I love discovering new places in my local area and Yi Zun Noodle is a real gem. It is a smallish joint tucked away on a side street of Little India serving up incredible handmade halal beef noodles as its signature dish. Despite being a new addition to the area, it is already a favourite with locals and you will rarely see the place empty in the evening.
Flossie’s rating: ★★★★
Yi Zun Noodle opened at the beginning of this year and is run by a Muslim Chinese couple. All the food is halal but they specialise in hand-pulled noodles, which are also known as la mien in Chinese. Yi Zun Noodle face some very stiff competition from nearby competitors Hand in Hand as well as Swee Choon on Jalan Besar Road, who both employ mainland Chinese chefs to prepare la mien on premise. However as a major noodie (noodle foodie) and noodle connoisseur, I reckon Yi Zun wins the prize for most delicious noodles.
The noodles are fine and have a soft, luxurious texture that make them easy to slurp up. They seem to taste less doughy than your average bowl of la mien in Singapore, which makes them quite dangerous as you can easily eat too much. It is fun to watch the chef prepare the noodles in the kitchen window. He takes a big ball of dough and stretches it into long, thin strands within a matter of minutes… it looks like a most impressive art form.
The signature dish are the handmade halal beef noodles and it costs less than $8 for a regular bowl, which is a bargain. The noodles are served in a beautiful ornate Chinese bowl with a generous helping of beef and radish slices. The soup base is light yet aromatic with a delicious clove and coriander flavours. The cooked beef is cut into medium thick slices and fully cooked although not dry. I love to smear the complimentary chill paste with flakes of dried chilli all over the beef and slurp it up with a spoon of soup.
Yi Zun Noodle does not have an extensive menu. They offer a limited number of dishes but do them well. Another popular item is the minced chicken noodles. The noodles come plain without soup. A bowl of spicy chicken mince and a selection of raw vegetables and herbs are served separately, so you can mix your own noodle dish according to your liking. Whilst the dish is hearty and very tasty, I do not find it as satisfying as the beef noodle. I prefer eating my la mien with soup.
The crispy skin roasted chicken is another favourite dish of mine. If you are with a group of friends, I recommend ordering it as a starter to share before digging into the noodles. The chicken is cooked golden and extra crispy (all that yummy skin cannot be good for the diet!) but the flesh is succulent. It is a little on the boney side but that is to be expected given the very cheap price of just $12 a portion.
If you live in the area or just love handmade Chinese noodles, you have to give Yi Zun Noodle a try. Yi Zun offers simple and cheap food, and although they have a limited menu they boast the best handmade halal beef noodles that I have discovered thus far during my foodie adventures in Singapore.
Yi Zun Noodle
45 Sam Leong Road
Farrer Park
Singapore 207935