吊桥头大华猪肉粿条面 Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle @ Crawford Lane

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I have long heard about this famous "Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle" whose fans have touted it as the best Bak Chor Mee (Minced Meat Noodle) in Singapore.

That claim sure arouse my interest so much so that I was left craving for it but do not have the opportunity to try until earlier last week when I have to go collect my new passport at the ICA (Immigration & Checkpoint Authority of Singapore) beside Lavender MRT.

The stall is located at Crawford Lane, which is right behind the ICA building.

Even though I was there at 11am, a queue of 6 people had already formed in front of me. The queue is very slow moving; by the time it reached my turn, twenty minutes have passed.

Of course, I know twenty minutes is not a very long time to wait considering that the queue can sometimes stretch beyond the perimeter of the coffee shop during peak hours (which literally translates to at least 60 minutes of wait)!

I really take my hat off to these people who queued so long just to have a bowl of this noodle.

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Bak Chor Mee from SGD5 onwards

You can opt for either the dry or soup version. Prices varies from SGD5/6/8/10.

I overheard the lady queuing behind me telling the two ladies behind her that the more expensive bowls come with extra portions of the same ingredients and seaweed in the soup.

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Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle SGD5

I decided to order the smallest bowl with Mee Pok which consisted of a meatball, one wanton, some slices of pork and liver, minced meat, and a small piece of fried ti poh (sole fish).

The sauce is a mixture of chili sauce and black vinegar.

At first glance, I felt the portion is no different from a SGD3 bowl sold elsewhere. Perhaps the difference lies in the taste?

I gave everything in the bowl a quick stir. I can't wait to taste the best Bak Chor Mee in Singapore.

I first put a piece of liver in my mouth which I found undercooked (in a good way). I picked out all the liver and left them in the soup to cook to my desired doneness.

Then, I had a mouthful of noodles which I found had a good bite but too sour from the vinegar.

I loved black vinegar and would add so much of it to my Lor Mee till the stall owners would roll their eyes at me but in this case, I feel the vinegar actually overpowers the taste of the noodles.

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I have to give them due credits for the use of fresh ingredients even though I find the wanton and meatball pretty normal. Even the ti poh did not have the unique ti poh fragrance.

No doubt it had been a favorite amongst the public, however, I feel that the Bak Chor Mee is over-rated and over-priced.

I just can't find the justification for the hefty $5 price tag. No, not even with the addition of the wanton, meatball and ti poh.

In my opinion, this is at best above average but is it the best in Singapore? I will leave that for you to find out.

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I asked for Mee Pok but is given a mixture with Mee Kia (thin noodle)

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