Tom As fans of Singapore-styled Fried Hokkien Mee, the version at The Canteen by Enjoy has been one that we’ve wanted to try out. Though priced higher than the local hawker food centre prices, the Hokkien Mee at The Canteen by Enjoy (formerly known as Enjoy Xia), promises to deliver on the “premium Hokkien Mee” – this, we’ve got to find out.
About The Canteen by Enjoy at Kam Leng Hotel
The concept of The Canteen by Enjoy is really simple. If Singaporeans taste your food and says they’re good, with exclamations of “shiok!”, then that’s the enjoyment derived by not only the guests but also the owners of The Canteen by Enjoy – childhood friends James and Joel. Here’s what their philosophy says:
“A taste of the food and Singaporeans will go “Wah Shiok”. That is what great Singaporean food should be. And there is no greater enjoyment than sharing this experience with your friends and family.
Thus, ENJOY was started in 2018 as a small eating house in Jln Besar founded by two childhood friends, James and Joel, on the principle of making the most out of the precious moments you have by enjoying some of the greatest pleasures life can bring – great food and great company!”
Inside, we noticed that the decorations of The Canteen by Enjoy gives a nod to the nostalgic “old school Singapore”. If you look closely, you’ll find some curated antiques such as the Singer sewing machine – which almost every household in Singapore used to own in the 1970s and 1980s. Of course, the tingkat food containers and thermal flasks – items that many Singaporeans used to have, also made it to this collection. The facade of Kam Leng Hotel, with its curled-patterned window grills also adds to this nostalgic vibe that The Canteen by Enjoy is going for.
First impressions were pretty good so far! 🙂
To order, just scan the QR code and you’re good to go.
The Canteen by Enjoy at Kam Leng Hotel Menu
As mentioned earlier, this time we came for the Singapore-styled Hokkien Mee (aka 来自新加坡的面福建炒虾面) at The Canteen. The reason why we emphasised on the Singapore-styled Hokkien Mee is because there are essentially three types of Hokkien Mee known in Singapore.
The first (our favourite), is the Singapore Hokkien Mee most commonly found in hawker centres in Singapore and is also the version sold at The Canteen by Enjoy.
The second, is the version that you’ll normally find at zi char stalls in Singapore – fried with dark soy sauce and yeasty yellow flat noodles.
The third, is the KL Hokkien Mee, a dryer and oilier version using the KL tai lok noodles.
The Hokkien Mee at The Canteen by Enjoy at $15.80, is described as “The most epic Hokkien Mee in Singapore. With fresh prawns, squid and roast pork.“. Hm…🤔
Besides the Hokkien Mee, we also tried the Chilli Prawns at The Canteen by Enjoy (不能不吃“虾”新式辣椒大虾) at $26.80. This was because the Chilli Crab is usually the most common version found in Singapore and not the “Chilli Prawns”. Described as “Chef Joel’s take on the classic Singapore Style Chilli Crab Sauce but with easy to eat de-shelled prawns instead! Heavenly with mantou.” Yes, we also went with the mantou – $2.40 for 4 pieces.
Rounding up this meal, we also ordered the Terra Pure Malt Lager 330ml ($9) and the Chendol Panna Cotta CoCo ($8) for desserts.
So what’s the verdict?
The Canteen by Enjoy at Kam Leng Hotel – The Verdict
Hokkien Mee
The Hokkien Mee at The Canteen by Enjoy is the slightly “wet version” of the Singapore-styled Hokkien Mee ($15.80). We usually prefer the “dry version” of Hokkien Mee because it allows the prawn/pork broth to be totally absorbed into the noodles – in particular the rice vermicelli. Nonetheless, upon taste, we could experience the infused broth and the slight charred-ness of the noodles. Other pluses were definitely the three fresh, huge and succulent prawns that came with the Hokkien Mee – something that you don’t normally see in the usual hawker version. Yup, a very good “zhng-ed” (upgraded) version of this local delight. There’s also slices of roasted pork that adds to the overall flavour of the dish.
Overall, it was an excellent dish. Generous ingredients that does match the price-point and a good infusion of the broth to the noodles. On the point of whether it is the “most epic Hokkien Mee in Singapore” – possible because of the upgraded ingredients used and the beautiful presentation. But probably not the best rendition of Hokkien Mee in Singapore from the taste department.
Chilli Prawns
The Chilli Prawns at The Canteen by Enjoy ($26.80) was probably our favourite dish for this meal. Surprisingly, the “Chilli” gravy was perfected despite a different main ingredient used (prawn instead of the conventional crab). One possibility is because of the prawn roe (in place of crab roe) that had infused into the chilli. The result? An enticing, spicy and tangy dish that indeed went well with the man tou. An excellent dish. The only thing we noticed was that the consistency of the chilli, became a little watery towards the end of the meal. Nonetheless, we were still floored by the excellent chilli as well as the succulent de-shelled prawns used in this dish. No need for handling of shells – or crab shells for that matter. An innovative dish not to be missed here.
Chendol
Chendol Panna Cotta CoCo ($8) was probably a disappointment for our dining experience this time. At $8 for a Chendol – probably the most expensive we’ve had, we were expecting a certain level of “wow” factor. On first taste, the pandan noodles tasted bland and we couldn’t really get the Panna Cotta coconut pudding. Despite mixing the flavours together, it was still a unmemorable take on this local dessert. Alhough there were some innovations in terms of the pandan noodles and panna cotta coconut pudding – it didn’t come together well. As the only dessert on menu, you may feel obliged to order it.
Don’t be.
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Overall, we love that The Canteen by Enjoy has put together innovative twists on local favourites. The ingredients were fresh and succulent while the innovations were plain to see. However, not all innovations came out well, like in the case of the Chendol. Nonetheless, with innovations like the Chilli Prawn, we are still excited to see future innovations that James and Joel will be bringing to their guests in the future.
Enjoy!
