A Tale of 2 Soi 19's

A Tale of 2 Soi 19's

Now, after writing about my impressions on the 2 Soi 19's, one in Thailand and one in Singapore, it is inevitable that i would have to compare the 2 to give my recommendation on which is the better wanton noodle in my humble opinion. 

You can read about the 2 separate reviews here and here.

So what is the difference you may be thinking, is the Thai Soi 19 noodles better or the Singapore Soi 19 better? I think this is a tough debate but nonetheless, i'll give it a go.

Noodles: Thailand's noodles are thinner and springier then the Singapore version so you better texture and taste with each bite. However, the Singapore version which is closer to Kolo mee is no slouch either as its fuller and equally chewy. The real difference here would be the sauce used to bring out the taste of the noodles. And i will have to give the winner to the Thai version because it comes across as less oily and more distinct in taste so you'll not get the Jelat feeling. 

Advantage: Thai Soi 19

Condiments: The Singapore version comes with much more condiments with their unlimited fried pork lard, char siew, wantons and lup cheong. The thai version has 3 items as well, the shredded crab meat, char siew and wantons. Quality wise, i would say the Thai version has the upper hand as we enjoyed the crab meat and char siew from there quite a bit more then the Singapore version.

Advantage: Thai Soi 19

Value for Money: The Singapore version with added condiments cost SGD 5 and the Thai version cost 100 Baht which works out to about SGD 4 plus. On this potion, i think Singapore wins by a fair margin as the serving size is much more generous than the Thai version and you'll not be hungry after your visit. Also, i mentioned in the review for the Thai version, we would expect more food for the amount we're paying since cost of living there is so much lower. 

Advantage: Singapore Soi 19

Queue and Service: Both places have queues or no queues depending on your luck when you visit. We were unlucky since we had to queue both times and each queue was around 1 hour. We did find service in Singapore much better then in Thailand. It might be a language thing but given that most of their customers were tourists and Singaporeans, they could improve n the PR department.

Advantage: Singapore Soi 19

Conclusion: If you go based on pure taste, the Thai version has the upper hand but you'll likely leave hungry. If you go for value and service, Singapore Soi 19 has the advantage and better experience. Overall, its a draw in my books. What about you? Have you tried both and feel the same or differently? Sound off in the comments below.

Singapore Soi 19 Wanton Noodle

Thailand Soi 19 Wanton Noodle