Famous Eunos BCM Bak Chor Mee. 100 Years of Soup Minced Pork Noodles in Singapore

Today, I stuffed myself with delicious Famous Eunos Bak Chor Mee and listened in rapture about minced pork noodle's one hundred year history in Singapore. (I got more research to do, but here's the first instalment.)Ler Jie Wei, the fifth generation of Hunchback bak chor mee now runs Famous Eunos Bak Chor Mee at Hong Lee coffee shop at Blk 7, Eunos Crescent just steps from Eunos MRT station.Jie Wei left his banking career to start Famous Eunos Bak Chor Mee because he felt the duty to carry on his great-great grandfather's legacy. He was so kind and patient, and even drew charts to explain his family's five generation bak chor mee history to this curious ah pek blogger.Over 100 years ago, Jie Wei's great-great grandfather 陈联福 whose hometown was in Zhao'an county in China's Fujian province moved to Chaozhou city in Guangdong province. There 陈联福 learnt the craft and became a bak chor mee 肉挫面 hawker.In the 1920s, 陈联福 joined thousands of his compatriots to jump on a boat to Singapore. In Singapore, he sold his bak chor mee carrying his kitchen, charcoal stove and food on a bamboo pole slung across his shoulders and walked around Kampung Chai Chee near where he lived. (Image of street hawker courtesy of NAS.)The heavy burden on 陈联福's back caused it to bend and his mobile stall became known as "Hunchback noodles". 陈联福's soup style noodles was very popular and today five generations on, there are eleven bak chor mee stalls scattered around Chai Chee, Tampines and Bedok which are operated by his descendants or their former workers.Jie Wei's Famous Eunos Bak Chor Mee stall still sells his great-great grandfather 陈联福's humble legacy soup bak chor mee.陈联福's legacy bak chor mee is literally that - minced pork and noodles in pork bone soup.There's dumplings but they are really just more minced pork wrapped in wanton skin.Then, of course, the noodles. The slender noodles were tender crunchy to the bite. They were made to specification by a noodle maker partner who makes noodles for all of 陈联福 related bak chor mee stalls since the 1950s. (Before that, 陈联福 bak chor mee stalls all make their own noodles - the men ran the stalls and ladies hand made the noodles at home.)Everything together, it is a Singapore style bak chor mee that has kept fans loyal and happy for a century.The blanched minced pork made with fresh Indonesian pork settled at the bottom of the bowl of pork bone soup added natural sweetness to the savoury clear soup. The slender proprietary noodles added a layer of saltiness to the savoury sweet blend.Aromatic garlic oil and flavoursome caramelised fried garlic added yet another savoury layer to the dish. Laced with lard and lard cracklings, the addictive umami savoury trap of 陈联福's bak chor mee is laid. If that is not enough, you can dust in a dash of white pepper powder for a bit of heat. 陈联福's legacy bak chor mee comes only in soup version but Jie Wei's grandmother came up with a "dry" version in response to popular demand.Woo... la... la... I love this dry bak chor mee.It's the same minced pork, minced pork dumplings and noodles (I asked for mee pok this time). The noodles were tossed in caramelised garlic, sambal chili, fish sauce, vinegar, lard, and lard cracklings.For dry noodles, I like the sauce to pack a punch and a kick, and Famous Eunos' dry bak chor mee really has it.If not enough, they are generous in obliging crazy spicy and umami fiends.Jie Wei even obliged my request to see the Teochew fish sauce and vinegar he uses.Both the soup and dry versions of Famous Eunos Bak Chor Mee are excellent. For me, the dry version which is served together with pork bone and minced meat soup gives me the best of both worlds.I will be eating my way through the 11 陈联福 legacy, soup type bak chor mee stalls in Chai Chee, Tampines and Bedok.

oh.., I did write something about Bedok 85 Fengshan Xing Ji Bak Chor Mee back in 2015. The stall owner is one of 陈联福's descendants.

Restaurant name: Famous Eunos Bak Chor Mee 友诺士肉脞面Address: Block 7 Eunos Crescent, Singapore 400007 (inside Hong Lee coffee shop, steps from Eunos MRT station)Tel: 8100 6553Hours: 6:00am - 7:30pm Date visited: 14 Oct 2020