Macpherson Minced Meat Noodles (Tai Thong Crescent)

Macpherson Minced Meat Noodles at Tai Thong Crescent is a hawker stall serving bak chor mee, Singapore's minced pork noodles. It sits in a neighbourhood coffee shop at 47 Tai Thong Crescent, near Potong Pasir. Local food writers often rank it among the best bak chor mee stalls in Singapore, and queues are common.

The stall is run by Ho Qiu Yong, an apprentice of Mr Yap, the original owner of Macpherson Minced Meat Noodles. Mr Yap now has his own stall in Tai Seng, which he opened in 2024. The name has several branches, but this one at Tai Thong Crescent is the best known. Early in 2024 it was unclear whether the stall would stay in this coffee shop. It stayed, and it reopened in September 2024 after two weeks of renovation works.

What to order

The main dish is bak chor mee, usually eaten dry with a small bowl of soup on the side. First choose your noodles. Most people pick mee pok, which are flat egg noodles, or mee kia, which are thin ones. The dry version is tossed in a tangy, vinegar-based sauce, and you can ask for chilli or leave it out.

Toppings include:

• Minced pork and sliced pork
• Pig's liver
• Braised black mushrooms
• Fish cake
• Crispy pork lard pieces

For a bigger meal, the menu also has xiao wan mian, a pricier option with more ingredients. There are fish ball noodles too. Do not overlook the kway teow soup with pig's trotter. One food blogger who visited in late 2024 rated it even higher than the dry noodles, thanks to its rich broth.

How the stall works

This is a simple coffee shop stall, so the routine is the same as at any hawker stall. Join the queue, order your noodles and pay, then find a table. Tell the cook your noodle type, whether you want it dry or in soup, and if you want chilli. Our guide on how to order at hawker stalls explains the basics. If you are new to these places, read what a kopitiam is before you go.

Good to know before you go

• Go early. The queue can be long, especially on weekends.
• The stall does not open every day, and it usually closes by early afternoon. Check its Facebook page before you make the trip.
• Seating is shared with other stalls in the coffee shop, so you may need to wait for a table at busy times.

Getting there

The coffee shop is at 47 Tai Thong Crescent. The nearest MRT station is Potong Pasir on the North East Line, about six minutes away on foot.

Nearby

For more local food in this part of the city, Old Airport Road Food Centre is one of Singapore's best-known hawker centres. Geylang Serai Market is a good stop for Malay dishes. You can also browse our hawker favourites and all restaurants in Geylang and Paya Lebar.