PUBLISHED August 15th, 2021 06:00 am | UPDATED August 23rd, 2021 10:26 am
Prawn Noodles, colloquially known as hae mee, is an iconic Singaporean hawker favourite, featuring a dark broth packed with prawn, seafood and sometimes even pork flavouring. Despite coming with a variety of toppings such as pork ribs, clams and pig’s tails, the star of the show is always the broth. Perfect for seafood and soup-lovers out there, here are some of Singapore’s best.
River South (Hoe Nam) Noodles House
At River South (Hoe Nam) Noodles House, you’re spoilt for choice. What started out as a small prawn noodles shop with only one item on their menu has now become a mecca of prawn noodles perfection with all the possible fixings. With a broth flavoured strongly of pork and shellfish, River South (Hoe Nam) Noodles House features ingredients like medium-sized prawns, abalone clams, pork ribs, pig’s tail and pig’s intestine. Needless to say, the Five-in-One Bowl (from S$10) deserves all the love it gets.
River South (Hoe Nam) Noodles House is located at 31 Tai Thong Cres, Singapore 347859, p. +6562819293. Open daily 7am – 3pm, 5pm – 10pm.
Beach Road Prawn Noodle House
Beach Road Prawn Noodle House never fails to draw a crowd when it serves up its signature bowls of rich amber broth teeming with herbal, lardy fragrance and shallot oil. While they have added a slew of different noodles over the year, from Pork Rib Mee to Prawn with Pig’s Tail Mee (both from S$6), their most popular dish remains the Jumbo Prawn Mee (S$12) featuring large succulent prawns. One of the spots with soup and dry versions relatively well, their Dry Prawn Noodles (from S$5.80) are worth a try too.
Beach Road Prawn Noodle House is located at 370/372 E Coast Rd, Singapore 428981, p. +6563457196. Open Mon, Wed-Sun 7am – 4pm. Closed Tue.
Blanco Court Prawn Mee
Dating back to 1928, Blanco Court Prawn Mee has been churning out prawn noodles a long time. A staple for your grandparents, the establishment serves the quintessential prawn noodles, with an umami soup, fresh prawns, pork ribs, pig’s tail and a touch of fried shallot oil. A basic bowl of prawn mee starts at S$5.80, but regulars gravitate towards the three-in-one approach, which features all the toppings enjoyed with your choice of noodles.
Blanco Court Prawn Mee is located at 243 Beach Rd, #01-01, Singapore 189754, p, +6563968464. Open Mon, Wed-Sun 7am – 4pm. Closed Tue.
Fresh Taste Big Prawn Noodle
Previously known as Noo Cheng Adam Road Prawn Mee, Fresh Taste Big Prawn Noodle has earned itself a spot on the Michelin Bib Gourmand guide. Their broth starts with slow-cooking prawn heads and pork ribs, giving it a milkier consistency and a lighter prawn flavour. Prices range from S$6 to S$25, and the S$25 bowls are highly popular, featuring a bevvy of large banana prawns, fish cake, pork belly, pork skin and pork ribs.
Fresh Taste Big Prawn Noodle is located at 70 Zion Rd, Singapore 247792, p. +6590064655. Open Tue-Sun 11.30am – 10pm. Closed Mon.
Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles
Aside from their unique broth and affordable prices, Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles is also infamous for its temperamental owner. However, the fact that people keep going back is a testament to the quality of the food. Iconic for its bright orange colour, the broth is made entirely of prawns. Their mee kia (thin, yellow noodles) are specially made for them, and the sauce blend for their dry prawn noodles are made daily on-site.
Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles is located at 41A Cambridge Rd, #01-15 Pek Kio Market and Food Centre, Singapore 210041. Open Wed-Sun 8.30am – 2pm. Closed Mon & Tue.
Da Dong Prawn Noodles
Founded in 1966, Da Dong Prawn Noodles have been operated by the same family since, passed down from father to son. Well-loved for their intense seafood broth packed with prawn flavour, this establishment is perfect for those that enjoy a hefty flavour punch. They take their soup seriously and for the sake of quality control do not offer refills, so savour every sip as you slurp up their standard Pork Rib Prawn Noodles (from S$5) or splurge on their Big Prawn Noodles (from S$13).
Da Dong Prawn Noodles is located at 354 Joo Chiat Rd, Singapore 427600, p. Open Mon, Wed-Sun 7.30am – 2pm. Closed Tue.
545 Whampoa Prawn Noodles
Simple in execution and make, the highlight of 545 Whampoa Prawn Noodles is the freshness of its ingredients and its consistency. Run by a family with a legacy of cooking up prawn noodles in Whampoa in the 1950s, they serve old school prawn noodles with no surprises. Starting from S$4, expect blanched prawns, sliced pork and fried shallots on a bed of yellow egg noodles. The dry version with chili is recommended by everyone.
545 Whampoa Prawn Noodles is located at 665 Buffalo Road, #01-326, Singapore 210665. Open Mon-Fri 7am – 11am. Closed Sat & Sun.
Prawn & Mee
Founded by graduates of the Culinary Institute Of America, Gladwin Yap and Raphael Sim, Prawn & Mee takes a slightly different approach with this iconic dish. Their prawn broth is reminiscent of those from ramen soup. We recommend trying the Prawn Noodle Dry (from S$4) as the sauce base is incredible and it comes with a side of their soup completely undiluted by other ingredients.
Prawn & Mee is located at 216 Bedok North Street 1, #01-45, Singapore 460216. Open Tue-Sun 9am – 2pm. Closed Mon.
Top image courtesy of Lily Banse, Unsplash