Ji Sheng Traditional Wanton Mee – A Hidden Gem in Tampines West’s Industrial Area

Tucked away in the middle of an industrial park in Tampines West is Ji Sheng Traditional Wanton Noodle. While the location is a little inaccessible, you might find the walk along the quiet roads down into the industrial area therapeutic.  The unassuming wanton mee stall sits in a canteen, and the chef used to sell the same items at Albert Food Centre.

I got the Wanton Noodle ($3.50) and Wanton and Dumpling Noodle ($5), both in the dry version. I was honestly quite curious how a plate of traditional wanton noodle would look like and what’s the difference between this traditional rendition, and the ones that I had covered previously.

While I cannot define what a bowl of traditional wanton noodles consists of, my idea of it is a no-frills and simple bowl of noodles. Well, I was not wrong as the presentation of the wanton mee didn’t give me any surprises.

First up, the Wanton Noodle. The first thing I noticed about it was a strong fragrance of oyster sauce and sesame oil while I was tossing the noodles. Even though chilli was added, the aroma of the oyster sauce and sesame oil mix was still overpowering. This intrigued me as I’ve never come across a wanton mee with these two sauces. The only time when I ate this mix was when my mother cooked plain noodles and these two came into play, with tomato and chilli sauce to hype it up.

I felt that the sauces made the noodles extra flavourful, and carried a taste of “home”. If you’re able to handle spice, I would recommend adding chilli to it. Although it was a little too spicy for me as the chilli was quite potent.

The noodles were not al dente but I think that the texture was just right. The slight sogginess gave an old school vibe (as in, 古早味) to the entire dish. Another factor that made this dish a little more nostalgic was the char siew. It was not exactly the best char siew, but it was acceptable and not dry.

Unfortunately, they ran out of fried wanton, so I was given more wantons in my soup bowl! The soup was not particularly flavoursome, as I believe it was just taken straight from the pot that was used to cook the noodles. It had a pale yellow tint and a distinct alkaline taste. What added to the “ki”taste was the wanton skin. On the first bite, there was an overwhelming alkaline taste and I felt that it was a tad too much.

The Wanton and Dumpling Noodles was pretty much the same as the wanton noodles, except with the addition of two dumplings. The dumpling also had the same overpowering alkaline taste in its skin. I’m guessing the fried wantons that were supposed to be in the other plate of noodles were shifted here since this was the more expensive item.

There is nothing to shout about, but it was a filling plate. The sauce bases used were the same as what were used in the other plate, and it would make a good lunch if you happen to have a bigger appetite.

All in all, I think it’s worth a try if you’re looking for an old school wanton mee. It could even be a pit stop for a little adventure around your neighbourhood (for the east siders). Although it’s Phase 2 Heightened Alert now, I sincerely hope that they can tide through this period.

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Ji Sheng Traditional Wanton Mee. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!