Is Viral Chilli Pan Mee Eatery In Toa Payoh Opened By Ex-Canton Paradise Chef Worth The Hype?
If you’re a fan of ban mian, chances are you might have heard of Wang Lee Cafe in Toa Payoh. Located under an HDB block at Lorong 4, the no-frills eatery serving Nanyang-style cuisine has become a neighbourhood favourite, thanks to one dish: its signature chilli pan mee.
Wang Lee, which opened in June 2024, exploded in popularity after an influencer’s post about the dish went viral in December. Queues snaked for up to three hours. These days, wait times have eased to a more manageable 25 minutes during peak periods — but the buzz hasn’t died down.
When 8days.sg dropped by during lunch on a weekday, nearly every table had a bowl of chilli pan mee. We’re told they sell more than 300 bowls daily.
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Co-owned by ex-Canton Paradise head chef
Wang Lee is started by former Canton Paradise head chef Hoong Boon Foo, 40, his brothers, zi char chef Hoong Boon Leong, 50, and Hoong Boon Hui, 48, and a fourth partner.
The two older brothers co-own zi char stall Wang Lee Seafood at a nearby coffee shop, while Boon Foo used to run kopitiam stall Yu Huang Premium Seafood Soup in Taman Jurong selling elevated pao fan.
Though business was “not bad”, Boon Foo closed it in April 2024 when his lease was up due to “rental woes and the location”.
“My stall was in an industrial area and the spending power of workers is not high. My food was on the pricier side and most of my customers come from elsewhere specially to eat it,” the Johor-born chef tells 8days.sg.
“Also, the price of seafood keeps fluctuating. It is not a good time to sell seafood.”
When the Toa Payoh unit became available, the brothers decided to jump on the growing Nanyang cafe trend and open a shop together.
“My eldest brother wanted to sell mee hoon kueh, my second brother wanted to sell kaya toast, and I knew how to make chilli pan mee. Everything just fell into place,” says Boon Foo. They invested $160K to start the 36-seat air-conditioned cafe and named it Wang Lee, same as the brothers’ zi char stall, so customers know the businesses are related and could help spread the word.
While Boon Foo used to do the cooking at the cafe in the initial months, he now leaves it to his team of four cooks. These days you will find him taking orders, while his brothers pop by to help out during the day.
Losing money when they first opened
Though business is booming now, things were very different when they first opened.
“We were losing money the first six months. It was all thanks to the media and online buzz that business soared. Sales has jumped 200% since December and is still on the rise,” shares Boon Foo, adding that they just managed to break even.
“We never expected business to be so good. We were just content to not lose money.”
For now, they want to focus on managing the outlet and have no plans to expand the business.
Aside from their signature chilli pan mee, other dishes like kaya toast and nasi lemak are also popular at Wang Lee.
Boon Foo shares that he still gets DMs from old customers asking for his seafood soups and pao fan. While he has no plans to reopen Yu Huang as the “cost of seafood is really high”, he might consider offering the dishes at Wang Lee as specials in future.
A touch of nostalgia
The self-service eatery has a simple, nostalgic vibe with its Peranakan tiles, decorative shophouse “windows”, and rooster bowls. The cramped space and constant queue make Wang Lee more of an eat and go sort of place, rather than a cafe. The tables are either joined together or arranged a little too close to one another and customers have left Google reviews that the place gets stuffy when it’s packed.
Chilli Pan Mee, $6.80 (8 DAYS Pick!)
What makes a good chilli pan mee? For us it’s QQ toothsome noodles, punchy chilli, balanced flavours, runny egg, and crunchy fried ikan bilis. And Wang Lee’s bowl ticked all the boxes.
The ban mian (you can also opt for you mian or mee hoon kueh), made in-house from scratch, is not too thick and perfectly al dente. When tossed with the sweet-savoury soy sauce blend, velvety poached egg and chilli, every bite is a mix of bold flavours and textures. The minced meat is well seasoned, and the chewy fish paste-stuffed tau kee strips are a delightful and unexpected addition.
The star is the housemade chilli. Unlike wet sambal-like chilli that is often served elsewhere, Wang Lee’s chilli is dry and crunchy. Made with five different chillies, XO sauce, hae bee, sesame seeds, and garlic, the chilli crisp delivers a toasty, umami punch with just enough heat to keep you coming back for more.
Our only gripe? The pan mee portion is a little small.
Mee Hoon Kueh (Soup), $5.80
Aside from their dry chilli pan mee, there is also a soup version which comes with sliced pork, minced meat, cai xin, poached egg, and fried ikan bilis. We like that the hand-pinched mee hoon kueh stays chewy even after sitting for a while in the broth. But the clear soup, though homely with a hint of sweetness and pepperiness, can afford to be more robust.
Boon Foo tells us that the soup, made by simmering cabbage, celery leaves, turnip and anchovies, is deliberately kept light to cater to the palates of the elderly who frequent the neighbourhood.
Kaya Butter Toast, $2.80 (8 DAYS Pick!)
If the chilli pan mee is the headline act, the kaya toast is the sleeper hit. Boon Foo advises us to eat it “within one minute” — and he’s right. The contrast of cold salted butter against rich, creamy kaya and warm, crisp toast, is sublime. The house-made kaya is pandan-y, not overly sweet, with a smooth, more fluid consistency so it oozes with each bite. Too bad they don’t sell it by the bottle. Toast is available all day.
Dry Mee Siam, $5.90
The dry mee siam, wok-tossed in a house-made rempah — which includes hae bee, assam, chilli, lemongrass, shallots, and kaffir lime leaves — is piquant with a bright tang of tamarind. The noodles are cooked to perfect doneness and served with a generous sprinkle of crispy sakura ebi for added crunch and umami. We’re not crazy about the sambal which is too sweet.
Ah Ma Nasi Lemak, $6.80
For $6.80, you get a meaty fried chicken wing, runny sunny side-up, fried ikan bilis and peanuts and sliced cucumber with your rice. Though the grains are not as coconutty as we’d like, we enjoy the juicy chicken wing for its homely flavours. Also sold a la carte for $3.
Bottom line
So, does the much talked-about chilli pan mee live up to its hype? We certainly think so. Wang Lee delivers on its flavour, texture, and the housemade chilli crisp alone is worth the visit. The kaya toast is a strong contender too, best enjoyed fresh on the spot. If you’re not keen on queueing, go after 3pm or get your food to go. There’s almost always no line for takeaways.
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