Famous Hong Kong wonton noodle shop Mak Man Kee is coming to Singapore with pork-free version

CNA

a day ago

Remember Mak's Noodle from Hong Kong? It opened in Singapore 2015 at Centrepoint, serving wonton noodles. It branched out to a second outlet in Westgate, before quietly exiting Singapore altogether in 2022. That brand was founded in Hong Kong by the son of Guangzhou's 'King of Wonton Noodles'. Back then, it was brought to Singapore via a joint venture between its third-generation owner and F&B company Asia Gourmet.
Now, its close rival is venturing into Singapore – with a pork-free twist.
Mak Man Kee Wonton Noodles, the Michelin Bib Gourmand wonton mee brand from Jordan in Kowloon, Hong Kong, will be coming to Singapore on Jul 18. Well, sort of. Its noodles will be served exclusively at cha chaan teng Joy Luck Teahouse's new dine-in outlet at Food Republic in Causeway Point. The Hong Kong brand boasts over 70 years of history.
A TALE OF TWO MAKS
Mak Man Kee Wonton Noodles and Mak's Noodle both serve traditional Cantonese wonton noodles, using a style traced back to Mak Woon-chi, who earned the title of "Guangzhou's King of Wonton Noodles" in the 1920s when he sold his food from a pushcart.
But they're very much separate businesses, run by different branches of the Mak family.
Mak's Noodle on Wellington Street in Central, Hong Kong was opened in 1968 by Woon-chi's son, Mak King-hung. His younger brother was the chef. Today, Mak's Noodle is still going strong in Hong Kong, with four outlets run by Woon-chi's grandsons.
MAK MAN KEE'S LEGACY
Meanwhile, Mak Man Kee was started by Mak Man-king and his wife, Mak Hung Siu-hor. They began their business in the 1940s with a mobile cart in Hong Kong's Temple Street, before opening their first brick-and-mortar store at 51 Parkes Street in 1957. The shop has clinched a Michelin Bib Gourmand every year since 2018.
PORK-FREE RECIPE FOR DINERS IN SINGAPORE
For its Singapore debut, Mak Man Kee's wonton noodle soup has been modified to be in line with Joy Luck Teahouse's pork-free menu. The original soup recipe from Hong Kong, which included pork bones and Chinese cured ham, has been tweaked in Singapore to be brewed with dried flounder, shrimp shells and chicken bones instead.
As for Mak Man Kee's famous wontons, the Hong Kong version traditionally contained only prawns – the same purely crustacean wontons will also be available on the Singapore menu. Need something meatier? The Singapore menu will feature an additional version of wonton stuffed with both chicken and prawn.
The noodles are made fresh in Singapore using Mak's traditional recipe, though duck eggs (used in Hong Kong) are not allowed here, so they're substituted with chicken eggs. The final product was personally taste-tested and approved by Mak Man Kee's current boss, Lesley Mak, the daughter of Mak Man-king and Mak Hung Siu-hor.
SLIGHTLY LARGER PORTION IN SINGAPORE
Mak Man Kee's offerings (S$9.80 for Prawn Wonton Noodles; S$8.80 for Prawn and Chicken Wonton Noodles) will be exclusive to Joy Luck Teahouse's menu. Diners can also try their Zha Jiang Mian (S$8.80), made with chicken instead of pork in a rich braised sauce.
The portion sizes in Singapore will be slightly bigger than in Hong Kong, where the noodles are famously served in a bowl a little bigger than a Chinese rice bowl and cost from HKD$46 (about S$7.50).
To ensure authenticity, Joy Luck's kitchen team travelled to Hong Kong to train with Mak Man Kee's chefs.
While there won't be a separate Mak Man Kee stall within Joy Luck Teahouse, an in-store poster will be displayed to let diners know there is a Joy Luck x Mak Man Kee collaboration.
The noodles will only be available at this branch for now, since it's the only Joy Luck Teahouse outlet with seating.
HOW THE COLLAB CAME ABOUT
This collaboration was brought about by Robert Chua, the Singaporean broadcaster and businessman behind Joy Luck Teahouse, who previously brought in Hong Kong brands like Kam's Roast and Tim Ho Wan.
'Robert met with Lesley Mak, the current owner of Mak Man Kee, and the two bonded over their shared passion for preserving heritage brands. With over 70 years of history, Lesley trusted Robert to bring Mak Man Kee to Singapore for the first time,' says a Joy Luck Teahouse PR rep.