Fei Gong Cart Noodles in Marine Parade
Travelling to Hong Kong is finally possible, but having to undergo quarantine and a testing regime makes it quite a hassle to do so. If you can’t wait to slurp down a bowl of cart noodles, visit Fei Gong Cart Noodles in Marine Parade, which allows you to customise your bowl with as many ingredients as you wish.
Strictly speaking, these noodles cannot be classified as “cai png” because there’s no rice involved, but you get my point.
Food at Fei Gong Cart Noodles
Like a kid in a candy shop, I had to exercise a great deal of restraint in order to not go overboard when choosing my ingredients.
I decided to start with Fei Gong Cart Noodles’ Thin Egg Noodles ($1.50), and chose the Beef Brisket ($2.50), Pig Intestines ($2), and Pork Ears ($1.50) to go along with it. My mum would chew my ear off if I have a meal without greens, so I also added a side of lettuce ($1) with the original broth.
My colleague and I were most intrigued by the pork ears, so we had that first. Chewy and gelatinous, the pieces were well-marinated and lent a great texture to the bowl of noodles.
The beef brisket was also remarkably tender and had a strong beefy aroma. I loved that it came attached with fatty bits, but if that’s not what you like, this would probably not be suited for you.
I’ve reviewed pork intestines multiple times now, and I’ve always been lucky enough to not come across poorly-cleaned ones. The intestines here at Fei Gong Cart Noodles were no exception to my experience thus far. They were savoury, but my only gripe with them was that they were a little too soft for my liking.
Perhaps it was due to how long they had been sitting in the broth, the Thin Egg Noodles were less al dente than I had expected. The noodles had seemed quite bouncy, but alas, were a tad mushy when I bit into them. Nonetheless, I was still pretty satisfied as the portion was substantial.
When I tasted the soup, I was instantly impressed by how clean and light the broth was on my palate. This was unfortunately marred by the mala chilli that the stall attendant had recommended I add. Although it made the broth spicier and more savoury as promised, it also left a noticeable mala flavour that clashed with the beef broth.
Other than having your noodles in soup or dry form, you can also have them in curry. I went with Hokkien Noodles ($1.50) in curry sauce, and topped them with Curry Squid ($1), Curry Fishball ($1), Chicken Mid-Joint Wings ($1.50), Mushrooms ($1.50) and Kang Kong ($1).
I must confess, when I chose to have my Hokkien Noodles with curry, I thought it would be like Singaporean-style curry noodles. I was certainly not expecting the gravy to be diluted with the same clear beef broth. Though this did not lighten its shockingly red hue, it did mean that the curry was not as rich as I would have liked.
The Hokkien Noodles did not suffer from the same fate as the Thin Egg Noodles, and still retained much of its chew.
Moving on to the liao, I first tried the Curry Squid—which is a misnomer as it was actually cuttlefish. The pieces of cuttlefish were QQ, but didn’t have much flavour beyond a tinge of spiciness.
This was also the case with the Curry Fishball.
On the other hand, the Mushrooms were packed with flavour. Just like the other braised ingredients, they carried a light saltiness, and also had an earthy flavour.
For $1.50, you get two pieces of Chicken Mid-Joint Wings. Though small, the chicken wings were tender and yielded more meat than I expected. I would have preferred if the chicken wings were braised longer, so that more umami flavour would be imparted into the wings, but that’s a minor improvement to be had.
Add kang kong to your noodles if you want some greens, as they provide a crunchy texture in contrast with the other ingredients.
We also ordered a plate of Chicken Feet ($3) as a side dish, but you can choose to add them to your noodles for $1.50 a pair. Given that many stalls charge $1 a pop, I thought that Fei Gong Cart Noodles’ chicken feet were of great value. The chicken feet were savoury and meaty, and my colleague and I polished them off in no time.
Ambience at Fei Gong Cart Noodles
I’ve always wondered why I rarely visit the East, even though it has all the best food in Singapore. Then I remembered how out-of-the-way most places are.
Case in point: not only do you have to take a bus from Dakota MRT Station, you have to walk for another five minutes before you arrive at Fei Gong Cart Noodles.
The coffeeshop is unmissable—located next to a sculpture of an octopus. It’s well-ventilated and sheltered from the elements. However, perhaps it was just our luck that day, but we were plagued by houseflies throughout the duration of our shoot.
The verdict
Given its inaccessible location, I doubt that I would visit Fei Gong Cart Noodles often. The novelty of cai png-style cart noodles wears off quickly, when you realise that the noodles can get quite pricey if you order multiple ingredients—just like with economic rice.
If you do live nearby though, the braised items such as beef brisket and chicken feet are quite delicious, and worth ordering as side dishes.
For more Hong Kong-style noodles, check out Chef Kin HK Wanton Noodle with five locations islandwide! Adventurous foodies should visit Banh Mi Sai Gon in Ang Mo Kio for their pork offals banh mi.
Address: 80 Marine Parade Central, #01-770, Delight Gourmet, Singapore 440080
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 9pm
Website
Fei Gong Cart Noodles is not a halal-certified eatery.
Banh Mi Sai Gon Review: 123 Year-Old Banh Mi Recipe With Pig’s Ear Filling And More
Photos taken by Zadelin Wong.
This was an independent review by Eatbook.sg
The post Fei Gong Cart Noodles Review: Cai Png-Style Hong Kong Cart Noodles With Over 20 Ingredients To Choose From appeared first on EatBook.sg – Singapore Food Guide And Review Site.
