Ever wondered how many types of Wanton Mee are there in the market? Usually most people will order because they see a Wanton Mee stall and they wouldn' t need to know anymore than that. But for me, it's a different story. I would usually like to find out, whether they're serving the Singapore version or the Hong Kong version.


Ok, now what's the difference between the 2? Most people would say Wanton Mee is still Wanton Mee, the ingredients are mee, wanton and chili, thats all. Or is it? For people who aren't food aficionados, then I cannot expect them to be a food connoisseur, right? But for me, I can distinctly tell whether a Wanton Mee stall is dishing out the Singapore or the Hong Kong version just by looking at their Char Siew. And if the Char Siew isn't visible, I will try to peep at their chili.


It has been a while since I had cantonese Wanton Mee because there aren't many of them in hawker centres. The cantonese version usually have a better roasted Char Siew with bit of fats and are usually more charred. It tend to look very glossy and reason is because the cantonese would coat their displayed Char Siew with honey every now and then to make them look better. I believe they use a different cut of the pork as well as there are usually a generous amount of fats along the strip. For Singapore Wanton mee, the Char Siew usually will look like a piece of overnight red dyed meat which is dull in color.


Of course the thing people talk about in Wanton mee is the chili. And nothing else matters if the chili is lousy - not even a fantastically roasted Char Siew can save the day. Since most people eat Wanton Mee dried, the chili must really CAN MAKE IT.


For Singapore version, it usually come with a dose of tomato kechup or some 'secret' dark sauces as they would tell you(but we all know it's nothing more than oyster sauce + soya sauce blah blah). The Hong Kong is quite different though. They use chili oil instead and with a dose of Char Siew sauce (the kind you'll find on your Char Siew rice). So there you go, they are really different in taste altogether.


Anyway the soup is also very different for both versions. Singapore version is more like a ikan bilis soup base while the Hongkong version uses pork ribs(i think) and it has a strong flavour of yellow chinese chives.


This SAO LA stall in Tampines Block 409 is where I went for my lunch today. The seller is a cantonese and they dish out very very good SAO LA meat. If you are around Tampines and looking for a meal, this is the place to go if you are fascinated by Hong Kong food that is sold at Singapore kopitiam price.