DMQ Ban Mian: Fortune Pork Balls To Die For

A quiet and an often overlooked neighbourhood in Singapore, I’m at Ubi this time to try a popular handmade noodle stall that reviewers are constantly singing praises about. At least that’s what I’ve gathered on review sites. To be frank, it seems I’ve underestimated how versatile handmade noodles can be, with each store I visited more often than not bringing something different to the dining table. After trying out so many different handmade noodle stalls since I launched FTLON, DMQ has got to be one of the more unique experiences out there and I’m not saying this lightly.

Brief History

For the uninitiated, DMQ is an abbreviation of the Chinese store’s name in hanyu pinyin: Dao Mo Qie (刀嬷切) which simply means ‘knife cut’, or knife-cut noodles in this case. Opened in 2014, DMQ Ban Mian is situated at Ubi DMQ Eating House, with both the coffeeshop and stall sharing the same boss. While the coffeeshop also holds other stalls that sells Thai food, chicken rice and drinks, DMQ Ban Mian seems to be their main store that draws most of the sales here.

Experience

Getting to DMQ Ban Mian is real easy, given that it’s located a stone throw away from Ubi MRT station. The place’s close to Maha Bodhi School which can be view clearly at a distance where I was seated while waiting. Furthermore, seeing the awning with the ‘DMQ Eating House’ name on it from afar is a certain sign indicating that you’ve made it.

I visited DMQ shortly after their opening hours with only a few customers around dining in as they wait for their orders. Overwhelmed by the seas of choices, I saw what the other existing customers got, and I proceeded to do the same: Fortune Pork Ball noodles. With the way it was one of the three items with its picture shown in full, I guess you can’t go wrong with visual suggestions like these.

In the meantime, I took one of the seats closer to the edge of the awning, taking a good view at my surroundings while waiting. And within a few minutes, the server came to me with my bowl of noodles and laid it out on my table with dips of their homemade chili paste that stood on the side.

Taste Test: Fortune Pork Ball Noodles (Youmian, $7)

Normally, the noodles would be the main highlight of the show in most bowls of handmade noodles, but for DMQ, I must say the pork balls are the real stars.

Here’s what I came to realize after visiting DMQ: pork balls with fillings in the middle are the best. I wasn’t certain how the pork balls would taste like prior to my visit to DMQ, blindly going in and assuming it will be just meat with no surprises from the outer to inner layers. But seeing how big these pork balls are compared to other handmade noodle stores, my hunch is telling me that there’s got to be a surprise within. And true enough, my wishes came true. The filling was juicy and moist tasting refreshing and pleasant that I finished eating the first pork ball even before I got to the noodles.

The broth tasted clean with a nice blend of sweetness and savoriness. With their claims of not adding any MSG in the preparation, I can safely assure you that DMQ’s assertions are not unfounded. Its cloudy hues (contributed by the egg yolk, egg white and youmian) alongside bits of fried shallots certainly made it such a pleasure to drink, not leaving a single drop behind at the end of the meal.

As for the noodles (youmian), they were firm but very springy. From start to end, the noodles didn’t turn soggy one bit, yet didn’t feel too tough on my first bites like how noodles in run-of-the-mill ban mian stalls can get. For this incredible achievement, I’ll give DMQ two thumbs up (👍👍) for making the texture of these noodles consistent no matter which part of the meal you’re in. It’s a feat that’s not easy to pull off even for more acclaimed handmade noodle stores so kudos for them.

Of course, not to forget the minced meat, which was able to soak the broth well without being over-reliant on them to stand out on its own. I was glad that it didn’t taste overly dry at all, and it being scattered and more abundant at the bottom of the bowl took me a while to appreciate them.

Final Thoughts

With a few customers around that morning, it was peaceful and quiet, making that meal a delight to enjoy all on my own without needing to take heed of the time or give way to incoming customers finding tables to settle down. That said, I’m definitely going back to try the dry version some time before 2024 draws to a close for my personal enjoyment.

Address & Opening Hours

Address:
DMQ Eating House
304 Ubi Avenue 1, #01-95, Singapore 400304

Opening Hours:
Mon to Sun, 10.30am to 9pm
Closest MRT Station: Ubi (DT27)