INSTAR Mie Pangsit
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Operating Hours : 6am - 3pm, 7 days a week except every 28th of the month
Conclusion : As John and others mentioned - Value for money!
Go for it.
Hearty meal (be it breakfast or lunch). His chilli-belachan version can be greasy for some. So tell him - less oily. (That's what he said!)
Went to the stall this morning. Guess I had that focused look on my face (like on a mission) and when I walked past the stall (to go into the coffeeshop) boss saw me and immediately asked me what I like, and I didn't even express I wanted to order from him yet. LOL. Very jovial guy, makes his noodles and sings at the same time
(Boss in the photo)
Ordered mee-gia for myself, and mee-pok for my partner.
He insisted to try the chilli (spicy) version instead of non-chilli. OK.
RP 21K per serving
In terms of flavor, MOMO and INSTAR can't be compared - totally different. MOMO's Medan chinese version (no ketchup/chili in the noodles), whilst INSTAR's the indigenous singapore-chinese version (relies on the custom ketchup sauce or chilli-belachan already in the noodle-mix for the flavor). So cannot compare.
Personally I am not a fan of ketchup/chilli sauce already in the noodle, because I won't be able to taste what's in the noodles due to over-powering flavors brought on by the ketchup and even more so by the chili(sambal belachan).
The mee-gia is "Q", but the mee-pok unfortunately is not - it was soft. Either they're of different makes, or, his mee-gia is a best-seller by a big margin as he instinctively knows when to stop cooking the mee-gia to hit that "Q"-spot. Hand-to-God, MOMO's noodles are definitely more "Q" and chompy, and not sticky/clumpy when cold(er).
But
for RP21K with 3x fishball, 2x wanton, 1x meatball, mushroom slice, minced meat, char-siew, beansprouts, fish cake slices = I'm not complaining!
But there's one thing though - his chili-sambal contributed too much oil into the noodle - making us feel greasy inside (油膩). We had to order teh-O-gao to kill off that greasy feeling. It was a little sad for us to be honest. Otherwise it would have a complete ending.
Surprising thing was right after the meal, the boss came over to our table (we didn't initiate any communication) and asked us where we're from - and after which I told him about the greasiness (油膩) and that if not for the beansprouts in the noddles, we may not be able to finish our meal. He said "oh.. mmm ok next time, when u come - I will add less oil
". (That said, yet I know - from the noodle's texture - if he does add less oil - the noodles will surely stick/clump together.)
Side-note : The coffeeshop's kopi-susu is, (I know I will sound very condescending),
utterly shitty. The milk/carnation milk is poor quality and the coffee is over-bearingly strong. To lactose-intolerant people : be warned - you will sure lao-sai
Next stop - Bai Long Noodles (Thanks Nono for your directions!!)
Enjoy!