Kazan Japanese Cuisine is a popular Japanese stall at Chinatown Complex Food Centre known for its generous portions and friendly service. So naturally, when it announced the end of its operations on 30 Apr 2026, many were disappointed. It has now been rebranded to Kazan Cuisine, selling dry and soup ban mian, herbal chicken, chwee kueh, and chee cheong fun.
With a legacy spanning over a decade at Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market & Food Centre, the business eventually relocated to its current home in 2014.
Questioning the smiley and upbeat 50-year-old owner, Mr Lim Kwok Seong, about why he decided to trade his Japanese bento boxes for bowls of ban mian, he tells us, “The high operating expense was too challenging to sustain the business, and I wasn’t able to earn enough profits.”
The stall now offers Soup Pan Mee and his signature Dry Pan Mee at S$5.50, with a choice of flat noodles (ban mian), thin noodles, mee hoon kueh, and yee mee. Mr Lim adopts Japanese cooking methods which include running the noodles with cold water.
I headed down on Mr Lim’s opening day on 6 May and was honoured to be his second customer. I ordered Mee Hoon Kueh Soup and Dry Flat Noodles to try. It was a pity that the Herbal Chicken Thigh (S$7) wasn’t ready when I visited. If you do swing by, do let me know how it was in the comments.
I started off with the Dry Flat Noodles which was topped with minced meat, ikan bilis, a poached egg, pork lard, mushrooms, spinach, and a generous dollop of his house-made sambal. It came with a small bowl of broth that, to me, tasted like it was simmered with daikon and dried squid.
Using my chopsticks, I destroyed the perfectly-jiggly poached egg to unleash the oozy, golden yolk and gave the whole bowl a good toss. The strands of ban mian were glossy due to the egg and had a rich brown hue. I absolutely adored the chewy texture of the noodles — not too hard nor soft. The egg gave it a creamy texture and the seasonings were perfectly calibrated to give it a full depth of flavour.
If I had to nitpick, it would be the pork lard — that could’ve been fried longer for a crispier texture, as they were slightly limp. The colour of the sambal may look intimidating, but don’t be fooled — it’s actually a gentle giant.
Next, I tried the Mee Hoon Kueh Soup that almost had the same suspects as the previous dish, with meatballs replacing the minced meat and no mushrooms. The mee hoon kueh was presented in small square sheets that were slightly thinner than what I’m used to, which partly contributed to its lack of texture — something I typically enjoy in this dish. The broth was savoury yet easy to drink, without being too heavy on the palate.
The meatballs, 4 in total, are all made by hand. They were savoury and Mr Lim shared that he added shreds of dried squid, which really enhances the flavour. You can help yourself to the chilli with the garlic bits, which adds a citrusy kick.
From now till 8 May, the Chwee Kueh and Chee Cheong Fun are on promotion at just S$1 for 2 pieces each — perfect excuse for a breakfast run!
If you’re at Chinatown Complex, go give Kazan Cuisine and Mr Lim’s new venture a try!
Chang Ji Gourmet: 51-year-old stall selling $1.30 bee hoon, porridge & mee, opens at 6.30am
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