It was serendipity that Nam Seng moved from the CBD where I used to work to Toa Payoh, where I work now. Having patronised them at their previous location but having never tried their famed wanton mee, it was only natural I ordered myself the large portion.
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No ragrets because it's exactly the style I like - firm, springy noodles in a light brown sauce, plenty of fatty char siew, blanched greens and a bowl of wanton soup at the side. The dumplings were plump and had a good ratio of pork to prawn, all wrapped in a thin, translucent skin. Last but not least, there's free-flowing freshly fried lardons for you to pile onto the noodz to your heart's content.
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Taste: 3.5/5
Nam Seng Wanton Noodle
Read more: https://www.misstamchiak.com/nam-seng-wanton-noodles-toa-payoh/
Nam Seng Wanton Noodle shouldn’t be any unfamiliar name to most for those who actively seek out places to eat at — having started since 1958, the wanton mee establishment had moved from its former locations at the old National Library to its more recent space at China Street; they have moved out from the former space due to “tenancy issues”. They have since found a new space within Cafe New Asia by Che Kitchen 车老板 at Blk 1008A Toa Payoh North — a short walk from Braddell MRT Station. While the face of the stall is the iconic 92 year old lady that has made quite a few appearances on photos and social media, it is said that she would only be in during the morning; also of particular note is that this stall is a franchise of the original as well.
Can’t really speak of how different the Wanton Noodle (Dry) is currently from how it used to be when they were at China Street since I hadn’t managed to head down there before their closure — that being said, there are several differences that are especially noticeable such as the Char Siew and the vegetables included; also of particular note is how the wantons are served out of the soup rather than in the soup as it was in the past based on previous photos. The Wanton Noodles (Dry) here shines where the sauce is concerned; it bears a striking resemblance to that of Thai-style wanton noodles — a lightly savoury sauce that isn’t as heavy as the Malaysian-style or local-style wanton noodles that really goes together with the springy noodles that comes with a good bite. The wantons are actually pretty well packed with meat, though the change of the type of Char Siew would be the main catch — gone were the days of the generic, lean and somewhat dyed Char Siew that they seemed to have use previously. Instead, the Char Siew that accompanies the Wanton Noodles (Dry) now are more fatty and chunky; definitely nothing close to those of Malaysian-style Char Siew with a glistening glaze and absolutely gelatinous meat, but one which we found to be a more thoughtful touch overall. The choice of Nai Bai to be served with their wanton noodles may seem a little strange since it isn’t something one would expect to accompany a dish like that, but it delivers by providing a refreshing crunch amidst the other items going on in the plate. The soup is actually pretty flavourful, yet rather clean tasting.
Given how Nam Seng is currently situated within the premises of another operator that primarily serves tzechar, service can get a little confusing here — patrons are supposed to grab a seat first and then queue at the counter to make their order whilst mentioning the table number that they are seated at; the staff will then bring the item to the table once it has been prepared. As they are still pretty new in it’s operations (they had only started on 1 April 2022), they are also currently only serving Wanton Noodles (Dry) and Wanton Noodles (Soup) — just something to note for those who intends to make their visit. While I can’t vouch for how their food now compares to the time when they were at China Street, I would say the current rendition of Nam Seng’s Wanton Mee (Dry) is pretty much my jam — this is considering how I am quite a fan of Thai-style wanton noodles — something which I might make a visit again. Do also note that while they are listed to open from 8am to 6pm, they are open till sold out; they were out of noodles at 11:30am during the weekday which we made our visit.
This long-running cafe run by a gregarious Cantonese granny is more well-known for its wanton mee than its fried rice, so I thought I’d try the latter. Sadly it’s nothing to shout about and the portion wasn’t very filling either.
Taste: 2.5/5
What I hate most about eating wanton mee is the alkaline noodles. I tend to avoid wanton mee even though I really like the dish on the whole, but sometimes the alkaline noodles are really overpowering! If you’re like me, then you’d like Nam Seng’s noodles.
Sold by the iconic founder (I believe), the old granny takes the orders and shouts it across to the chefs cooking the orders. The queue gets long quickly, but food is served fast too. I waited around 5 mins for my order and it was ready!
Noodles were al dente and soaked in the blissful, oily sauce of the soy sauce chicken. It was a WHOLE thigh! Definitely very generous and I’ll be back for more. Readers might also be happy to know that I packed this and took a 30 min journey on a cab home.
P.S. the bones in the chicken thigh was a bit annoying, but for $5 only, let’s not complain 🤪
Located at 25 China Square Street, Far East Square #01-01 Singapore 049567. Nam Seng Venison Hor Fan, $6. Always top on my list for one of the yummiest Venison hor fan around! Thin, smooth, silky soft and dark color hor fan fully soaked in the thick, savoury gravy! They are very generous in their Venison meat, it seems endless as we eat🤣.. Venison meat is very very tender and it fully absorbed the fragrant gravy, making it so juicy! We finished every bit of it, not letting go of even the last mouthful of gravy! Be prepared to Q patiently during weekday lunch time, it’s all worth it! #hungryunicornsg #namseng #namsengnoodles #venisonhorfun #venison #horfan
Noodles are al dente. The way I like them to be.
like the background of the shop the most. :) and the old Aunty who seems to be holding the forte :)
Located at Far East Square, 25 China Street, #01-01 Singapore 049567. One of my favourite Wanton Mee! Springy noodles, lightly salted sauce(not the typical black sauce), flavorful char siew and wanton! Craving satisfied✔️ Do also say Hello to the friendly old Cantonese aunty at the counter too! She looks fierce but she’s actually very friendly! #hungryunicornsg #namseng #namsengnoodles #wantonmee #wantonnoodles
Glad it has its strong force of followers though!
Madam Leong 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
She was there at 8am just now👍🏻
After satisfied myself with auntie’s wanton noodle and fried rice, I decided ti come back once again to try her another signature item, the vernison hor fun. Rich in flavour and taste great! $5
This dumpling (水饺) at #NamSeng is the best kept secret from this 40 year old noodle stall. The reason is because it's gone before the lunchtime crowd could descend here. Each handmade dumpling is packed with the goodness of water chestnut, minced meat and prawn.
My first visit here I was having their Wanton Noodle, so I decided to come back again for their fried rice. Unfortunately the rice was not really well cooked and it taste like my plate of fried rice was already prepared for something.
Perhaps I should continue order their Wanton Noodle for my next visit.
Super in Love with their Wanton Noodles and also Venison Hor Fan ($5)! Slurppppssss! They open as early as 8am and close at 7pm on Mon-Fri. Sat: 8am-2pm and closed on Sundays! Firstly the Hor fan is dark brown so alrdy plus! Hard to find dark brown thin Hor Fan nowadays...also it's so smooth and u can slurpppps it in! Venison is Super Sofy and tender, not tough at all!! Gravy is DANN SHIOK!!! $5 is portion is quite big for me so can share for 2 pax! Super Super delicious Venison Hor Fan!! If you are a Hor Fan or Venison lover, you have to try this!!!! And you will get hooked to it!! ITS SUPER GOOD! #namsengnoodles #namseng #venisonhorfun #horfan #venison
At $5 a plate, this plate of fried rice is considered to be affordable in the CBD. The portion is sufficient for one, with heaps of rice, a handful of prawns and one runny sunny side up. But it lacks wok hei, which naturally made it just pretty average.
I was told that this Venison Hor Fun ($5) is the best thing on the menu here. If it is indeed the star product, then you're better off having the dish elsewhere. The noodles were chewy, sauce was just right, but it lacked wok hei, which I personally feel is the most important part of a good plate of hor fun. I guess it's only saving grace is the huge portion of tender beef slices.
The Wanton Noodle here evokes a sense of nostalgia. The egg noodles are cooked to a very springy texture and have a good bite.
Read more: https://www.misstamchiak.com/nam-seng-noodles/
This venison horfun is really tasty: the venison was lean yet tender, the horfun, well cooked. The gravy was simply yummy. SGD 5 is a steal!
I have been eating this wanton mee since I was an art director in BBDO when the agency was located in Far East Square. During those days, it was easily my favourite dish to have for breakfast. At one stage, I ate it almost everyday. Sadly, I don't feel the same way about this wanton mee anymore.
When I had it this morning, the noodles tasted really alkaline while the slices of "cha siew" were dry and bordered on tasteless. I couldn't drink more than a spoon of the soup either as it was too salty.
Left the place with disappointment weighing me down.
Old school wanton mee, venison & seafood horfun that was simple but had a sort of homecooked-comfort. My seafood horfun was served generously with fish and prawn, and the horfun itself was more flavourful while for the venison horfun, the gravy was flavourful but my friend didn't like how clumpy and bland the horfun was to balance the tasty dark gravy.
With a big print-out of Madam Leong’s face and seeing the lady in action at the stall shouting orders in Cantonese, my colleague brought me to Nam Seng located at Far East Square for a good plate of noodles. Instead of trying the popular Nam Seng Wanton Mee and Venison Horfun, which I could spot on almost everyone’s table, I ordered the seemingly plain Seafood Horfun. Served with thick slices of fish and shrimps, the kway teow might lack a little of the wok-hei aroma but the thin strips coated with the clear gravy was silky smooth and so easy to slurp down. I also major love that the shrimps were plump, fresh and most importantly peeled. Simple and comforting flavours, I still find myself thinking about the horfun and going back to try other items on the menu, days after the visit.
