We count on several components to make a great plate of Hokkien-style prawn mee. First and foremost a good version will emit an appetite-whetting wok hei - a complex aromatic char cloaking the stir-fry that was cooked in a wok set over a roaring fire. The quality of ingredients make up the second component and the deliciousness, third.
Here are five hawker stalls that plate up a tasty version.
Here are five hawker stalls that plate up a tasty version.
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Come Daily Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee
Blk 127 Lor 1 Toa Payoh #02-27
Opening hours: 8.30am to 2.30pm, daily. Closed on Mondays.
Ask any Hokkien prawn mee connoisseur for their recommendations on where to go for a heady plate and chances are, Come Daily (Tian Tian Lai)'s version will come up. There are two camps when it comes to this dish of yellow and white noodles: wet or dry. Come Daily belongs to the former. Their Hokkien mee is a gravied, almost soupy version that features noodles cooked extremely well done. No al dente noodles to be found here but it's exactly that their constant stream of customers adore. The stock of which they use to cook the noodles in is rich, aromatic and a touch on the sweet side. But balancing out the sweet richness of the dish is their spicy chili, which really wakes the palate up.
Blk 127 Lor 1 Toa Payoh #02-27
Opening hours: 8.30am to 2.30pm, daily. Closed on Mondays.
Ask any Hokkien prawn mee connoisseur for their recommendations on where to go for a heady plate and chances are, Come Daily (Tian Tian Lai)'s version will come up. There are two camps when it comes to this dish of yellow and white noodles: wet or dry. Come Daily belongs to the former. Their Hokkien mee is a gravied, almost soupy version that features noodles cooked extremely well done. No al dente noodles to be found here but it's exactly that their constant stream of customers adore. The stock of which they use to cook the noodles in is rich, aromatic and a touch on the sweet side. But balancing out the sweet richness of the dish is their spicy chili, which really wakes the palate up.
A plate of Hokkien fried prawn noodles from Hong Heng Fried Sotong Prawn Mee located in Tiong Bahru Market
Hong Heng Fried Sotong Prawn Mee
Tiong Bahru Market, #02-01
Opening hours: 11am to 8pm, daily. Closed on Mondays.
Distinction: Bib Gourmand
While Come Daily's Hokkien prawn noodles toes the line on soupy, Hong Heng's noticeably drier. But the lack of gravy doesn't at all affect the flavours in the dish. Watching the hawker behind the wok at Hong Heng is like watching a well-rehearsed play in motion. Each action is carefully timed and focused; there isn't time to muck around when there's a snaking queue at the stall. The magic behind Hong Heng's prawn noodles is in its prawn stock, which the owner ladles not one but two full scoops of into the wok for a plate of noodles. He then cooks the noodles in the stock singing of beautiful briny, prawn flavours long enough for the flavours and aromas to permeate the alkaline and white noodles.
Kim's Famous Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee
62B Jalan Eunos
Opening hours: 11am to 1am, daily.
Here's a spot for the night owls. Kim's Famous Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee stays open until 1am every night but they tend to sell out before so if you're looking to snag a bowl, pay them a visit before midnight. And fans of lard rejoice, for their plates of prawn noodles come with a generous sprinkling of crispy golden nuggets.
Tiong Bahru Market, #02-01
Opening hours: 11am to 8pm, daily. Closed on Mondays.
Distinction: Bib Gourmand
While Come Daily's Hokkien prawn noodles toes the line on soupy, Hong Heng's noticeably drier. But the lack of gravy doesn't at all affect the flavours in the dish. Watching the hawker behind the wok at Hong Heng is like watching a well-rehearsed play in motion. Each action is carefully timed and focused; there isn't time to muck around when there's a snaking queue at the stall. The magic behind Hong Heng's prawn noodles is in its prawn stock, which the owner ladles not one but two full scoops of into the wok for a plate of noodles. He then cooks the noodles in the stock singing of beautiful briny, prawn flavours long enough for the flavours and aromas to permeate the alkaline and white noodles.
Kim's Famous Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee
62B Jalan Eunos
Opening hours: 11am to 1am, daily.
Here's a spot for the night owls. Kim's Famous Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee stays open until 1am every night but they tend to sell out before so if you're looking to snag a bowl, pay them a visit before midnight. And fans of lard rejoice, for their plates of prawn noodles come with a generous sprinkling of crispy golden nuggets.
Kim Keat's Hokkien mee comes bubbling hot in a claypot with its smallest serving $10 for two people.
Kim Keat Hokkien Prawn Mee
92 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh
Opening hours: 11am to 9pm, daily. Closed on Tuesdays.
Like Come Daily, Kim Keat is seeing a second-generation owner at the helm. Kim Keat first made its waves among the local food community when the story of the original hawker made its rounds - a heartwarming tale of a man who's turned over a new leaf. Today, it remains on the lips of foodies for another reason: the food is just tasty. Affectionately known as sio bak Hokkien mee, Kim Keat's version comes topped with a smattering of roasted pork that's fried separately instead of with the noodles so they retain a crispy, crunchy exterior, which gives the otherwise rather soft dish some texture.
Geylang Lor 29 Hokkien Mee
396 East Coast Road
Opening hours: 11.45am to 9pm, daily. Closed on Mondays.
To date, several Hokkien prawn mee stalls have sprouted up in Geylang claiming to be the original Geylang prawn noodles stall but foodies will know that the real Geylang Hokkien prawn mee hawker stall has relocated to East Roast Road. With 50 years of heavy wok duty under their belts, Geylang Lor 29 Hokkien Mee is an institution. Wok hei is an increasingly difficult attribute to find in hawker food for it requires wok-handlers to be frying the ingredients until it develops an almost crispy char on the exterior before it is deglazed with the stock - an action many hawkers are skipping due to time constraints. But the prawn noodles here wears its wok hei as a badge of honour. In fact, they take the wok hei a step further by frying the noodles in a hot wok that's fired by charcoal, a technique they've employed since the 1960s.
92 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh
Opening hours: 11am to 9pm, daily. Closed on Tuesdays.
Like Come Daily, Kim Keat is seeing a second-generation owner at the helm. Kim Keat first made its waves among the local food community when the story of the original hawker made its rounds - a heartwarming tale of a man who's turned over a new leaf. Today, it remains on the lips of foodies for another reason: the food is just tasty. Affectionately known as sio bak Hokkien mee, Kim Keat's version comes topped with a smattering of roasted pork that's fried separately instead of with the noodles so they retain a crispy, crunchy exterior, which gives the otherwise rather soft dish some texture.
Geylang Lor 29 Hokkien Mee
396 East Coast Road
Opening hours: 11.45am to 9pm, daily. Closed on Mondays.
To date, several Hokkien prawn mee stalls have sprouted up in Geylang claiming to be the original Geylang prawn noodles stall but foodies will know that the real Geylang Hokkien prawn mee hawker stall has relocated to East Roast Road. With 50 years of heavy wok duty under their belts, Geylang Lor 29 Hokkien Mee is an institution. Wok hei is an increasingly difficult attribute to find in hawker food for it requires wok-handlers to be frying the ingredients until it develops an almost crispy char on the exterior before it is deglazed with the stock - an action many hawkers are skipping due to time constraints. But the prawn noodles here wears its wok hei as a badge of honour. In fact, they take the wok hei a step further by frying the noodles in a hot wok that's fired by charcoal, a technique they've employed since the 1960s.
