Face To Face Noodle House, the wildly popular noodle chain from Sarawak, Malaysia grew from its humble beginnings to spawn 30 outlets within Malaysia with plans for even more. Their handmade egg noodles were perfected by the founder’s great-grandfather with a technique from Hong Kong.
The noodle house is now in Singapore. However, don’t expect the noodles to be priced the same as the ones you get in Malaysia though. Due to higher operating costs, the bowls of noodles are marked up accordingly. But the more important question is – are the standard of the food just as good as it is in Malaysia?
Multigrain Soy Milk Drink (left) and Caramel 3 Layer Tea
To be honest, I was not expecting very much when I tried their Multigrain Soymilk (S$3.50) but it was so good I ended up stealing more than a few sips from my dining partner. Wholesome, nutritious and infused with 10 whole grains, I don’t know how I can see myself going back to the usual soy milk drinks after trying this. I would certainly like to pop by just to buy this as a takeaway. A pity the eatery is not situated in the most convenient of locations.
The Traditional Sarawak Noodles is one of the most popular dishes.
The Caramel 3 Layer Tea (S$4.50) wasn’t as impressive because I found it too sweet. However, it makes for a great drink on a warm day. If you like your drinks on the sweet side, you’ll probably enjoy this.
Now, on to the mains. One bite of the Traditional Sarawak Noodles (S$8.90) and my dining partner said now he knew why these were so popular. The noodles were pleasantly fine and springy while the minced pork was savoury and flavourful. It also came with fried wantons and thick cuts of char siew.
I went for the Hot and Spicy Pan Mee (S$8.90) because I like my noodles with a bit of kick. The dry chilli that came with it had just the right amount of heat and the ikan bilis was delightfully salty and crunchy. After mixing well, the soft-boiled egg coated everything and added a certain subtle richness to the bowl. This is a dish I’d happily order again.
Go for the Hot and Spicy Pan Mee if you like your noodles with a bit of kick.
The Genki Herbal Chicken Soup Pan Mee (S$12.90) came with a generous hunk of chicken, enoki mushrooms and various herbs and vegetables. I can see myself craving this on rainy days and on days when I’m feeling under the weather. It was wonderfully nourishing and tasty, and the soup was extraordinarily good, chock full of good stuff like cordyceps and goji berries. The noodles were a little clumpy as I neglected to break them up with my chopsticks after they arrived. If you are planning to take photos before you eat, it would be a good idea to snap your pictures quickly.
The Genki Herbal Chicken Soup Pan Mee comes with lots of herbal goodness like cordyceps.
Overall it’s easy to see why these noodles are so successful in their home country. As incredibly delicious and satisfying as they are, I can’t help but wish their meat to noodle ratio is fine-tuned a bit more in some of the dry dishes. I don’t know if it’s because I ordered the thicker noodles to go with my Hot and Spicy Pan Mee but I mostly felt like I was getting too much noodle and not enough meat with every mouthful. My dining partner had no complaints though so maybe it’s just me.
I tend to order more ingredients whenever I dine at hawker centres to get the ratio I want so maybe that’s why I’m more used to a bowl with more meat. If Face To Face Noodle House allows this practice, it would be perfect. That little gripe aside, I loved the dishes and I’m already making plans to come back.
Face to Face Noodle House
180 Kitchener Road, City Square Mall Level 2
Singapore 208539
Tel: +65 6595 6595
Opening hours: 11am – 10pm
