Born in 1965, the year Singapore gained independence, food critic GOH Chun Feng sets his eyes on local street foods which are changing at breakneck speed. He begins to interview local hawkers. A young female colleague who posts novel gastronomy reports on social media makes him uneasy at first, but the two journalists gradually hit if off through their interviews.
In this docudrama-style film, a food journalist travels to Tanglin Halt and other famous food courts and interviews actual cooks. Viewers get a taste of the richly diverse Singaporean cuisine, starting with Wanton mee which the film is named after, and discover the country’s past and present shaped by immigrants from all over Asia.
Eric Khoo is passionate about food. When he visits Japan he enthusiastically tours ramen restaurants; his subsequent film Ramen Teh presented in 2018 features bak kut teh (a pork rib dish cooked in broth) and Japanese ramen.
Wanton Mee premiered in the San Sebastian International Film Festival 2015.