I try 9 new Michelin Bib Gourmand stalls to see if they're worth the hype, here's my honest take

By now, most of us would have already heard about the new 2023 Michelin Bib Gourmand list for Singapore, which was announced just a few weeks back. 

This year, there are a whopping 79 entrants comprising 19 new awardees, which is an increase from the 67 recipients in 2022. 

For the uninitiated, the Michelin Bib Gourmand is an award given to restaurants and street food stalls that serve "exceptional value-for-money gourmet experiences in Singapore" that cost no more than $45 a meal, states the Michelin guide. 

It is not to be confused with the Michelin Star or Michelin Plate.

As someone who is willing to queue over an hour just for good food, I was curious to see if I'd enjoy the offerings from these new awardees. 

So, as an amateur foodie, I decided to pay a visit to nine of the stalls to do my own taste test and share my honest thoughts about the food. 

Before jumping right into the reviews, I'd like to put a disclaimer that I am no professional food taster and these are merely just my opinions. Everyone has different tastes and preferences, so you may feel differently from me. 

Adam Rd Noo Cheng Big Prawn Noodle: Worth the hype 

I've tried my fair share of prawn mee before and I personally feel that Adam Rd Noo Cheng Big Prawn Noodle has one of the better ones out there. 

I ordered the Big Prawn Noodles with Pork Ribs ($10).

To me, what makes or breaks a bowl of prawn me is the soup. If it isn't concentrated, it's a no go. 

And just looking at the dark hue of the broth, I could already tell that this was going to be a good one. 

Like I expected, it was pleasantly robust and had a good amount of that prawn umami. 

The prawns themselves were juicy, fresh and pretty big. I also really appreciate how they were sliced down the middle for easier consumption — small things like these do make the dish more appealing. 

My prawn noodles came with pork ribs as well, and these meaty chunks were fall-off-the bone tender and had an excellent fat-to-meat ratio. 

Address: 2 Adam Rd, #01-17, Singapore 289876

Beach Road Fish Head Bee Hoon: Worth the hype

One would hardly think that a dish as simple as fish soup would be listed in the prestigious Michelin Bib Gourmand, but here we are. 

I'll admit that I myself was initially sceptical, but Beach Road Fish Head Bee Hoon’s Fried Fish Bee Hoon Soup ($5) proved me wrong. 

The broth here isn't thin and slightly salty like what you'd find with your typical bowls of fish soup. The flavours were layered, and you can tell that it wasn't just monosodium glutamate (MSG) water. 

They're also very generous with the amount of fish they give. I opted to have the fried fish and fish was fried to a beautiful crisp. 

I’m also particularly fussy about the freshness of the fish and I'm glad to share that I didn't get a whiff of any pungent seafood smell coming from my bowl. 

Address: 91 Whampoa Dr, #01-46, Singapore 320091

Cheok Kee: Not worth the hype 

I queued a solid 30 minutes for their duck rice and I doubt I would do it again. 

Don't get me wrong, it's a decent plate of duck rice. But there was nothing outstanding about it that warrants such a long waiting time.

A plate of duck rice here costs $3.50 but I topped it up to $5 for extra meat.

The gravy the duck was doused in was delicious but overall, the meat was rather dry, save for some fatty bits, which weren't exceptional either. 

I also wasn't a fan of the soup. It had a nice herbal taste but was just too oily to slurp down.  

To me, it's one of those places where you wouldn't mind eating at again if there was no queue, but any longer waiting time than that and it's a no. 

Address: 69 Geylang Bahru, #01-35 Market & Food Centre, Singapore 330069

Heng Kee: Worth the hype 

It's easy to confuse Heng Kee with Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee on level two of Hong Lim Food Complex. 

They both specialise in the same thing – curry chicken noodles – and are, in my opinion, equally popular. 

I've tried food from both stalls, and while I don't have a preference, I feel that both are worthy of a mention in the Michelin guide. 

Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon has already had a Michelin Plate for quite a few years and now, it's Heng Kee's turn. 

Be warned: The queue for Heng Kee can get painfully long and if you're not early enough, you may not be able to secure yourself a bowl of their signature Curry Chicken Mee ($6).

What I love about Heng Kee's rendition is the curry. It's very concentrated with a reasonable amount of spice. But at the same time, it's still drinkable, so it doesn't get cloying even after you've polished off the entire bowl. 

They're also very generous with the ingredients like tau pok and potatoes. And of course, the chicken itself is one of the stars of the show with its silky texture.  

Address: 531A Upper Cross St, #01-58, Singapore 051531

Ji De Lai Hainanese Boneless: Worth the hype 

From the picture itself, I think it's quite obvious why I think their chicken rice is worth the hype — just look at how plump those chicken slices are! 

As a Singaporean, I've eaten chicken rice all my life and out of all the renditions I've tried, I have to say that this is one of the better ones solely because of the chicken.

A plate of chicken rice here costs just $3.50.

The meat is extremely silky and tender. Somehow, the hawkers managed to find a way to seal in all that juice because even the breast meat was succulent. 

I really enjoyed the rice as well. It wasn't too greasy and was pleasantly fragrant and fluffy. 

Address: 105 Yishun Ring Rd, #01-152 Chong Pang Food Centre, Singapore 760105

Nam Sing Hokkien Fried Mee: Worth the hype 

I don't normally gravitate towards dry-style Hokkien mee but the ones here made me question my own preferences. 

A regular plate costs $5, while a medium plate costs $8. 

Unlike regular Hokkien mee that use yellow noodles and thick bee hoon, Nam Sing Hokkien Fried Mee uses thin bee hoon. I personally feel that this helps with the texture. 

Many Hokkien mee spots lack that wok hei element but they nailed it here. 

The prawns, while peeled, are admittedly on the smaller end. But thanks to how good the other components of the dish are, I can close one eye to that. 

Address: 51 Old Airport Road, #01-32, Old Airport Road Food Centre, Singapore 390051

No.18 Zion Road Fried Kway Teow: Not worth the hype

I will probably get a lot of hate for this from the stall's ardent fans, but I don't think it is worth the hype. 

I've eaten here a number of times as I live nearby, and the taste is not the most consistent. 

While I don't deny that it's a good plate of char kway teow ($5), I've had better. And I also personally feel that the quality has dropped over the years.

Another issue I have is with the queue. Thanks to sunk cost fallacy, I once waited over an hour for this char kway teow. 

And when I finally got to tuck into my food, I was sorely disappointed. It was lacking in the wok hei department and the ingredients didn't taste very fresh. 

Though I have to say, the elderly uncle frying the char kway teow is very sweet, so I'd eat this again if I have the time to queue. 

Singapore Fried Hokkien Mee: Not worth the hype 

It's decent, but it's also honestly pretty average.

One plate set me back by $5.

While I enjoy wet Hokkien mee, this was too mushy for my liking. The wok hei is also almost non-existent but this was saved by the prawn stock, which was quite flavourful. 

I'm also not a fan of the how tiny the prawns and sotong were. I'd like a bit more meat with my noodles, please! 

I did, however, enjoy the chilli. It added a nice spicy punch to every mouthful (and made up for the lack of wok hei). 

Tai Seng Fish Soup: Worth the hype

Similar to what I said about Beach Road Fish Head Bee Hoon, I was sceptical about how good this would taste because after all, it is fish soup.

But I guess I've underestimated fish soup because this is yet another one that's blown me away. 

A bowl of their mixed fish soup is $5.50, and I topped up 50 cents for rice.

What makes it really stand out from your regular bowls of fish soup is the freshness and texture of the fish. The sliced fish was sweet with a good firmness, while the fried fish was crisp without being dry. 

I also really enjoyed the broth. I asked to add milk to mine and it was a good balance between savoury and sweet. 

In fact, I liked it so much that I almost bought another bowl. 

ALSO READ: Kok Sen and Coconut Club return to Michelin's Bib Gourmand list along with 17 new hawker stalls

No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.

melissateo@asiaone.com