Dong Fang Kan Chia Mee 東方拉車麵
If there is anything that reminds me of my grandmother’s cooking, it would be thick yellow egg noodles in soup. I always thought it was just casual fare for the older generation and didn’t probe much into the name and history of it. It was only until I came across Dong Fang Kan Chia Mee, a stall that sells rickshaw noodles (拉车面), that my interest in this dish was piqued.
As it turns out, this dish was a staple for rickshaw pullers in the past as it was inexpensive and filling. Today, it is something that most of the older generation would know of while the young ones like myself simply eat without knowing much about its history. I would say that the rickshaw noodles of old can be likened to instant noodles of today.
The noodles were soft and broke apart easily when I bit into them . The humble bowl consists of a thick gooey soup and simple ingredients such as vegetables and some dried shrimps. The soup had a very alkaline taste which was derived from the egg noodles. I can foresee myself craving for this when I want something healthy and simple.
China Street Cooked Food Rickshaw Noodles @ Maxwell Market Food Centre Singapore 拉車麵
China Street Cooked Food Rickshaw Noodle is one of the last places in Singapore to taste this humble but historic heritage dish. It is the cheap sustenance that once powered the human drawn rickshaws that plied Tanjong Pagar and Kreta Ayer. The rickshaws were long gone but rickshaw noodles 拉車麵 and the nearby rickshaw depot building remain as reminders that early Singapore was founded on the bare, sweaty backs of our hardy pioneers.
China Street Cooked Food Rickshaw Noodle was founded by current owner Mdm Soh's mother Teo Aw Teow back in 1943. Mdm Teo's was one of about 5 back lane rickshaw noodles stalls serving rickshaw pullers around China Street. Mdm Teo sold rickshaw noodles at 2 cents a bowl then. China Street Cooked Food is the only rickshaw noodle stall left in Chinatown today - it moved from China Street to here in Maxwell Food Centre in 1986. Current owner Mdm Soh Poh Tee in her 80s now, started working at her mother's stall since she was 18 years old.
I asked Mdm Soh why she persisted in selling rickshaw noodles when almost every stall has already long closed. I was hoping expecting some overused pseudo heroic sound bite that goes along the lines of "preserving our cultural heritage, blah blah blah". But no, she and her helper (a relative) said there are still people who need affordable meals i.e. there is still a market for it. I appreciate their authenticity and candidness. Cheap sustenance for low income folks like the rickshaw pullers of old (my words).
Zhong Guo Jie Re Shi (Rickshaw Noodles) @ Maxwell Food Centre - Rickshaw Noodles At Only $1
It is almost impossible to find Rickshaw Noodles in Singapore anymore, a dish that is dated back to the early days of Singapore. Fortunately enough, 70 years old Madam Soh Pho Tee of Zhong Guo Jie Re Shi (Rickshaw Noodles) is still selling the heritage dish at her food stall at Maxwell Food Centre. The stall is first started by Madam Soh Pho Tee's mother back in 1943. This means the stall has a history of 73 years!
Madam Soh has recently raised the price of the Rickshaw Noodles from 80 cents to $1, due to increasing foodo cost. For a dollar, you get a bowl of piping hot yellow noodle that comes with dried shrimps and some sliver of greens and carrots, topped with fried shallots.
Besides the rickshaw noodles, the stall also sells Mee Sua, Fried Beehoon and Fried Kway Teow. All of these at only $1 too. The bowl of Mee Sua comes with pieces of mushroom, chicken and topped with fried shallot.
Start the Day Right with China Street Rickshaw Noodles 拉车面 In Maxwell Food Centre
Years ago, when I began working near the outskirts of the business district, a good friend of mine told me I had to go to this place for breakfast. She said that if I’m not ready to deal with what’s ahead of me for the day, I should start it right with a breakfast at this stall that sells rickshaw noodles at Maxwell Food Centre.
So what are rickshaw noodles? Also known as 拉车面, it was apparently a type of dish that was popular among the rickshaw pullers. Although the profession no longer exists, this dish has stood the test of time.
I still remember my first visit. Arriving at the stall, I saw a bustle of people working in perfect synchronisation within the small booth. They seem to have a system in place that looks to be an ideal model of efficiency. As the orders were placed and delivered without interruption, you sense waves of confidence flowing out like a river into the vast ocean. Instructions were sometimes barked by the auntie (stern, but not rude), who I assumed to be the owner, and the rest just react accordingly without batting an eyelid. Impressive!
China Street Rickshaw Noodle
Rickshaw noodle is the staple of the poor in the early days of Singapore. As its name suggest, it is so called because it was the popular food of rickshaw pullers half a century ago. The noodles are cheap and consist of variety of vegetables, meat and noodles cooked in a big pot. Today, it is rarely found in our rich metropolis but it represents a past of which our island state is built upon.
While it's not the most presentable looking dish around, it is wholesome goodness in a pot. When I first chanced upon the China Street Rickshaw Noodles stall at Maxwell Market, I was rather taken aback. The noodles look rather dubious. It was ran by little old ladies who may not look like the best chefs on earth. But as the saying goes, do not judge a book by its covers. This is one of the best breakfast places and comfort food that I have ever eaten. Once tried, forever hooked! The stall only opens in the morning and sells out just as lunch starts. It is also closed every Friday.
The Rickshaw Noodles comes in 2 options - mee sua and broad yellow noodles. My personal favourite is the mee sua and it's just 70 cents a bowl! Yes, just 70 cents! On top of that, you can pick a variety of ingredients to eat with your noodles, from deep fried tofu, mini spring rolls and ngoh hiong amongst others. You could also order a small plate of fried bee hoon to go along with your mee sua soup and dishes. And all that cost nothing over $2! Where can you still find that in CBD? The tradition of cheap wholesome stomach filling food still continues today.
China Street Rickshaw Noodles Review: All Noodles At $1 At This Hawker Stall In Chinatown
Since the noodles are so cheap, we decided to order all five listed on their menu. Unfortunately, they ran out of fried kway teow ($1/$1.50) so we were left with four.
This stall has been serving la che mian ($1/$1.50) since the early 40s. This dish comprises yellow noodles and a savoury anchovy broth. Though I’m not a big fan of yellow noodles, I found these noodles to be thicker and they didn’t leave an overly strong aftertaste. The noodles were on the softer side as they had been boiled for hours in the clear broth, soaking up all that soupy goodness. This also came with some vegetables and fried onions that added more flavour to the otherwise plain dish.
New 600-seater hawker centre with rickshaw noodles
It seems that the food scene at Bidadari is gradually improving. Barely a month after the recent opening of Tam Chiak Kopitiam, nearby residents now have an additional dining option with the official launch of Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre on 5 Sep 2024.
With 39 stalls and a seating capacity of 600, the L-shaped hawker centre is quite large. It is conveniently connected to the adjacent Woodleigh Mall by a link bridge. My colleague Rachel and I were a little overwhelmed by the number of food options available here (always a good problem to have).
I was curious when i saw the signage of White Lor Mee (#01-27). It’s actually another name for rickshaw noodles. Besides Lor Mee (S$6.50), the stall also features Stir-fried Flower Clams (S$12/S$16) and Prawn Roll (S$5 for 3 pieces, S$13 for 8 pieces).
