L32 Geylang Handmade Noodles – Best Banmian in the East!

As the self-proclaimed Banmian Queen, I knew I couldn’t miss trying the L32 Geylang Banmian. My friends have raved about their handmade noodles for ages. I was a little put off by the seemingly inaccessible location, but it’s actually only a 10-minute walk away from Paya Lebar MRT. No more excuses then!

This stall is actually owned by a couple in their late 30s. Ben and Shirley bought over the stall from another owner. Having no prior experience in cooking banmian, the recipes are born out of Shirley’s love for banmian

The soup is cooked for over 10 hours, from 10.30pm the night before. The star ingredients have got to be the pork and the anchovies. The noodles are made by hand at the stall daily.

Unlike other banmian stalls which have rather limited toppings, L32 Geylang Handmade Noodles has a pretty impressive variety of toppings, ranging from good ol’ pork to prawns, and even clams!

We ordered the Dry Pork Banmian ($4.30) and the Fish Soup Banmian ($6).

The Dry Pork Banmian contains both sliced pork and minced pork. The pork slices used here are of the leaner variety, hence, they were a little tough. It’s perfect for the more health-conscious crowd though. I liked the addictive savoury-sweet dark sauce that coated the noodles.  

I was wondering where the usual egg that comes with the soup version of banmian was, initially. I found it  hiding in the soup! Don’t miss out on the runny yolk before it gets overcooked from sitting in the soup for too long. 

The Fish Soup Banmian includes thick slices of fish. Dip them in the tasty chilli and you just can’t go wrong. The anchovy-based soup of the banmian is very clear, with no MSG taste at all. It can get a bit warm in the coffee shop, as you savour the hot soup in Singapore’s sweltering heat, but the perspiration stains on your shirt might just be worth it. 

Both the dry and soup versions use the same handcrafted egg noodles, which are crafted with egg, flour, water and salt. While the noodles found in both variations have a nice bite, I’ll recommend going for the dry version if you’re craving for something heavier and more flavourful. After all, you still get a taste of their soup which comes in a small bowl.

The cherry on top of any bowl of banmian would be the fried anchovies which add an extra crunchy texture to the bowl of noodles. The fried anchovies here have also been raved about, as they are crispy and not too salty.

I’ve heard countless warnings about the long waiting time. Be prepared to queue for 30 minutes to an hour. We only waited for 10 minutes when we arrived at 1.30pm on a Thursday afternoon though. Perhaps, its more crowded in the evening?

If your stomach can’t stop growling, as you wait for your noodles, you can curb those hunger pangs with some ngoh hiang from the stall just next to L32 Geylang Handmade Noodles. 

Note that they serve the banmian to your table after you place your order at the counter. At least you won’t have to stand around and wait after you have placed your order!

I’ll definitely be making many return visits!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

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