Bib Gourmand list. It's fresh off the press, Ms Tan hasn't received her Michelin sticker yet.

Now, new customers turned up at Ms Tan's little stall. Several came in groups.

In Singapore, there are many groups of retirees who formed "foodie groups" combing the island for good food, one of Singaporeans' favourite pastimes. The latest Michelin Guide channelled the "foodie groups" to nominated stalls like Jia Xiang.

It's a big bowl for $3.50. Add another $1 for more fried egg.

The sloshy kuah (sauce) was relatively thick, savoury umami tangy sour with spicy heat. The signature savoury umami came from fermented soy bean, belacan, etc. Sour from tamarind juice.

Fried bean curd puff (tau pok), tofu cubes (tau kwa) and croutons of fried of dough (tepung) adding crunch and other textures to the dish.

There was also a whole boiled egg.

The sambal which Ms Tan made was umami savoury spicy with a bit of sweetness. She has one more type of sambal but I didn't try it.

The bee hoon or rice vermicelli was soft, subtly spiced and had an underlying sweetness. The slender strands picked up the sauce and its flavours well.

Ms Tan is generous with the calamansi (lime). The zesty sour juice is great if you want to moderate the savoury umami tao cheo (fermented soy bean) and belacan.

Jia Xiang has the taste profile of school canteen / tuckshop mee siam from my childhood (though that was slightly sweeter and more watery). I like it because it tastes good and gives me that warm fuzzy nostalgic feeling.