Best Things to Eat (Noodles) in Pandan Indah

This is as good a time as any to finally write a summary of some of the better hawker food (noodles to be precise) you can find in my humble neighbourhood which I've been eating a lot of since the Movement Control Order (MCO) kicked in.

So, understand that when I say best things to eat in Pandan Indah, I actually mean good enough food you can find in this taman and not necessarily the best food if compared to other places beyond Pandan Indah.  Obviously this list is more relatable to the good folks of Pandan Indah...hee..hee! ^_~

#1 - Prawn Mee

Let's start with my top favourite noodle to eat.  You can find this prawn mee at Restoran San May King.  I like this prawn mee for their use of medium-to-large prawns (even though they've been halved lengthwise), very thinly sliced lean pork (the thinnest lean pork I've eaten in any prawn noodles) and freshly fried crispy shallots (made inhouse, not prepackaged and I always ask for extra) although the broth can be better but I can't complain.

It was only in the past year or so that I've been coming here for their prawn mee (where ingredients are plentiful) after my favourite prawn mee lady retired (well, they say learning discovering new eats never stops).  I had high hopes when a new specialist prawn noodle shop opened in our area recently but, unfortunately, that one failed miserably.

#2 - Curry Laksa


For curry laksa, it used to be a choice between two, one in Restoran Lok Zok Liu where the broth is thick, savoury and full of coconut milk taste but sans cockles.  It's not one you can eat very often as it's too flavourful and filling (+ there were also rumours about their cleanliness).  Not sure how far that is true though I did see them closed for a couple of days not long after they opened for business.  So, eat at your own peril!

The other choice for a lighter curry laksa can be found at Restoran Pandan Indah Pulau Ketam Seafood Steamboat (they share the premises with another restaurant, so it's a hawker-style set up in the day time and steamboat at night).  The broth of this one is much lighter and not as santan-y but still worthwhile (you can choose from many toppings)...but, sadly, the stall called it quits after the MCO.  Haiz...my search for another curry mee in my neighbourhood shall continue.

#3 - Shredded Chicken Kway Teow (or Kai See Hor Fun)

The kai see hor fun I eat is from the same shop where I have my prawn mee although it isn't typically a kai see hor fun but more like a noodle soup with ingredients similar to kai see hor fun (this one will have to do for now).  I have it with meehoon instead as their hor fun isn't quite the type I like.

There used to be a better kai see hor fun at Restoran Lucky 6 but the lady manning the stall has also decided to call it a day after the MCO.  The MCO may not have directly caused the two stall owners to close shop for lack of business but the lengthy downtime has caused many to rethink about what they want to do going forward.

But when you mention kai see hor fun, most would point you to the more well-known one here, a stall in Restoran New 2020.  They used to be good back in the day but the soup base and quality of their hor fun has since deteriorated drastically, not to mention the lack of ingredients.

#4 - Pork Noodles

When it comes to pork noodles, there's a popular one at HK Porky Noodle House if you want a fully-loaded option with all the works.  It's good but can be a little heavy in terms of flavour (so I eat this only when I'm very hungry).

So, for a lighter version (which also means less jelak), I've since found another pork noodles at the same shop of the now-closed curry mee stall which isn't too bad.  The standout is their delicious minced pork patties which have bits of tung choy (preserved vegetable) in them (and they're very generous with their porky ingredients).  Since this pork noodle isn't as heavy, I add on a (barely-cooked) egg and have it with yee mee.

Again, when you mention pork noodles, most would probably point you to a stall in Restoran New 2020.  That stall even have a picture of a famous Hong Kong food critic plasted at their stall but what most don't know is that the stall is shared by two separate entities.  The stall which has the Hong Kong food critic's approval is the one that operates Fridays to Sundays only while the rest of the week is manned by a different owner (although sometimes the timing can change so you'll need to recognise the guy in the picture but it makes no difference to me as I'm not keen on either).

#5 - Pork Ball (or Sam Kan Chong) Noodles

There used to be a decent sam kan chong noodles manned by a couple who retired and passed their recipe to someone else (who still occupies the same spot) but somehow it didn't taste the same anymore.  Luckily, the one I used to eat in Pandan Perdana decided to move his stall to my neighbourhood (to Kafe Cahaya Bulan to be exact).

What differentiates this from other sam kan chong noodles is the inclusion of fried, crispy intestines (yummy yum yum).  The other is that it also comes with fish balls (which is uncommon for sam kan chong but good) besides the usual squarish pork balls and siew cheong (roasted sausages).  Although I have to say that this noodle is usually taken dry-style with kuey teow being the common noodle of choice, I've recently switched to the soup version with meehoon mee instead (which I prefer) as I find their kuey teow too gummy in texture.

#6 - Beef Ball Noodles

Restoran Yang Mooi is quite well-known in these parts for its good beef ball noodles and the best option is to have it dry (the minced pork topping is splendid) with beef balls.  Other options include ngau chap (mixed beef innards) and beef stew with radish.  They now come with a dry chilli condiment (like the ones served with pan mee) for you to amp up the flavours of your noodle even more.

#7 - Beef Noodles

There is another worthy contender for beef noodles in my neighbourhood at Chang Kitchen though this one offers a slightly different take and is more known for its ngau chap and ngau lam (beef brisket) than beef balls.  I don't like beef innards as much as I do pork innards.

So, I always have the same thing here...and that is lai fun (thick rice noodles), dry-style with lightly-cooked, tender sang nyuk (raw beef).  The soup base of this one is more herbal-like in taste which differs from the ching but beefy soup of the earlier beef ball noodles.  

#8 - Wantan Mee

For wantan mee, the best bet for the dry-style is the one from Restoran Little Sifu.  Since it's also a roasted meat shop, you can choose the protein you want with your noodles, be it char siew, siew yuk, roast or poached chicken.

But when it comes to wantan mee in soup, there's only one I go for and it's the one in Restoran Lucky 6.  I like to have it with added poached chicken.  The char siew may not seem like anything great with its lean and pinkish looks but I don't mind it this way when I'm having the soup version (on good days, the char siew might even come with a light smoky flavour).  The soup is very clear and so addictive (I'm sure there's some MSG in play...hee..hee...but who cares)! ^.^

#9 - Stir-Fried Noodles

Good stir-fried noodles are hard to come by in my neighbourhood coz almost all of them don't cut it.  Finding a fairly decent one at dinner time is non-existent.  The only one I patronise is one that sells in the mornings till lunch time at Restoran Fuji Chicken Rice.


They offer all the usual stir-fried noodle choices but my preferred dish here is Kong Fu Chow (Cantonese-style noodles) either ying yong (meehoon + kway teow) or yee mee.

#10 - Pan Mee

In comparison to the scarcity of stir-fried noodles, pan mee, on the other hand, is a dime a dozen here.  Pan mee stalls or shops are so plentiful here though many come and go rather quickly.  None of the pan mee tickles my fancy (at least the few I've tried) but, then again, I may be biased since it's one of my least favourite noodles.  There's a popular one at Restoran Kin Kin but when I do feel like eating pan mee, I'd eat the one operating from a truck at our Friday pasar malam.  I don't usually go for thick noodles (as I find them too doughy) but this one is nice enough for me to do so + it comes with a kick-ass chilli dip.

#11 - Fried 'Economy' Meehoon (or King Chai Mai Fun)

King Chai Mai Fun can be found in many coffee shops that serves it for breakfast but most are run-of-the-mill except for one shop that does it well.  This no name eatery (next to Restoran San May King) specialises in king chai mai fun that comes with a super spicy anchovy-based sambal.  This economy fried meehoon (or mee) ranks among the best I've tasted.  I've seen them fry it with the use of some kind of leaf underneath (the lady boss told me the name of the leaf once, she says the meehoon is more fragrant that way, but I can't remember what it's called already).  They're probably one of the few (if not the only one) who have not resumed dine-in since the MCO.

#12 - Ginger Duck Noodles

This one is little bit unorthodox since it's not a noodle you'd usually find in stalls but I did uncover a decent tasting one in a halal restaurant (of all places) at Alanna's Kitchen (run by a Chinese).  The duck is super tender, the egg noodles soft and thick and the sauce, quite satisfactory...and, of course, lots of ginger! ;)

#13 - Assam Laksa

I've not come across stalls selling assam laksa (or at least I've not noticed any worthy ones) in most of the coffee shops I've been to.  So, if I happen to crave assam laksa (which isn't often at all), I get this from the pasar malam too but I've not had this since the MCO coz, for some reason, our pasar malam (except for a handful of stalls) have not resumed business (not sure why or if they're having a problem adhering to the strict SOP).

#14 - Char Kway Teow & Fish Ball Noodles

If you're wondering why I've not listed two of my favourite noodles, char kway teow or fish ball noodles yet, that's because (sadly) there are no decent ones here, not even near average ones... haiz! :'(

#15 - Kolok Mee & Hakka Mee

There's also a decent kolok mee (in Restoran New 2020 & 9898) and Hakka mee (in Restoran Chong Ko & Lucky 6) but I can't say I care for them much since they're languishing near the bottom of my list of favourite noodles to eat.  For some reason, I'm not a big fan of white-coloured noodles especially if it's without a soup base! >.<

If there are any good noodles I missed out, well, I guess I wasn't looking hard enough.  When it comes to neighbourhood eats, one is completely satisfied when one has found a decent enough one to eat (and won't bother looking further unless they close shop) as it's just a case of looking for a quick, hearty meal to satisfy one's hunger...and that's it.  I'm sure you have your preferred go-to stalls/shops too in your housing area for your favourite noodles. ^_~