From versions by a Michelin-recognised hawker stall to one topped with crayfish, here are the best Ipoh hor fun places in Singapore.
Like its name hints, Ipoh hor fun is a noodle dish hailing from the northwestern Malaysian city. It starts with shahe fun, or Cantonese-style flat rice noodles that people prepare with local spring water. It is then served in a broth made from chicken and prawn stock, and topped with shredded chicken. Done right, the noodles should be thin and silky, with equally tender meat and a sweet, fragrant soup.
In Singapore, the classic can be found at Shan Cheng, a Malaysian restaurant chain set up by two Ipoh natives as a tribute to their mother’s Ipoh hor fun. Run by a former Resorts World Sentosa chef, Chiderful also does a textbook version during lunch.
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Other eateries have renditions with fuller flavours. Ah, Liang’s gravy is thick and herbal, while Weng Kee boils old hen chicken to create a robust broth. At Tuck Kee (Ipoh), the dish comes topped with crayfish and abalone, while Shi Hui Yuan has over 30 ingredients in the sauce, enough for Michelin to award it with a Bib Gourmand for seven consecutive years. Discover them below.
The best Ipoh hor fun in Singapore
The family-owned Ah Liang has ten varieties of hor fun, and the key here is to order anyone with fried fish dumplings. Crispy, with a generous stuffing of fish and radish, they are enhanced by the dark, herbal sauce, with silky noodles offering textural contrast. Ah Liang constantly has hordes of diners queueing during lunch, so go early.
(Image credit: @nia.sia_ / Instagram)
- Address 86 Market St, #02-04, Singapore 048947
google map
Bewildering name aside – it is a Chinese-English combination of the words “eat until” and “full,” Chiderful is run by former Resorts World Sentosa chef Kelvin Lim, who started his own diner during COVID-19. Come during lunch for his Ipoh hor fun, which is smooth and delicately flavoured. The highlight, however, is the chicken, poached just right so that it stays juicy and flavourful.
(Image credit: @euniverse_eats / Instagram)
- Address 810 Geylang Rd, #02-73 City Plaza, Singapore 409286
google map - Website Website here
- Phone 9895 9972
While working in Singapore, Ipoh natives Elaine and Cheryl Tioh missed their mother’s noodles so much that they started Shan Cheng. Now with four branches around Singapore, the signature shredded chicken hor fun soup is made according to their mother’s recipe and features soft and chewy noodles in a sweet chicken broth. Other Ipoh specialities are also available, from curry noodles to coffee.
(Image credit: Shan Cheng – 山城 / Facebook)
Shi Hui Yuan has blossomed from a hawker stall in 1969 to a Michelin Bib Gourmand winner in 2016 and has kept the award for seven years in a row. Much of it is down to the gravy, which consists of over 30 traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, as well as chicken and duck bones, which gives it a silky, herbal profile. The noodles are thin and slippery, and come paired with various ingredients including mushroom and braised duck.
(Image credit: Shi Hui Yuan / Facebook)
- Address 159 Mei Chin Rd, #02-33, Singapore 140159
google map - Website Website here
There are a number of hawkers selling Ipoh hor fun under the Tuck Kee name, but the Hong Lim Food Centre stall takes the crown. The signature crayfish and prawn option showcase a whole crayfish and three meaty prawns, large enough to almost cover the generous heaping of smooth noodles. Tuck Kee also sells other toppings from abalone to clams, as well as fresh prawn wanton.
(Image credit: @cliffordng_aapl / Instagram)
- Address 531A Upper Cross St, #02-40, Singapore 051531
google map - Website Website here
If you prefer chicken with more texture, check out Weng Kee’s rendition. The Changi Village Hawker Centre stall offers Ipoh hor fun with chicken cutlet, which adds a juicy crunch to the slippery noodles. Equally fantastic is the gravy, which is made by boiling old hen chicken and spices for hours, resulting in a deeply-flavoured and aromatic broth.
(Image credit: @bongsteroo / Instagram)
- Address 2 Changi Village Rd, #01-19, Singapore 500002
google map - Phone 6545 6425
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This story first appeared here.
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