9 places in Singapore for ban mian that'll hit the spot

Savoury, comforting, and satisfying to boot (especially on a rainy day), there’s no denying the nation’s love for ban mian. It’s essentially flat noodles either in a savoury broth or a dry version that’s usually topped with ingredients like minced pork, ikan bilis (anchovies), vegetables and mushrooms.

From supple handmade noodles to fiery dry chilli iterations, bookmark this page for a list of places to get your dose of carby goodness.

1. Top 1 Homemade Noodle

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Beauty World Food Centre is home to a slew of hawker gems and Top 1 Homemade Noodle, which has been around for over 30 years, is one of them — in fact, be prepared for a queue.

The dry option ($4) gives you chewy noodles tossed in a thick dark soy sauce and a fiery chilli sauce, and is topped with the likes of flavourful minced meat, braised mushroom slices and meatballs. You can also opt for prawn, clams or fish slices.

If you go for the soup version, its clear and sweet broth is also a winne. It’s also got specialty mala and tomyum ban mian.

Top 1 Homemade Noodle is at#04-44, Beauty World Food Centre, 144 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 588177.

2. L32 Handmade Noodles

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Owned by a couple, this stall in Geylang has made a name for itself with its supple handmade noodles, served in an eggy broth or tossed in a savoury-sweet sauce.

The pork ban mian ($4.60) boasts soft handmade noodles dunked in an eggy broth with a hint of sweetness. You’ll get crisp anchovies, as well as both sliced pork and hefty chunks of minced meat that make for a satisfying and hearty bowl.

But apart from pork, you can also go for prawns, sliced fish, clams, meatballs, and even chicken.

Its dry ban mian has also garnered legions of fans.

L32 Handmade Noodles is at 558 Geylang Road, Jalan Geylang Lorong 32, Singapore 389509. Closed on Mondays.

3. China Whampoa Home Made Noodle

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For the ultimate indulgent ban mian, check out the Abalone Home Made Noodle ($14), which is loaded with abalone, abalone clams, prawns, meatballs and fish maw – available in both soup and dry versions.

Cooked with dried ikan bilis and soybeans instead of pork bones, the soup is lighter and clearer but still flavourful. It also doesn’t come with an egg.

The dry ban mian, mixed with dark soy sauce, boasts a sweeter flavour. Or you can add a punch with the homemade chilli sauce.

China Whampoa Home Made Noodle is at Whampoa Drive Blk 91, #01-24, Singapore  320091.

4. Grandma Ban Mee

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It offers both the broth and dry versions, but it’s the dry chilli ban mian ($5.20) that’s a crowd-puller.

The noodles are springy, and apart from the usual suspects of minced pork, vegetables, ikan bilis and mushroom, there’s the added crunch of shredded black fungus to add texture to the bowl, as well as a gooey onsen egg. Add its homemade chilli to the mix and it makes for a gratifying bowl.

Grandma Ban Mee is at #01-07 Amoy Street Food Center, 7 Maxwell Road, Singapore 069111.

5. Ng Kuan Chilli Pan Mee

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Another dry ban mian spot to check out would be Ng Kuan Chilli Pan Mee, which is known for its dry chilli ban mian. The Signatue Ban Mian (from $4.50) comes with a poached egg, fried garlic and shallots, ikan bilis and the homemade chilli, which seriously brings on the heat, but don’t expect dark sauce in this rendition. The noodles are springy and offer a firm bite, and are quite lovely when coated with the runny yolk.

Apart from the classic minced pork, you can also choose your ban mian with sides like fried pork, chicken cutlet and – all of which had run out on our visit, sadly.

Our gripe was that the fried garlic and shallots came disappointingly stale and soft, rather than fried to crispy perfection, and stuck to our teeth upon chewing. We’d also have preferred a more flavourful sauce, though the chilli would find favour with spice lovers.

Ng Kuan Chilli Pan Mee is at 941 Upper Serangoon Rd, Singapore 534709.

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6. Fuzhou Ban Mian at J99 Eating House

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One thing’s for sure – this ban mian stall doesn’t skimp on its ingredients, whether it’s the bowl of overflowing soup and noodles, or the heap of fish slices, ikan bilis and cabbage, so you can be sure of a full belly.

Serving up noodles with a nice bite, the dry ban mian comes mixed with a dark sauce, though some might find it a tad oily. It’s also not served spicy. If you prefer something that’s lighter on the palate, the broth version offers a clear, light soup that isn’t short on flavour.

Apart from the ban mian, the mee sua and mee hoon kuey are popular with the crowd, too.

At J99 Coffeeshop, Block 186, Toa Payoh Central, Singapore 310186.

7. Face Ban Mian

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This ban mian chain has over 10 stalls in coffee shops islandwide, which dole out affordable noodles from $4.50 – though this could mean a difference in consistency across its outlets.

Apart from minced meat, you can also sink your teeth into thin pork belly slices that aren’t usually found at other ban mian stalls, as well as batang fish slices and prawns. If you like a bit of punch, there’s a flavourful Tom Yum version to kick things up a notch.

Face Ban Mian is at multiple locations including Blk 126 Toa Payoh Lorong 1, Singapore 310126, Blk 514A Bishan St 13 Singapore 571514, Blk 826 Tampines St 81 Singapore 520826, and Blk 501 Jurong West St 51 Singapore 640501. Visit its website for more information.

8. Qiu Lian Ban Mian

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We aren’t sure if it was the rainy weather, but this large bowl of Qiu Lian Ban Mian (which has stalls across the island) at Kopitiam City beside Buangkok Mrt station felt like a warm hug.

Cooked with eggs, the piping hot broth is flavourful and slurp-worthy. But if you prefer your noodles with more bite, you might be disappointed. Instead, its noodles are soft and slippery. P.S: The Qiu Lian Ban Mian brand has ready-to-cook ban mian sold in major Fairprice outlets as well as RedMart.

What we didn’t like: The rather meager bits of minced meat.

Qiu Lian Ban Mian is at #01-10, Kopitiam @ Kopitiam City, Blk 275D Compassvale Link Aspella, Singapore 544275.

9. Poon Nah City Home Made Noodle

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This article was first published in The Singapore Women's Weekly.