Starring Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle

This would be my first visit to Tai Hwa after they have gotten their Michelin Star just nine days ago followed by choruses of divisive opinions on that outcome. As much as I would tell myself that this is likely my favourite ba chor mee stall in the whole of the island from the first time I had it nine years ago, the truth is that I do not come eat here as much as I would like. Or even with any regularity. Once a year sounds about right. Why? The two hit combo of being located where they are and that I really dislike queueing would be a good start. And there’s a whole lot of other things to eat out there. Singapore. But that’s just my excuse. 

Still, the memory of the flavour latches on for theirs, as attenuated as it may be, that I eventually return. Albeit with very low frequency.

This is my first time trying their mee sua. So I've pretty much had all the noodle types from them. I don't dislike it, but just don't feel that it's as satisfying as the other noodle types that they have. I'm after all a mee pok man. Lol. Pun not intended. My sequence of preference would be mee pok, mee kia, kuey teow and mee sua. The other first time event in this visit was the wait time. Previously it averaged 30 minutes. The queue today was about five times longer at 2 hours 20 minutes. The longest I've ever queued in my life for food. I'm resigned to say that I will not be coming back if the wait time does not go back to the previous duration. Damn you Michelin.

So is it worth a Michelin Star? I don’t know. I liked them before the luminance and getting starred doesn’t do much to sway much of my opinion of them even amongst mutters of lowered standards. While getting starred does raise an eyebrow, the guide is far from being the holy grail of opinions in the ocean of subjectivity. That guide is mortal. Or a conglomerate of mortals. Subjected to preferences, personal idiosyncrasies, the strictures of life (yes that’s very general, but that’s the point) and failings of mortality. One needs not treat it like a bible. It’s just a guide. And for us locals, a whole lot of us know better what’s good anyway.