Nam Seng Noodle House

To be honest, I'm not too taken by Nam Seng Noodle House's Singapore version of Cantonese wonton noodles. I prefer the version that has thinner noodles which are curlier, and more QQ. I can't appreciate Nam Seng's sauce which leans towards the sweet side. I prefer something salty. But the stall's wontons and shrimp dumplings are good. I like its gentle usage of minced pork and the generous sprinkling of water chestnuts. I don't mind its char siew since it's the lean sort and not the fatty type. But it's pork, so I try to palm off as much of it as possible to fellow dining companions. I really only go for noodles only when I eat wonton noodles. I eat here because of Madam Leong Yuet Meng, the face and heart of Nam Seng.

Madam Leong Yuet Meng still works at the stall, tirelessly. She takes orders and serves customers right up till today. She speaks Mandarin, but she's most comfortable with Cantonese. She's 89 this year. Or is it 90? It’s amazing that she has stuck by her chosen job. She started the stall way back in 1957, and is known for her wonton noodles, although the stall also offers hor fun with seafood or venison, soy sauce chicken noodles and fried rice.

No matter what, she turns up at the stall daily, and whenever I visit, she's right there at lunch-time, standing at the counter, all hunched and wrinkled, but still steadily placing many bowls onto customers' trays. I have so much respect for her work ethics. As long as she's still fronting the stall, I will continue lunching here.

Nam Seng Noodle House (南生)
25 China Street, 
#01-01 Far East Square, Singapore 049567
T: 6438 5669
Hours: Weekdays 8am to 7pm; Saturdays 8am to 2pm. Closed on Sundays.