Xin Mei Xiang Lor Mee (Old Airport Road Lor Mee) - Balestier — Restaurant in Singapore

I visited this outlet close to dinner time with my family a couple of days ago.

The outlet was well furnished - 7/10.

Lor Mee - 3/10. Extremely overrated. Feels overhyped as they charge you 2x more than the ones you eat at local markets. Yes, of course, it’s biased on comparison but it was bland, hella starchy, and just very disappointing. I visited not knowing it was “A famous Lor Mee Place” so trust me when I said I had no expectations when I took my first bite.

Service and Staff - 0/10. I am not apologetic about this. The words and attitude used were mad insanely disrespectful. There was the unspoken underlining atmosphere of arrogance.

Encounter 1. We entered the space understanding it was free seating. As it was dinner time, it was almost packed. The only 2 available seats were one near a large group of family who clearly needed more space; two, where the staff was cleaning which had a comfortable space around. With every right ounce of my body; I decided to wait patiently from afar. I did not evoke stress on her, I was at least 10 steps away from her as I sent gentle smiles her way when she looked at me. This was when she very rudely (in an almost increased volume) said: “YOU WANT TO EAT AT A SEAT WHERE SOMEONE JUST PUKE THEN GO AHEAD. -slamming chairs- MOVE, OPEN YOUR EYES AND SIT SOMEWHERE ELSE” (in mandarin) Half the restaurant turned to look at me. ok - how the hell was I supposed to know someone puked before my arrival - do I own the CCTV in ur restaurant? no. I decided to take the seat next to the family to which the mother looked at me and said “it's okay she must have had a long day”. Understandable, we all have hair-pulling days where we wished life was simpler. But it does not hurt to speak kindly, does it?

Encounter 2. I asked for an extra two bowls to share with my family. We ordered 3 bowls of Lor Mee and some sides btw. 2 extra empty small bowls were meant for sharing. Upon asking nicely, the man behind the counter slammed the empty bowls on the counter and gave one of the most disrespectful gazes I have ever seen. I asked, “could I have some cutleries too?” “IT'S THERE - YOU CHECK YOUR TRAY BEFORE ASKING”. Eh Woah, relax la bro.

Encounter 3. At about 630pm, the staff started putting chairs up on the table in an attempt to show that the restaurant is “closing”, we could see customers rushing to complete their meals to leave the place; our family too. But then I realised? Doesn't this place close at 8pm (stated on google)? If it's incorrect information - please amend it and stop stressing customers to gtfo before they finish their meals.

In conclusion, I know this Lor Mee is one of the Lao Jiao’s original yum yum places on the internet (at least I have come to acknowledge that after my visit) but please keep yourselves in check. Your actions and attitude reflect on customers' experiences too - you could have (keyword* it's not) the best Lor Mee in town but if your attitude belongs to the sewage - there goes the whole reputation of your restaurant.

I have never written this long of a google review, but my impression of this restaurant is “10/10 will not return, there are better Lor Mee out there with uncles and aunties who genuinely appreciate your support and presence”.

The end. Thanks for...

Probably my top 3 lor mee in my list.

the main branch here boast a very extensive menu, compared to the rest of the hawker outlets they have. Ambience wise, the spot here is blasted with air conditioning, so you could enjoy the hot bowl of Lor Mee without worry about perspiring

Xin Mei Xiang Signature Lor Mee This bowl of lor mee includes mainly flakes of mackerel fish, braised meat, braised egg & beansprouts. The star was their gravy, thick and gooey, just like how a good bowl of Lor Mee. The starchy consistency was also on point - not overly starchy, but just enough to liberally coat each strand of noodles, giving each slurp an incredible burst of flavour. The amount of ingredients given is very generous as well, especially the fish. The pork belly slices are tender but I especially enjoyed the fish flakes most as it added a really nice savoury touch,

Double Fish Lor Mee This bowl feature crispy cod nuggets and fish flakes served in the same savory comforting and flavorful gravy.

SIDES (BALESTIER OUTLET ONLY)

Fried Cod Fish Apart from the signature codfish offering, Xin Mei Xiang presents a variety of flavored fried codfish as side dishes. We got the Thai Tom Yum & Mentaiko. The Mentaiko was extra creamy but our favourite has got to be the Thai Tom Yum. It was salty, sweet, and umami all at once

Hakka Style Pork Belly Deliciously addictive pork belly! When you bite through the crunchy crust, the tender moist meat and juicy fat together give the pork a pleasing texture and creates a delightful taste experience.

Salt & Pepper Crispy Chicken The first bite was promising. It is fried to perfection, with the exterior being very light and crispy, while the meat staying succulent and it is perfect seasoned

Surprisely you can get Chef Leung HK Wanton Noodles here too which is their new launch. Although I am here mainly for the Lor Mee but decide to give a try

Wanton Mee Dry Come with both fried and boiled wantons with the egg noodles coated in a slightly sweet black sauce. While the noodle texture's firm to the bite, the overall taste did not has anything special. Go for the lor mee better

Chilli Vinegar Wantons The wonton are rather average. The flavour are not bold enough & did not have the flavour punch that I was looking for. I don't recommed this.

Overall, I recommend coming for the Lor Mee and their sides. While the prices might be a bit steep for some, but it really is a bang for the buck with the good quality of ingredients &...

I’ve tried this brand before at its iconic Old Airport Road outlet, and I’m glad to see it has expanded across Singapore. My family and I visited on a Saturday before noon, and the crowd was manageable. However, after 12:00, the spacious dining area filled up quickly.

What we ordered:

🍜 Signature Lor Mee (Small - $7.7) & Double Fish Lor Mee (Small - $7.7) The Lor Mee gravy was thick and mildly flavorful, made from a rich bone broth, braising sauce, and herbs and spices. The addition of black vinegar adds a nice zing.

The pork, a mix of pork belly and collar, was tender and juicy, braised to absorb the rich broth flavour. The Batang fish, fried and hand-flaked daily, had a firm texture and a slightly sweet taste. Rating: 3.8/5 🌟

🍜 Wonton Mee (Large $7.7) This is the only outlet that serves wonton noodles, and I was surprised by how delicious it was, especially the springy yellow noodles coated in a thick red sauce. I’d return for this. However, the wontons themselves were too flaky and mushy—I’d prefer a firmer texture. Rating: 4.5/5 🌟

🍲 4 Treasure Crispy Lor Mee ($11.9) This was a visually entertaining dish with a pitcher of Lor Mee gravy poured over crispy fried noodles. Even after being soaked, the noodles retained a crispy texture. Rating: 4/5 🌟

🐟 Mentaiko Fried Cod Fish ($7.7) The cod fish was slightly dry from frying, and the fattiness wasn’t prominent. However, the blowtorched mentaiko sauce was the highlight. Great for mentaiko lovers, I’d eat this again. Rating: 4/5 🌟

🐟 Garlic Soy Cod Fish ($7.7) My parents liked this dish, as the sauce was sweet and savoury. The garlic wasn’t strong, but the cod fish, though dry, was well-coated in the sauce. Rating: 4/5 🌟

🫔 Five-Spice Traditional Prawn Roll ($5.5) Not very traditional in taste—it was too mushy and doughy for me. The meat was only slightly flavoured with Five Spices. Rating: 2/5 🌟

🥓 Hakka Style Pork Belly ($5.5) The crispy pork was crunchy and lightly marinated, bringing out the porky flavour. A great sharing dish, likely to be a crowd favourite. Rating: 3.5/5 🌟

🥓 Seafood Fritter ($5.5) A crispy seafood fritter, good for...