Murger Han

Had been passing by Murger Han when they were still undergoing renovations previously at their premises within 61 Robinson at 61 Robinson Road — turns out, Murger Han is a brand that was established in London; these folks have claimed that they are “London’s First Authentic Xi’An Restaurant”. These folks had since opened their very first outpost overseas — this would be their location within 61 Robinson at 61 Robinson Road. Murger Han takes over the former premises that was previously occupied by an outlet of TAP Craft Beer which is situated at the lobby of 61 Robinson Road just right across from where the outlet of the Cupping Room Coffee Roasters is situated. The space of which Murger Han occupies is relatively simple decked though in a rather tasteful manner; featuring a monochromatic interior design theme, the space sees the large use of black and grey furniture and fittings amidst white walls and concrete floors — the seatings being cushioned for the patron’s comfort. Pictures of food as well as Murger Han’s mascot in several different colour tones can be found on the walls, giving the space a bit of vibrancy and an artistic touch at the same time. An establishment this is best known for their cold noodles, Murger and handmade noodle offerings, the menu of Murger Han in Singapore is categorised into sections comprising of Cold Noodles, Soups, Hand-Pulled Biang Biang Noodles, and Homemade Snacks. There is also a section dedicated to Meal Deals; essentially dishes grouped into various sets which comes with a drink of their choice from the self-service display chiller at the side.

The Spring Onion and Chili Oil Hand-Pulled Biang Biang Noodles is part of the Set E from the Meal Deals section we had opted for — the Noodle with Spring Onion is also listed as an ala-carte item in the Hand-Pulled Biang Biang Noodles section of the menu as well. Despite its namesake, it can be observed from our order that the Spring Onion and Chili Oil Hand-Pulled Biang Biang Noodles also comes with other elements such as tofu, small cubes of potato, as well as some leafy greens. We opted for Medium Spicy for the level of spiciness for our order. Giving the noodles a good toss, this was a bowl of noodles that pretty much got us hooked on the first slurp — this is especially considering how we also aren’t quite fans of mainland Chinese-style noodle dishes usually. One thing that we really loved about the Spring Onion and Chili Oil Hand-Pulled Biang Biang Noodles was how the chili oil seemed to have included a dash of vinegar — the chili oil does come with its own savouriness and fragrance, all while the vinegar gave it a suitable tang that alls brought on a slight savouriness somewhere. The noodles itself were slurpy, smooth and chewy; came coated with all of that chili oil for a good flavour. The addition of the other elements such as the potatoes, spring onions and leafy greens helped to provide a further mix of textures which gave the dish a crisp and crunch factor that adds on to everything that is going on in the bowl.

The Cold Noodle which is being served with Set E would be that of the Steamed Rice Noodle with Seasonal Vegetables; this featured the use of chili oil that doesn’t come with that splash of vinegar that was observed in the Noodle with Spring Onion. Still, the rice noodles here ere incredibly slurpy and chewy; considerably broader than the rice noodles that we typically find from other establishments serving up mainland Chinese-style noodles, with the chili oil being able to cling onto the rice noodles to provide it with a noticeable hint of chili oil fragrance. The seasonal vegetables that came with the Steamed Rice Noodle with Seasonal Vegetables includes beansprouts and cucumbers; both provided an element of crunch to the item, though the latter also provided a refreshing note that went well with the cold noodles. Patrons are able to pick their desired Murger from the range of Murgers that are listed in the menu — our choice was for the Crusty Murger with Pork which turns out to be not of a spicy variant.

Whilst the Murger is the item that seems to have given the establishment its namesake, we felt that we definitely have had better Murgers elsewhere before — the bread itself lacked the crispness and felt more bread-like; the bottom of the Murger was also a little bit soggy from all of the liquid presumably from the meat. We did like how the shredded pieces of pork were sufficiently salty — almost akin to that of cured meats which gave the dish much of the flavour it needs. For an establishment that is located in the Central Business District, prices of the food at Murger Han is surprisingly wallet-friendly for an establishment of its type — the ala-carte Cold Noodles, Murgers and Hand-Pulled Biang Biang Noodles $5.80 to $9.80; the priciest of the lot being the 5-in-1 Hand-Pulled Biang Biang Noodles. We really liked Murger Han’s interpretation of Cold Noodles and Hand-Pulled Biang Biang Noodles; their version being seemingly more nuanced than that served at typical mainland Chinese cuisine establishments but yet not losing the character of what such dishes are all about. With its prices and its quality for their noodle dishes, we do think that Murger Han is a spot that would remain popular as a lunch spot for those working around the Central Business District — the noodle dishes are something which we do see ourselves looking forward to make a return for another time!