Ah Hock Hokkien Mee: The Old Man is Back!
With Amagada
Fans of Ah Hock Hokkien Fried Noodles at Chomp Chomp can rejoice as the Old Man who has been frying Hokkien Mee there for the last thirty years has finally come out of retirement and is now back in a frying frenzy.
Chomp Chomp is one of those places that somehow still manages to keep its old world charm despite its recent renovations. The fact is that I haven't been to Chomp Chomp for at least 25 years, so actually I am not that familiar with the place. But, when I got there I could just feel the buzz in the air. Maybe it is just that it is cramped and looks as if there are too many stalls and too few seats. Or perhaps it is the sound of clanging woks and the extra saturated smell of frying food in a tight space that creates the atmosphere of intense anticipation. Whatever it is, hawker food needs to be eaten in a place such as this which is why it loses its charm when served in a Hotel.
Yes, there is that element of authenticity in the Hokkien Mee. It could be because it was fried by a man whose white hair was flying in the wind like a modern day Beethoven conducting a symphony or the queue of people waiting in line, but somehow all these visual cues also add to the whole Hokkien Mee experience.
Tastewise, it was very good. They use the thin bee hoon here and the noodles were very well fried. I was a little disappointed that there was no pork lard or pieces of pork belly which would have added that extra oomph. Otherwise it was a Hokkien Mee that I certainly wouldn't mind eating again. 4.25/5
Conclusion
So are you a fan of this Old Man? Let us know how long you have been eating there!
Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Noodles
Chomp Chomp Food Centre Stall 27
Serangoon Gardens
5.30pm to 12 plus
Closed once a fortnight
35 comments:
i'm a die hard fan to this old uncle Hokkien Mee. My longest record for a plate of Hokkien Mee is 50min. It still worth having it.
I practically grew up eating his hokkien mee ever since I moved into the area, approx 15 years. I would only eat specifically his store and yes, I can wait more than one hour it. My parents would scold me for being so stubborn but I will have nothing but his Hokkien Mee, even though everyone in the family has finished their meal. The day he left was one of the saddest moments in my life. Ever since he left chomp chomp, I never ever bothered trying the other stalls. Now that he's back, I am ready to celebrate once more!=)
Leslie,
i tried the old man's hokkien mee few months back, i was disappointed because it's abit dry. i prefer the previous young chap. ;P
silver
Haven't had this for many years~! I like the ratio of more beehoon than noodles so it's less jelard :)
Chomp Chomp, another must visit place soon I hope.
: )
recently always go down to chomp chomp as my workplace is nearby. This is definitely one of the best hokkien mee I tasted, as we say in chinese "Huo Hou" aka fire-control in the cooking process is very very gd!
Plain and simple. Just the way we like it.
I was at Chomp Chomp on Sat night and was really surprised to see the old man at the store cos I thought he had retired. I quickly ordered the hokkien noodles. Found it slightly "healthier" tasty (ie. less oily and charred) than his previous version but still tasty. Unlike other hokkien noodles that I have tasted, his does not leave me feeling "jelat" or oil-filled at the end. Will definitely buy from him again.
That's excellent news. Will put this on my radar. I used to eat this in uni when a lot of makan sessions were at cheap but good hawker centres.
Definitely a blast from the past.
Wah, I haven't eaten at this stall for like 8 years I think. I wonder how it tastes now. It was superb before. When I ate there, I would order this first but it is always the last dish to be served. This dish still taste very nice even after eating the other dishes.
I heard the waiter passed away. Sad!
I live in the Serangoon heartland and liked this HKM since I first ate it, but like a lot of popular stalls, the standard has dropped some since several years ago (even if the waiting time remains the same) and the last time I was there it was not the old man at the wok. But now that he's come back I think I will go back and try it again! :) Thanks for the update Leslie!
By the way I got to try the Geylang Lor 29 HKM that you liked so much Fri evening with Mong. It was absolutely fantastic! Even if we had to wait close to an hour (and we were famished) to get our order. It was well-worth the wait! :D The uncle told me he's looking at a few places that night, so let's hope he finds a new place soon!
Oh man! The old man is back? Oh! I've been craving for it, but ever since the young man took over, I didn't bother to go back. The taste is just not there!
I can sit there patiently to wait. My record? An hour! I just sit there and wait, whilst my friends and family call me "crazy".. I didn't care! I was a die-hard fan of this!! Oh man..
And bashful hunter, the waiter (you are referring to his co-worker who has super good memory?)didn't passed away! His able-helper if you have noticed has worked in a BBQ-seafood stall (in FRONT of its entrance to Chomp Chomp!).. I wonder whether he get back to the Hokkien Mee to take orders once again? Hmm.. Any enlightment from someone?
Time to drop by again Chomp Chomp for HKM.
Agree with Abriel that ever since the old man "retired," did not go back again as the young man, although his HKM was pretty good, it was not flavourful as the old man's.
and i thought i saw the man wrong. i was there just last week having his hokkien mee! :) i used to live at serangoon ave 2 and grew up eating this for the past 18 years. sat mornings would be black carrot cake from the market and hkm would be sunday dinner. :) did you try the one directly across from them at the other corner? i think that stall is a worthy rival.
ahh... finally this chompers HKM stall is featured here! :)
ieat... I didn't manage to try the Geylang lor 29 stall! By the time i reached the stall on saturday, it was closed... now i hafta wait until it reopens...
abriel and bashful hunter... I think the "undead" waiter u are referring to is in the small pix in this post. Just his back can be seen though, he's blocked by a guy in black standing in from of him. ;P
anyways, being a firm supporter of the underdog, just thought i'd recommend the HKM stall in chompers that is opposite ah hock's stall. Its the one next to the wantan mee stall.
I must say it has it's own charm and while dear mr ah hock was on long leave, this stall was there for me to help satisfy my HKM cravings. So now, i do still order from this stall every alternate time i'm there. keep the competition alive!
He doesn't look that old. Why is he called 'Old Man'? In fact, with a bit of styling (and hair dye), he can look quite good!
Yup two of you have commented about the stall across ah hock, next to the wanton mee stall.
That one gets my vote for best HKM in chomp chomp. Unfortunately my experience at Ah Hock was a mundane one. But maybe becus the old man wasn't back in action then.
Wow Leslie, this is great news!
Chomp Chomp was ever the same since Ah Hock retired. Glad to know he is back.
My fav Hokkien mee store for more than twenty years!
ah hock rocks! my entire family has been eating from his stall for as long as i can remember! nice combi of bee hoon. not too wet.
My family have been eating Hokkien Mee from this stall ever since I was a small boy, and have been eating for 30 plus years 8)
Ever since the stall was rented out to other people 2 years ago, I practically stop eating Hokkien Mee altogether. 8(
Great News that this stall is back with the same gang of people!!!
Boy! This uncle has been frying Hokkien Mee for more than 40 years!!!
Chomp Chomp!!! Here I come!!! :9
hello Ieat,
Have you tried the hokkien mee at the junction of Upper Serangoon road, and Simon Road? Near Kovan MRT
Xinning, Ping or Mong (or we just call them Pong) from the forum told us that standards have dropped so we decided not to try. What's your opinion? If its worth a try in your opinion, I may just go for it. : ). Really luv HKM.
i dont think that hkm is good at all. or maybe i really expected more. after all that hype. but nope. it didnt even qualify as good hkm. it can't rival the whampoa singapore hkm nor either chomp chomp ones. btw, the whampoa hkm is decreasing in portion sizes significantly after its blogged fame. :(
He was recuperating and finally he's back! HURRAY!!! Thanks for all the update, doc!
Hawker's life is a hard life, especially when you are popular. Stand and fry non-stop for hours and hours. Breathe in all the carbon and other oily fumes. Quite cham. Earn money also no chance to spend.
Reminds me of Lor 29 HKM uncle, Ah Kow BCM uncle, Yong Li aunty (knees), all unwell from years of exertion...
Ah Hock is a diciple of of the boss of Nam Sing Fried Hokkien Mee at Old Airport Road Hawker Centre.
Back in the 1960s when I used to to the their stall at the Kopi Shop at the junction of Florence Road and Upper Serangoon Road to tapao the Hokkien Mee. Ah Hock was the guy cutting the sotong and the pork belly. The second boss of Nam Sing was the guy adding the charcoal and taking orders and fanning the charcoal. They later installed an electric blower to do the fanning.
The two Hokkien taste very similar.
But Ah Hock's Hokkien mee is best taken when you rapao and eat at home when all the gravy is soaked into the mee and mee hoon.
Bit of history for you.
Cheerio
Wow, that is a wonderful bit of info! Thanks for your contribution!
Joining fans of Ah Hock, it is such a great good piece of news that this old man is finally back. Nobody can beat this old man, man!! You know, I travel alot and wherever I go, i always ta pao Ah Hock's fried hokkien mee and bring it along with me (heehee).. believe me, even after 2 or 3 days, you will be surprised that it still taste and look as good. The freshness lingers on and on.. Ah Hock is the KING of fried hokkien mee. Worth the wait, folks!! Really, you can't find such good and traditional food anywhere else in singapore.
Long time never go chomp chomp. What time is the last order on weekday?
Wow..will go to chomp chomp this few weeks. My longest wait for 45 mins.
ate this the other day with da ieaters :)
Very good flavor and I like the fact that there was no lard and no pork. Puahahaha~
Also like the use of the thinner yellow noodles.
There's only one minus - it's a lil too dry. I like my HKM wet :)
i've lived in gardens for over 25 years. His hokkien mee is truly a landmark.
Actually how long can you keep a dabao HKM? And how do you usually heat it up if you don't have a microwave oven?
Truly the best HKM in singapore! I can eat his HKM for breakfast,lunch and dinner. Just wish the old man does not MIA again...
Finally tried this today... hmmm... both hubby and I didn't really like it. It was fried by the young guy. When I went back to get more chilli, the old man was frying! Alamak. Missed him by a minute. You were right though - the uncle is really quite a character. Fries with so much personality, whatever that means. LOL.
My family has been eating this stuff for more than 25yrs. Nothing beats his noodles. Was very sad when he stopped. Somebody should really learn his secret recipe, else it'll all go to waste. Best HKM stall!
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