Beach Road Prawn Noodle House: Does taste alone determine the success of an eatery?

With ieatjr


This is reportedly the most successful hawker in Singapore with monthly sales of $139,200 or at least that is what Mr Lee declared in last year's newspaper report. So what is it that makes a hawker so successful? Your first response might be that the food must be out of this world. But in my experience that is not always the case. Other factors like location, ease of parking, service and price also have a big part to play.

The prawn noodle here is of course of a certain standard or else they wouldn't be as successful as they are. However, if you compare their taste with that of the stalls which also originated from the patriach, Mr Lee, viz Jalan Sultan and Joo Chiat Prawn Noodle, you would agree with me that the taste of the soup is quite similar. So the fact that this particular stall is doing so much better than the other two begs the question, why?

I haven't been back here for almost a year I think and I have to admit that my latest visit left much to be desired. Firstly the price of a bowl of Prawn noodle has gone up. The smallest bowl now is $5.50. And for that price you are only getting one measly little prawn (split in half) and some pork ribs. The soup was still ok, though not as shiok as I remembered. Both Amagada and I have eaten here quite a few times and this latest visit was the most disappointing. 3.75/5 Hopefully this is a once off and they are not letting their success affect their standards.



Ngor Hiang seems to always go hand in hand with prawn noodles. This stall is located within the same restaurant and is operated by another relative. Most of the items are still handmade and some of the items like yam fritters and the lup cheong are quite good. The pork Ngoh Hiang was quite average though. This stall doesn't really need to be outstanding to do well since they just ride on the success of the prawn noodle. 4/5

Conclusion

Probably the most famous prawn noodle around but quite disappointed that the quality seems to have faltered. With the price increase, they are also one of the most expensive around now but that doesn't seem to have affected their business much. As I alluded to earlier, there are several factors involved in the success of any eatery and taste is but one of those factors.

Beach Road Prawn Noodle House
370 East Coast Road
S428981 63457196
8am-4pm daily
Closed on Tuesdays

The Old Stall Famous Hokkien St Prawn Noodles: Is this really the Original Stall?

The owner of this stall claims that they can trace their lineage all the way back to the old Hokkien street around 50 years ago. Back then, prawn noodles were very different in that the gravy was very dark. He claims that it was his mother who first invented the light colored prawn soup which is the common garden variety nowadays. Since they have been around for so long, they have built a very faithful following especially amongst the older folks. Apparently, the stall is frequented by MPs and other VIPs as well, who go there because of its original taste.

So with all that historical backdrop, the strong recommendation by Damien, plus the bold statement on their signboard stating "Specially Make Delicious Soup", I primed my tastebuds for an adventure of a lifetime.

The soup was good but I guess I had expected much more. It did have that prawn soup kick but just did not hit the threshold for "Shiok!!". 4.25/5

The thing that really did have the Oooomph factor though, was the specially prepared chilli powder. One whiff of the powder and you know that it is something special. Unlike a lot of other stalls which simply give you plain chilli powder. This stall fries their chilli powder with dried prawns (Hae Bee). The taste is very distinctive. It is so good that he even sells the chilli powder for those who need to get their satisfaction at home.



Conclusion

Is this really a direct descendant of the originator of our present day Prawn Noodle? Perhaps our more seasoned readers can shed some light the history of Prawn Noodles? And by the way, is Prawn Noodles only found in Singapore or do they also have this dish in Malaysia?

The Old Stall Hokien St Famous Hokkien Mee
Hong Lim Complex
531A Upper Cross Street #02-68
9am to 5pm
Thursdays Closed
Michael Tan 98539630

Whitley Big Prawn Noodle: Remember the Hawker Centre under the flyover?

Do you all still remember the hawker centre that used to be below the Whitley Road Flyover? I used to live near there 20 years ago during my NS days and it used to be my usual haunt to get great hawker food. My wife (my girlfriend then) never ceases to remind me of one particular eating spree where I went amok after having just recovered from my wisdom tooth extraction. I was on soft diet for a week and when they finally removed the stitches, all hell broke loose.

I don't actually remember any particular stalls there. All I remember was that there was a lot of good food. Pity that they had to relocate. I guess eating under a flyover is hardly very sanitary with all that exhaust smoke and soot.

This is one of the stalls that traces its roots from the old Whitley flyover Hawker centre and it is one of those Prawn Noodle stalls that often make it to top ten list of prawn mees in Singapore, so I am sure there are many fans. This is a good bowl of prawn mee but the soup that day lacked ooomph. 4/5

Conclusion

I heard they have another stall over at Novena. I wonder if both are of the same standards?

Whitley Road Big Prawn Mee
Blk 51 Old Airport Rd Hawker Centre
#01-98
Tues-Fri 9am to 8pm
Sat-Sun 9am to 9pm
Mon closed except Public Holiday

Kok Seng Restaurant: Just how do you define Cze Char?

With Damien, iwatch_ueat, smart, liverpool and Tag

Big Prawn Bee Hoon Soup $11.50

What's the difference between a Cze Char and a Restaurant? Is it just because a Restaurant has air-con and a Cze Char does not? Or is it that the dishes are different? Perhaps it is the prices or service that is different? Take Zi Yean Restaurant for instance, which has 2 sections. One with air con and one without. Both sections share the same kitchen and the same dishes. We call one a Cze Char and the other a Restaurant. How about this scenario; let's say a Cze Char Hawker migrates to Australia and opens a restaurant that sells exactly what he sells in Singapore. Surely it would be called a Restaurant and not a Cze Char. So how would define a Cze Char? It's almost like trying to define the colour Red. You can't really describe it but one look and you know it is Red.

Anyway, the Cze Char is something as Singaporean as Bak Kut Teh and when we say Cze Char, immediately you think of Hor Fun, Ee Mee, Sweet and Sour Pork and Hot plate Tofu. More and more Cze Chars are trying to differentiate themselves by offering more unique signature dishes. But the problem in Singapore is that once a new Cze Char dish gets famous, others will start copying it and we are then back to square one.

Anyway, this Cze Char was recommended by Bashful Hunter and it is a place that he regularly brings overseas visitors. We started with the Prawn Noodles which was one of their unique dishes. Their version is quite a bit different from the usual Hawker Fare. The soup was strong on the Belachan and a bit grainy and instead of noodles, they use the Thick Bee Hoon that is usually used for XO Fish Head Bee Hoon. It was interesting for a try but did not quite resonate with our tastebuds. 3.75/5


Sliced Fish Hor Fun $5.50

The Hor Fun saved the day for me and I wouldn't mind coming here just for this dish. However the reviews from around the table was a bit mixed. I felt the Hor Fun had that nice wok hei flavour and the gravy was quite tasty. However Damien, Smart and Liverpool all felt that there are better ones elsewhere. 4/5


Bittergourd Pork Ribs $10

The Pork Ribs were excellent. They were tender but not the sort of tenderness that is derived from marinating the meat in bicarbonate so that it has a fishball type consistency. No the meat still has that natural fibrous texture but is easy on the bite. The sauce was quite good although I was not quite sure if I could taste the contribution from the bittergourd. 4.25/5


Curry Fish Head $12

I realise that many of our readers love Fish Head Curry. Now, I am not big on this dish, but my makankakis are. So I promise that I shall go on the Fish Head Curry trail soon. If you have a good stall to recommend please write in!

The Curry Fish Head here is the Chinese version. It is strong on the curry powder and does not have that sourish taste found in Indian Curry Fish Head. The makankakis all felt that there are better Curry Fish Head elsewhere although they did finish the whole plate. The fish was quite fresh, so no one was willing to let a good fish head go to waste! 3.5/5

Conclusion

Not too bad but not overwhelming either. Perhaps we did not order the right dishes. However, the restaurant is well established and is usually full during lunch time. The sliced fish hor fun and pork ribs were good enough for me to come back again to try some other dishes.

Kok Seng Restaurant
30-32 Keong Saik Road
11.30am to 11.30pm
Chef takes a break from 2.30pm

Lam's Crab and Prawn Noodles: Steamed Crab Bee Hoon!

With PK, smart, VB, iwatch_ueat and Tag


This is quite a unique dish for those who are looking for new things to try. It is crab bee hoon but not the familiar fried version like Sin Huat or Heng Kee. It is instead, a steamed Crab Bee Hoon.



The Bee Hoon has been pre-fried and it really reminded me of mee siam. So all the special flavouring is in the bee hoon already. When you order the dish, all they do is to put the crab and and some fried ginger on top and steam it.

It is the first time I came across this dish. When I found out how they actually prepared it, I really had my doubts about how it would taste. I can't imagine how much crab flavour will actually get into the Bee Hoon.

For me, the beauty of Bee Hoon is its ability to absorb the flavours. A well prepared Bee Hoon can be marvelicious like the ones I mentioned previously.

My doubts were proven right. The bee hoon does lack the nice savoury crustacean flavour of a good fried crab bee hoon. This is not to say it is bad. It is not bad, just not that shiok. But for those who are looking to eat something that is more Cheng (less oily), this would be a good idea. For $10 a plate, you get a small sized crab. I guess it is something you'd want to try just to judge for yourself if you really like it. The group of us were not exactly bowled over, but you know, as they say, taste is subjective. 3.5/5


Prawn and Pork Rib Noodles $8

The Prawn noodles here is not bad. The soup certainly looks quite robust with all the bits of protein precipitates floating around in the soup. It was good but still lacked that ooomph that I have come to expect of a good prawn noodle soup. Still worth trying if you are in the Rangoon Road area. 4/5

Conclusion

We were not overwhelmed by the Crab Bee Hoon or the Prawn Noodle that day which was quite unexpected since this store was highly recommended by several people. Maybe it was just a one off. The Crab Bee Hoon was a dish I try once just for the sake of it. However, I have a feeling the Prawn Noodles were just a bit lack lustre that day and might usually be much better. There were quite a few people eating there on a late afternoon, so there must be something going for it.

Lam's Crab and Prawn Noodle
97 Rangoon Road
9am to 9pm

Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles: Ladies and Gentlemen, We have a Winner!

With smart, iwatch_ueat, PK and ColdStorage

Prawn Mee Soup with XL Prawns $8

I think I have found the preeminent prawn mee at last.

Up till now, I have found that most of the top rated stalls were just as good as each other and have been having difficulty proclaiming one to be my favourite. That is to say, if someone from overseas wanted to taste a prawn mee, I would choose from the few top stalls that I have blogged depending on convenience.

Not anymore. Now if my Japanese friend wanted to try prawn mee, I would bring him to the other stalls ONLY if this one was closed.

The prawn mees that I have taken so far all had soups that were really salty and gave you that impression that lots of MSG was used. This one is different. This one had an unique taste which I initially could not identify. I just knew that is was a spectacularly pleasing taste and it wasn't predominantly MSG. It was one of those flavours that you really can't put your finger on, but you know that you have tasted it before and really enjoy it.



It was only after finishing the bowl of soup that I realised what it was! It was that unique taste you get in Lobster Bisque!! Ooooo, that "extract of crustacean shell and all the stuff in the head" taste! Wow, this old couple really know how to squeeze out the best from a prawn.

The owner was tight lipped about what goes into the soup. But after must pestering, he did reveal that it contained 6 seafood ingredients. I also found out that he fries the prawn head and shell and squeezes out all the yummy stuff!

The prawns here are also some of the biggest XL prawns you can find. So sweet and juicy, phwa say! The noodles were also excellent. We had the dry mee pok and the texture and taste of the noodles were equally spectacular. 4.75/5

Conclusion

We have a winner! This prawn mee soup stands one head above the rest because of that unique taste. I have been thinking about it everyday since I ate it last week and even made a trip back this week.

PS: Its rated high because it is different. If you are looking for that usual bowl of prawn mee you might be dissappointed as it is not as salty as the rest.

Wah Kee Prawn Noodles
Blk 41A Cambridge Road Hawker Centre (Pek Kio)
#01-15
96883633
7.30am to 2pm
Closed on Mondays

Recommended by eslim and smart

Noo Cheng Adam Road Prawn Noodle: Zion Road Food Centre Part 1 of 3

With iwatch_ueat, damien, smartgoh and introducing the very HolyC

Jumbo Prawn Mee Soup $8

This stall is a branch of the one at Adam Road which I visited previously. The dry version over there was much better then the soup version as I felt the soup there really lacked the ooomph. I mentioned this to the stallowner. He smiled and assured me that the soup here is guaranteed to knock my socks off.

Man he was right. The soup here really does beat the one over at Adam Road! Those looking for a umami rush would be very pleased. 4.5/5




I must admit that after blogging so many different prawn mee stalls, my taste for prawn mee has become more upmarket. After eating the XL Sea Prawns, it is very hard to go back to the scrawny little ones. A freshly blanched Sea Prawn has got that special sweetness and texture about it that is hard to beat!

Conclusion

Another great place for Prawn Mee! As always, it depends on your luck whether the soup is going to be super shiok that day. If you catch it just before they fill the vat with a fresh batch of soup, you will be in for a rush!

Noo Cheng Adam Road Prawn Mee
Zion Riverside Food Centre Stall 4
11am to 11pm daily

Feng Yun Live Prawn Noodle: Out of the tank and into the boiler!

With iwatch_ueat and introducing our latest makankaki matt62


When my friend, matt62, told me about this stall that sells Live Prawn Noodles, I just could wait to go down and see it for myself. How can I resist the idea of having succulent live prawns in my prawn mee?



Now, I have to moderate your expectations a little. The prawns are indeed live and they are larger than your usual tiger prawns. However, the style of the prawn noodle is very different from the usual. Over here, they use a herbal soup instead of the normal salty, savoury prawn noodle soup with belacan that we are all used to. When you get to the entrance of the stall, you can already smell the Tang Kwei (Angelica Root) wafting in the air.

This live prawn noodle concept was birthed in the fertile mind of Alan who until 4 years ago was a regular in the RSAF. How does one come up with a dish like Live Prawn Herbal Noodle Soup? It is unlike anything I have tasted in Singapore. Bit like a herbal Bak Kut Teh, but with prawns instead. According to Alan, he had no prior experience in Prawn Noodles, he just did it because it was the simplest hawker fare he could think of. Why herbal? He said the herbs are meant to lower your cholesterol and so balances out the high cholesterol you get from the prawns. Hmmmm, I don't know enough about herbal medicine to comment about that statement. What I can say is that the herbal concoction certainly does not promote hair growth, judging from Alan's Shaolin (lack of) hairstyle.



My personal preference is the dry version. He has a special thick gravy made from stewed pork, oyster sauce and soy sauce which was quite tasty. The chilli is made from lots of Heh Bee (dried prawns) and adds quite a kick to the gravy. The soup needs to be taken really hot. It does not have the ooomph of a savoury prawn noodle soup. Instead it has that very "Cheng" (clear) and cleansing quality about it and leaves a nice slightly bitter aftertaste (Kam Kam) at the back of your tongue. 4.25/5

The prawns are as fresh as you can get. I had a real shock when Alan scooped up the prawns in the net and simply popped them into the hot water! I still can't get over it!

Conclusion

This is the kind of place you just need to try at least once for the sheer novelty of it. After that, it will depend on whether you like the herbal soup or not. For me it was more for the novelty at first, but strangely it does sort of grow on you after a while. I will need to wait a few weeks to see if I get the urge to go back again.

Feng Yun Live Prawn Noodle
100 Kim Seng Road
#01-04 Kim Seng Plaza (Note new address below)
12pm-3pm 6pm - 4am (or until sold out)
Closed on Sundays 81123675



New Address:
Blk 715 Yishun Street 71 (S) 760715
Open 11am to 11pm
Closed on Mondays
Thanks to sleepsleep2003 for the update

Jalan Sultan Prawn Mee: The Second member of the Prawn Mee Trinity

With liverpool, iwatch_ueat and leon


In my blog on the Joo Chiat Prawn Mee, I mentioned that the original Beach Road Prawn Mee had spawn 3 stalls all serving Prawn Mee of similar taste. This one is owned by one of the grandsons.

I have eaten at all three stalls and find that their soup version is better than the dry version. The soup in all three stalls have got that wonderful ooomph when you drink it. As with all prawn mees, the standard of the soup also really depends on luck. If you get your soup just before they refill it with fresh stock, you are bound to be in for that wonderful umami rush!



Unlike the Auntie's stall at Joo Chiat, this stall gives you the option of ordering Jumbo King Prawns in order to satisfy your prawn craving. The Jumbo Prawn version I ordered cost $8 and the normal one starts from $4. The pork ribs here are big, tender and very shiok. 4.5/5

Conclusion

A great Prawn Mee soup. This stall is a favourite amongst many people so I do not expect that there will be many who will disagree with the high rating.

Jalan Sultan Prawn Mee
No. 2 Jalan Ayer (Off Geylang Lor 1)
Opp Kallang MRT
8am to 3.30pm
Closed on Tuesdays

Link to Joo Chiat Prawn Noodle