Mei Jing Sabah Sandakan Fried Pork Noodle 美景沙巴山打根炸肉面 (Hong Lim Market & Food Centre)

For those whom have been following the happenings in the Singapore F&B scene for the last year, the mention of the opening of Mei Jing Sabah Sandakan Fried Pork Noodle 美景沙巴山打根炸肉面 is perhaps one that some might be familiar with. While these folks have been mentioned on some social media outlets during their time at Whampoa Makan Place some time last year, these folks had closed their doors around end of 2024 at that location. Mei Jing Sabah Sandakan Fried Pork Noodle has recently made their comeback to the local F&B scene in mid-Jan 2025 however; this time at a brand new location at Hong Lim Complex Food Centre, these folks occupy a fairly prominent stall unit that is located at the upper floor of the food centre — one can find Mei Jing Sabah Sandakan Fried Pork Noodle located in the same stretch of stalls where Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff Original, Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff and the outlet of SLII Muffin there. The stall’s signboard at Hong Lim is still rather reminiscent to the signboard that was being used during their time ar Whampoa Makan Place, though the signboard now sports a yellow background rather than the red background as it did in the past. Still sticking to their specialty in serving up fried pork noodles, the menu of Mei Jing Sabah Sandakan Fried Pork Noodle at its Hong Lim location does feature similar items as it did during its time at Whampoa; albeit with some differences in its naming convention — think Pork Trio Noodle (previously Signature Noodle), and Danggui Mushroom Chicken Feet Noodle (previously Mushroom Chicken Feet Noodle). A notable new addition to the menu at Hong Lim would be the Fried Chicken Cutlet Noodle, while they also do carry a range of rice bowl dishes for those whom prefer having rice over noodles.

Skimming through the menu on the items which Mei Jing Sabah Sandakan Fried Pork Noodle has to offer on its menu, the Pork Trio Noodle stood out since this was essentially the best way to try out a variety of its offerings in one seating. The menu describes the Pork Trio Noodle to come with Fried Pork Belly, Pork Belly and Pork Ribs; the Pork Trio Noodle also comes with an option of being a dry noodle dish or a soup noodle dish — we went for the dry version for our order, and also added on a Braised Egg as well. The Pork Trio Noodle does come topped with quite a good portion of meat; all above a pretty generous serving of egg noodles that is more than what one would expect when it comes to a Wanton Noodle dish. The noodles in the Pork Trio Noodle also does come tossed in a braised sauce, of which patrons can also specify if they would like to have it spicy or non-spicy. Giving the noodles a little bit of a toss, we did note that the noodles does come pretty springy; the consistency being fairly similar to those that one would expect out of a nicely-done plate of wanton noodles — the noodles also seem to have also absorbed the flavours of the braising liquid that it was tossed in which carried quite a bit of complexity in its flavour being a little sweet amidst the deep, savoury notes that one would expect out of braised dishes. Opting for spiciness for our bowl of noodles, we do note that light kick of spiciness from the chili that should be pretty manageable even for those whom are tolerable to a less than moderate level of spiciness.

Mei Jing Sabah Sandakan Fried Pork Noodle prides itself heavily on its fried pork; after all, the establishment is one that is opened by a subsequent generation of the owner of Restoran Beautiful View in Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia — the owner of Mei Jing Sabah Sandakan Fried Pork Noodle wanting to preserve the legacy of what his grandfather had started in 1972. The fried pork here does come with a very prominent hint of umami-ness from the use of fermented beancurd in the marination process; one can also point out the slightly pinkish hue of the meat as well — the fried batter on the outside being light, thin and crisp, while the meat inside comes with that umami note without carrying an undesirable porky stench nor being greasy as well. That being said, the batter does seem to absorb the braising liquid that the noodles were tossed in and thus works better when had immediately rather than having it sitting around in the bowl for too long. The pork belly comes in the format of diced cubes of pork much to the local-style of the braised pork rice that some stalls serve up here; there is a mix of fattier cuts mixed with lean meat — both of which having absorbed the flavours of the braising liquid. The fattier cuts provide a melt-in-the-mouth texture with a deeper, sweeter and savoury from the absorption of the braised liquid, while the lean meat does provide a bit more bite — the best of both worlds. The pork rib also deserves the mention for how immensely moist and tender the meat is; the flesh coming off from the cartilage so easily — also absorbed the flavours of the braising liquid fully and was really enjoyable to have to say the least. The braised egg is a good-to-have but offers no surprises; one that comes with a fully-cooked yolk, while the stalks of greens on the side gives a refreshing crunch to provide the balance against the noodles and meat. Prices of the various rice and noodle offerings at Mei Jing Sabah Sandakan Fried Pork Noodle are pretty wallet-friendly; the lowest-priced item being the Danggui Mushroom Chicken Feet Noodle that is priced at $3.80, while the priciest would be the Pork Trio Noodle / Rice listed at $5.80. Hong Lim Complex Food Centre is one of those hawker centres that has a lot for one to explore, but we do think that Mei Jing Sabah Sandakan Fried Pork Noodle is one to return to if we are craving for some Sandakan-style fried pork noodles on a day whilst being in office.