Neil Perry’s dish of the month

Chef Neil Perry shares his favourite meal of the month: bak chor mee from Singapore’s Tai Wah Pork Noodle.

Why I love it I can’t come to Singapore and not have this at least once – it’s probably the best SGD$6 (about $6.50) you’ll spend. Bak chor mee is a bowl of noodles – with or without soup – with a sauce of soy, black vinegar, chilli paste and a little broth, pork balls, minced pork, pork liver and wontons, all topped with shallots and crisp fried fish. My order is thin noodles, dry, with soup on the side, and I get the small bowl because there’s so much amazing food to try in Singapore. I love the chew of the noodles, the bouncy pork balls, the tenderness of the mince and the creaminess of the liver, finished with that hit of salty fish. The sweet, sour and hot balance is perfect.

The vibe

Tai Wah Pork Noodle is in a typical hawker centre so don’t expect air conditioning or anything fancy but do expect delicious food and queues – the longest are for this place and Outram Park Fried Kway Teow, which is opposite. Both stalls were awarded a Bib Gourmand in the 2018 Michelin Guide but the lines were there long before the honours. Third-generation hawkers Gerald and Jason Tang run Tai Wah and these guys work hard every day.

What else is on the menu

You have just two choices: bak chor mee with soup or dry. If you order it dry you also get a small bowl of soup on the side and thin or wide noodles. It comes in three sizes for SGD$6, SGD$8 or SGD$10 (about $6.50 to $10.80).

Goes well with

A super-cold Tiger beer is the best foil for the heat of the dish.

Where to get it

Hong Lim Market & Food Centre is on the edge of Chinatown and has 100-odd stalls serving just about everything you could want. It’s open from 7am to 9pm every day. I’m sure I’ve been there more than 20 times.

531A Upper Cross Street, Singapore; + 65 6225 5632