奖项满墙，不如一条长队 | Awards on the Wall, Queues at the Stall

When Plans Change but Taste Brings Comfort

From Hock Lee Fishball Mee to Middle Road Pork Ribs Prawn Mee

This morning, I wanted to make myself happy — a simple plan: have breakfast at Hock Lee Fishball Mee, my go-to comfort food spot. But as the saying goes, man proposes, heaven disposes (人算不如天算) — the shop was closed.

So, I walked to Selegie Complex bus stop, took Bus 131, and headed straight to Owen Road, where the famous Middle Road Pork Ribs Prawn Mee has relocated.

There was already a long queue when I arrived, and I waited patiently for about 25 minutes. The smell of the broth was so tempting that the wait didn’t feel that long. When my bowl finally came, it was worth every minute — for $5.50, I got tender pork ribs, fresh prawns, slices of pig liver, and a thick, flavourful broth that carried the essence of old-school Singapore.

Somehow, I also found the service here better than when they were at Sam Leong Road — maybe the change of location brought a better mood too.

I first knew this stall more than thirty years ago, when I often ate at their sister stall in Waterloo Street. It was my favourite for a long time, until the sister retired about four years ago. After that, I switched to the brother’s stall at Sam Leong Road and found that his version tasted even better. Now that they’ve moved again, this time to Owen Road near Pek Kio Market, I’m happy to say the standard remains high — still deserving an A- in my books.

⸻A Walk Down Memory Lane with Koo Kee Yong Tow Foo Mee

In the same Kim San Leng coffee shop, another familiar sign caught my eye — 高记酿豆腐面.

I’ve known this brand for around forty years. Back in my RSAF days, I was trying to earn some side income, so I worked as a part-time electronics instructor at a private school in Upper Cross Street. After classes, I would often have dinner at the original Koo Kee stall nearby.

At that time, there was only one Koo Kee — and their food was excellent. The 客家酿豆腐 (Hakka-style Yong Tow Foo) was simple but so satisfying. It was affordable, full of flavour, and had that homely taste that reminded you of proper handmade cooking.

As years passed, the brand grew into a franchise. The signboards got bigger, the awards more glittering — but somehow, the taste was never quite the same.

Today, as I stood there looking at the stall’s many “Singapore Prestige Brand Awards”, I couldn’t help but notice something ironic — there was no queue.
Meanwhile, just next door, Middle Road Pork Ribs Prawn Mee, which hasn’t won any shiny awards, had a long line of hungry customers waiting patiently.

So what do these awards really mean?

Maybe in the end, the truest award isn’t the trophy on the wall — it’s the queue in front of your stall.

Because good taste doesn’t need validation — only appreciation.

⸻

🍜 人算不如天算：从合利鱼圆面到密驼路肉骨虾面

今天早上，我只是想让自己开心一点。原本打算去吃一碗熟悉的 福利鱼圆面。谁知道，人算不如天算——档口竟然休息。

于是我走到 实利基大厦（Selegie Complex）的巴士站，搭上 131 号巴士，前往 Owen Road 的 密驼路肉骨虾面。

抵达时，已经排起了长队。我等了整整 25 分钟。但当那碗热气腾腾的虾面端上来时，一切等待都值得。只要 $5.50，就能吃到厚实的排骨、鲜甜的虾、嫩滑的猪肝，加上浓郁又香气十足的汤头。那种味道，是旧时光的味道。

比起他们在 Sam Leong Road的时候，我觉得服务态度更好，整家店的氛围也比较亲切。

我第一次吃这家的面，是 三十多年前，在 滑铁卢街 的姐妹档口。当时几乎每个星期都会去。后来那位姐姐在四年前退休，我才改吃弟弟开的那家——味道反而更好。现在他们搬到 Owen Road 靠近白桥巴刹（Pek Kio Market），让我欣慰的是，味道依旧保持得很好。要我打分，还是 A-。

高记的故事：四十年的味觉记忆

同一间金山嶺咖啡店里，还有一个熟悉的名字：高记酿豆腐面。

我和高记的缘分可以追溯到 四十年前。那时我还在 **空军（RSAF）服役，为了赚点外快，在Upper Cross Street的一所私立学校兼职教电子学。每次下课后，我都会去附近的那家 高记 吃晚餐。

那时的高记还只有一间档口，卖的是最原汁原味的 客家酿豆腐。豆腐滑嫩、酱汁香浓、汤头清甜——每一样都做得用心。价格不贵，却吃得很满足。

后来，高记开始扩张、连锁、加盟。虽然品牌越做越大、奖项越拿越多，但那股“人情味”和“手工味”，渐渐淡了。

今天再看到那亮眼的红色招牌，上面写满了“新加坡品牌大奖”、“传承品牌奖”，心里却有点感慨——摊前没有排队，反而是隔壁那家没有奖项的虾面摊，排得满满。

真正的奖杯，是顾客的排队

奖项可以挂在墙上，
但排队的人，才是最诚实的肯定。

也许，美食的荣耀，不在奖牌，而在那碗让人愿意多等几分钟的面。