Getting every element right!
If you are a fan of wanton mee, then you have to visit Laifaba. It’s the only place I know where the owner-chef is truly obsessed with perfecting every element of the dish. Nearly everything is made in-house, except for the noodles and the wanton skin.
They roast their own char siu over a mix of wood and charcoal, freshly mince fresh pork for the wantons, and even use Japanese technology to achieve that perfectly springy noodle texture! I shall go into more of the nitty-gritty details later so that you can appreciate just how much thought and care has gone into perfecting this one dish!
Persistent Passionate Pursuit
Laifaba has been on my radar since I first met Royce in 2020, when he opened his wonton mee restaurant at Club Street. He had just returned from Melbourne, where he completed his Finance degree, but instead of slipping into a nicely pressed suit, he chose to don a dirty apron.
Not having any culinary background, he began his education with recipes handed down from his grandma. While I admired his passion, the food wasn’t quite good enough to blog about, so I offered him a few pointers and promised to return later.
A year later, I met Royce again when he had just moved to his current spot in an industrial estate in Bukit Batok. He had been tirelessly working on his dish, and had made a lot of improvements. I rated his wanton mee a 4.25/5 back then. It was very good but still lacked that one thing to make it exceptional.
It is so much so that it took me another few years before I revisited! I’m happy to report that after my latest visit, I’m bumping the rating up to 4.5/5 and would probably visit his place more regularly now for my wanton mee fix!
Amazing Roast Meats!
While Laifaba’s signature dish remains its wanton mee, I feel the restaurant has evolved into more of a specialty Cantonese roast establishment. Royce’s relentless pursuit of perfection is evident, and this time, I was blown away (and I seldom use this phrase) by his roast pork. The crackling is astonishingly light and crispy, with a crunch reminiscent of keropok!
Since my last visit, he has switched to using fresh Indonesian bu jian tian (armpit cut) instead of pork belly. Unlike belly, which comes in large slabs, bu jian tian is smaller, with just a single layer of fat and meat. The fat, though thick, is unbelievably delicate, melting effortlessly in your mouth. This is now my gold standard for roast pork! Even if you are not a fan of wanton mee, the trip to Bukit Batok just for the roast pork is well worth it! 4.6/5
The Char Siu at Laifaba is also top notch, ranking among the best I’ve had in Singapore. Once again, fresh bu jian tian is used, providing an excellent fat-to-meat ratio that keeps the meat irresistibly tender and juicy. Unlike some roast stalls that overcook their Char Siu to the point where the layers fall apart, Laifaba achieves the perfect texture—succulent yet well-structured.
That said, I feel the smoky flavor could be more pronounced, similar to some of the Char Siu I have tasted in Malaysia. 4.5/5
The duck is very good but still can be improved. I felt the skin could be more crispy and the seasoning could be more pronounced. Still, it is worth ordering if you are in the mood for roast duck. 4.25/5
Wanton Mee At A Different Level
The texture of the noodles is excellent —springy, tender, and pleasantly toothy, just the way we like them here. Unlike the firmer, more al dente egg noodles used in Hong Kong-style wanton mee, which I’ve always found a bit too firm, these noodles strike the perfect balance.
Royce achieves this by using a Japanese ramen noodle cooker and an ice bath to shock the noodles after the initial cooking stage. It’s a technique I haven’t seen elsewhere, but it works brilliantly! The sauce is flavourful, but I feel there’s still room for improvement to push it into truly addictive territory.
Their wantons, made with freshly minced pork, are well-executed but also fall just short of that irresistible quality. Each bowl of wanton mee includes both crispy and boiled wantons in a cloudy, flavorful soup, along with a lava egg on top. The egg is an interesting addition, but I don’t find it necessary.
Overall, this is an excellent bowl of wanton mee—closer in execution to premium Japanese ramen than a typical hawker center dish. At $12.80 per bowl, the price is well justified given the quality of ingredients and the fact that it’s served in a standalone restaurant. 4.5/5
They also make their own chilli sauce as well as pickled green chillies which can be found on every table. Again, it is a testament to Royce’s pursuit of the ultimate wanton mee! Cudos to him!
Modest but Comfortable Eatery
The restaurant is tucked away on the ground floor of an industrial building and exudes a homely charm. Royce has filled the space with nostalgic touches that evoke memories of a bygone era. The setup is rustic and slightly haphazard, reflecting the organic way it has come together on a modest budget, adding to its unpretentious appeal.
Conclusion
It’s truly exciting to find a Wanton Mee stall where the owner is dedicated to perfecting every detail! This kind of passion is exactly what we need to take our iconic hawker dishes to the next level. I need to highlight the Sio Bak again in case you missed it —Royce’s bu jian tian roast pork is worth the trip across the island to experience. It is very fat, but the level of crispiness on the pork rind is another level! 4.5/5
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