Was going around the MacPherson neighborhood recently and spotted a rather unfamiliar sight whilst passing by Blk 36 Circuit Road — whilst Wishes Cafe had ceased operations at the foot of Blk 36 Circuit Road for a while now, it does seem that a new tenant named 36 Wishes has taken its place. 36 Wishes does seem to have retained much of the decor alongside the furnishings and fittings of the space that was left behind by Wishes Cafe whilst adapting the space to suit their business needs — there is also some reconfiguration of the dining hall seating layout by these folks as well. Despite the slightly similar name and the recognisable decor of the space, 36 Wishes is an entirely different sort of dining establishment from Wishes Cafe — whilst Wishes Cafe primarily operated as an ice-cream parlour, 36 Wishes is an establishment that serves up Malaysian-style noodle offerings; the menu at 36 Wishes centres around fishball noodle, wanton noodle / Hong Kong-style roast meat noodles and curry noodles. Patrons looking for beverages can order them from the neighbouring Heong Hock Cafe and bring them over to 36 Wishes.

Being one who is usually intrigued by Malaysian-style Curry Noodle offerings, we found ourselves going for the Roast Pork, Char Siew Curry Noodle. For our order, we went with the Small-sized bowl, going for the Yellow Noodle option though patrons do get a choice to opt for Mee Kia, Mee Pok, Kway Teow, Thick Bee Hoon and Bee Hoon depending on their preferences. We also added Pig Skin for our order which was being charged at an additional dollar on top of the basic price of the Roast Pork, Char Siew Curry Noodle. 36 Wishes does not describe the elements that come with their various dishes, though it could be observed from our order that the Roast Pork, Char Siew Curry Noodle features elements like Roast Pork, Curry Noodle, Crispy Wanton Skin, Long Beans, and Tofu Puffs. One thing we liked about the Roast Pork, Char Siew Curry Noodle was how the curry gravy was very easy to consume; whilst coming with a strong hint of curry spices, we liked how it didn’t feel particularly greasy or laden with coconut milk — the result was a broth that was packed with flavour but without being cloying or too “lemak”. The level rosiness for the curry broth is pretty manageable for those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness. The yellow noodles was springy and came with a good bite and a slight alkaline-y note that quite complimented the curry gravy, while the roast pork and char siew came on the leaner side of things — slightly pedestrian but still more palatable than some others that we have had from certain stalls serving up Hong Kong-style roast meats around. The long beans added a crunch factor, while the tofu puffs absorbs the curry broth like a sponge for that flavour bomb that happens as one chews into it; the crispy wanton skin also being crackling crisp unless one chooses to excessively soak it with the curry gravy before consumption.