We’ve been a bit quiet this past week, because A had to go back to the army. It was only a one-week stint, so he’s out and we’re raring to go again. We went to VivoCity on Saturday, and A wanted to have his usual Superdog fix again. I, on the other hand, really wasn’t in the mood for a hot dog, so as ridiculous as this sounds, we had lunch separately – A at Superdog, and me at Jia Xiang right opposite.
As its name suggests, this place only serves kolo mee. No Sarawak laksa here. There are a couple of variations of kolo mee - a standard one with char siew, wanton and prawns for $5.90, and a deluxe one with added abalone for $8.90. Our friends M&M recommended the deluxe one with gusto, so I decided to try it.
First off, I was a little surprised that the base noodle is the same no matter which version you order – the prawn and abalone are served in a separate bowl of soup. I thought this was a slight cop-out, because I somehow assumed that the abalone would be incorporated into the noodles, giving the dish added flavour.
The noodles themselves were pretty good, with a firm and springy texture. It was much saltier, oilier and therefore stronger in flavour than the one at Jurong and now Raffles Place, but to me, that’s precisely why I didn’t enjoy it as much. The Jurong/RP one is more subtle and tastes cleaner, and that’s what I like about it. A’s views differ though.
All in all, this really wasn’t too bad. I realise that one reason for my opinion is that my very first taste of kolo mee was the Jurong one, so perhaps I’ve formed a mistaken impression that that’s how it ought to taste, when the Jia Xiang one could possibly be the more authentic of the two. Nevertheless, the clean, uncomplicated flavour of the Jurong/RP still wins me over, and until I get a chance to taste authentic kolo mee (in Kuching, no less), I think I’ll maintain my position.
A says:
I actually prefer this one since it’s more flavourful. It’s all a matter of personal taste, but with this one being much more expensive, I think I’d go for the one in Jurong/Raffles Place.
Jia Xiang Sarawak Kuching Kolo Mee
(outlets islandwide)
#B2-38, VivoCity
Tel: 6272-0000
1 comment:
There's actually an 'entry level' kolo mee for $3.90 (at least the Sembawang outlet has it) which is better value, since you get the same stuff as the $5.90 bowl minus the few slices of prawn.
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