Geylang Lorong 29 Charcoal Fried Hokkien Mee

As someone who’s a genuine fan of Fried Hokkien Mee, I rarely leave disappointed. People who know me know that I’m not a fussy or picky eater—I enjoy and appreciate good hawker fare for what it is. That’s why my visit to Geylang Lorong 29 Charcoal Fried Hokkien Mee was such a letdown. I came with high expectations, especially after seeing the long-standing reputation and numerous food awards this stall has received. But what I got was, honestly, the most disappointing plate of Hokkien Mee I’ve ever had. The noodles were flat and flavorless, with none of the rich, savory depth or smoky wok hei that defines a good plate of Hokkien Mee. To make it worse, I added their chilli not once, not twice, but four times—and still, there was no heat, no kick, no flavor boost. Just bland on bland. I’m genuinely puzzled how this stall continues to receive accolades. From my experience, it felt like it was all hype with none of the substance. There are plenty of lesser-known hawkers across Singapore who serve far better Hokkien Mee—without the awards, but with real taste.

Went one day and the stall wasn't ready for orders at 12. Went another day and at 12.10 it was in full swing. Naturally ordered their signature Hokkien mee. Shocked that it was ready in 30 seconds! It was good. Very good. Nice smokey undertones. The chili added oomph without too much heat. Look forward to trying the other dishes. Didn't experience the rudeness the staff are famous for!

Came by for late lunch. No queue at this location. Ordered $6 portion. You get medium small prawns, squids and pork lard bits. This version leans towards the dry style. Noodles flavours are average, i do see lots of char bits, from the wok or charcoal? The wok hei is pretty low compared to what is on the plate. Prawns and squid are average. I don't quite get the purpose of the chilli, more like for ikan bakar than HKM.

In general, online reviews have been unforgiving with this store and their franchises. Especially in the Hokkien Mee Facebook group in Singapore. Ever since the senior hawker, Mr Alex See passed on, the flavour had since been lost as many described. Nonetheless I had a foreign guest and Swee Guan was closed on a Wednesday, no other better choice since my guest wanted a Hokkien Mee near the airport at this hour, so we dropped by. Given our noods after a short wait, I seriously doubt this rude young son-in-law (we were shouted at during hesitant ordering for no particular reasons, their last plates apparently) has any real passion for the traditional dish rather than simply leeching on a brand name for gains. Not much wok hei, a very mediocre offering and nothing close to what I remembered when the old hawker was around. You have to put a gun to my head to come back.

Had this sometime last year and it was good, yesterday it's pretty subpar in taste. Despite it's subpar taste recently compared to the better taste in the past, it's better than a lot of "popular" and "authentic" Hokkien Prawn Mee stalls and shops out there.

First, the place is quite clean for a typical coffeeshop setting, which was a pleasant surprise. As for the food, the Hokkien Mee does have that signature wok hei taste, which gives it a nice smoky aroma. However, the portion of chilli provided was really disappointing. The chilli is usually the highlight that complements the noodles, but the amount given was so little that it didn’t enhance the dish much. On the other hand, I absolutely do NOT recommend the oyster omelette. The oysters were not fresh at all, and the dish was completely bland. There was no seasoning or flavour to speak of, making it a huge letdown. Overall, I’d give this place a 5/10. It might be worth a visit if you’re specifically craving wok hei Hokkien Mee, but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it.

Geylang Lor 29 Hokkien Mee used to be great under the original owner who has since passed on. The mantle fell on his daughter and son-in-law. But it's not always the same person cooking. Not sure if they still use charcoal as fire source. Saw their latest cooking, I highly doubt it. Any source of work hei is not the genuine original wok hei but is a poor substitute. I believe the use 'charcoal oil' as a shortcut to get the 'wok hei' flavour. The overall noodle quantity is slightly lacking for $20 but the ingredients like prawns are reasonable but not as generous as before. Attitude of every staff at the store sucks. Stuck up and snooty! I think everyone can patronize somewhere else and let them close down. 👎👎

My second time giving them a chance and it has proven to be even worse experience than the first time. The young chef said he has started cleaning up alrdy but he has some packets pre-packed that is not sold yet. So ok, I said I will take one. While making payment via PayNow, he asked me to give tips. I asked him “why should I give tips?” I’m taking away a packet of pre-packed Hokkien Mee which I don’t even know how long ago it was fried. He replied that oh hawkers have it difficult, so just give some tips. WTH?! When I opened the packet, i immediately smelt the chao tar-ness. It doesn’t look like it is but the Chao Tar smell was strong. When you eat it, the KM is bland and you taste the Chao Tar even more. I asked two friends to try cos maybe it’s me right. They had the same feedback. Goodness, thank god I did not give him any tips! It is the worst packet of Hokkien Mee I have ever eaten in Singapore. Let’s see how long the previous good reputation will last you. Last time I will ever order anything from this stall. Cannot cook and no business PR. You deserve it when you said that business is bad. Instead of blaming the economy and your customers, maybe you should reflect on yourself and what you dish out to your customers.