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Different Types of Fried Prawn Noodles (Hokkien Mee) in Singapore

 a) Charcoal Fired

1. Swee Guan (Geylang Lor 29)
2. Geylang Lor 29 (East Coast Lagoon)
3. Geylang Lor 29 (East Coast Road)

b) Thin Bee Hoon
1. Nam Sing (Old Airport)
2. Eng Ho (Tech Ghee)
3. You Fu (Golden Mile)
4. Hainan Hokkien Mee (Golden Mile)

c) Thick Bee Hoon (Soaked)
1. Yi Sheng (ABC Food Centre)
2. Xiao Di (Serangoon North Ave1)
3. Soon Kee (Bt Batok St 11)
4. Singapore Hokkien Mee (Whampoa) 5. You Fu (Golden Mile)
6. Nam Kee (Clementi Central)
7. Yong Huat (Katong)
8. Che Jian (Chomp Chomp
9. Hong Heng (Tiong Bahru)
10. Yang Chow - Beo Crescent (Alexandra)
11. Havelock Blk50 (ABC Food Centre)  
12. Ten Mile Junction (Bt Timah Market)

d) Thick Bee Hoon (Wet)
1. Hokkien Man (Toa Payoh Lor 7)
2. Tian Tian Lai (Toa Payoh Lor 1)

e) Claypot
1. Kim Keat Claypot Hokkien Mee (Toa Payoh Lor 4)

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Swee Guan Hokkien Mee
Lor 29 Geylang

The GOAT.


Geylang Lor 29 Hokkien Mee 
East Coast Road/East Coast Lagoon

There have been many comparisons made between the torn sibling rivalry. Whilst I've heard that this one in East Coast road is better, and certainly more successful, I personally prefer the one at the original Geylang Lor 29. 

I feel that there isn't as much flavour in the broth that is used to soak the noodles. And perhaps the noticeable difference is that here they use thin beehoon whilst Swee Guan uses the thicker ones. 

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Nam Sing Hokkien Mee
Old Airport 

Relatively dry variant, with more composition of thin bee hoon. However, the flavours of the stock is enhanced by the generous servings of eggs. The setback of this outlet is the arrogant lack of sambal chilli - for they feel that it will taint the authentic taste of their noodles.

Eng Ho Hokkien Mee 
Teck Ghee Market

Nestled in Teck Ghee Market, this stall will bark their pre-empt of a ridiculous waiting time even before you get to order... 45mins! Can wait or not? After they will note your order on a seemingly busy exercise book. After finishing two other dishes, this plate finally comes. Eager to find out if this is actually worth the wait!

I took one mouth of this semi wet stir fried prawn Hokkien mee, and to my dismay, found little semblance to the rich prawn stock or lingering pork lard tastes that is synonymous with one of my favourite local dishes. In fact, what I tasted was the strong taste of alkalinity from the yellow noodles, obviously poorly handled and prepared.

The verdict is: if you are in that area, and looking to satisfy your Hokkien mee craving, turn away and head to Chomp Chomp instead. Otherwise, grab a plate of Tong Fong Fatt Chicken Rice or the Fish Head Steamboat...


Hainan Hokkien Mee
Golden Mile Food Centre 

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Yi Sheng Hokkien Mee 
ABC Brickworks Market

It is when the goodness of the prawn stock is wholly absorbed by the yellow noodles, and subtly balanced out with a small proportion of think Vermicelli. But not all vendors get this flavour. The tip lies in the type of prawns that you choose. Some when boiled, will give you the dark brown and salty taste - those might be good for Prawn Mee soup. Those that gives you a lighter shade sweet flavour are the ones for this job!

For this is when it is able to balance off the flavours from the garlic and the pork lard, to produce a plate of Goodness! The only thing this stall is slightly lacking, and I may be biased here, is the slow fire from Charcoal (Reference to Swee Guan @ Geylang). But otherwise, I give this stall No.2 spot on my rankings. 

Xiao Di Hokkien Mee
153 Serangoon North Ave 1


Soon Kee Hokkien Prawn Noodles
155 Bukit Batok St11

It is all in the broth, you has tastes of Sweet from Sugar and the Prawns, tinge of Bitter from the Wok Hei and the Pork Lard, Savoury from the Prawn Shells. And his Prawns are Fresh and not those cheaper farmed glassy ones you get in some laksa. The Pork Lard is fried perfectly without becoming too charred or bitter - light and crispy. The Chilli is a Belachan style, likened to the one in Chomp Chomp (not Ah Hock). 

Yang Chow Hokkien Mee 
40A Beo Crescent (Behind Havelock Porridge)
Moved to Bukit Merah (Ang Ku Kueh)

Tucked away in a Coffeeshop beside the food centre. You would miss it if you didn't know where to look. The place just has the nostalgic vibe to it.

Definitely not as fragrant as the charcoal fired Swee Guan, nor the sweetness like Yi Sheng. But certainly credit is due to its old school Wok Hei. This is the "sticky" type of Hokkien Mee. I prefer this to the ones with more broth as I fell as though the stock has been soaked by the noodles.

Che Jian (Chia Keng) Hokkien Mee 
Serangoon Gardens Chomp Chomp (Stall 11 - 2nd stall on the left)

My personal favourite, this Hokkien Mee favours more thin bee hoon but manages to make it absorb the stock - which is relatively hard to accomplish. What is unique is their killer belachan that is a must try for those looking for a spicier variant of this dish.

This stall was before at the 2nd last stall beside the Wanton Mee, but have now edged up front to be situated next to the Stingray stall on the left. It almost seem as though the noodles tastes the best, just before closing, when the chef has started on his daily "Carlsberg" cool down routine.

Nam Kee Hokkien Mee 
Clementi Central
 
Now a Father and Son mentorship. Always good to see the next generation taking over. Still rough around the corners but he is getting there. A bit too garlicky for my liking. And its broth barely has a prawn flavour. Unfortunate. 

Hong Heng Hokkien Mee
Tiong Bahru Market

I'd always say, Singaporeans do not need a foreigner telling us what is good to eat in our Hawker Centres. This stall in the famous Tiong Bahru Market, despite being the Bib Gourmand for two consecutive years, had significant lesser queues than famous stalls without such accolades. 

There was simply insufficient prawn flavours in his broth, leaving a rather bland attempt at slow cooking the noodles with any wok hei. The chilli too lacked depth and shrimps. I wouldn't even ask you to try. 


Singapore Hokkien Mee
Whampoa Market 


Ten Mile Junction Market
Bukit Timah 
 


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Tian Tian Lai (Come Daily) 
Blk 127 Lor 1 Toa Payoh #02-27 

This is the recommendation of a local television programme on Ch8 - Just Noodles, where it was rated top.

Not just for this call, but also because I vaguely remember that as a young boy, I would go to my grandma's to pack a special serving of my favourite Hokkien Mee wrapped in Coconut Leaves. This was the same location, but this was 25years later... I was willing to give it a shot.

We arrived at the market... Nostalgia overwhelms! This place sure has changed. News roads, blocks upgraded, wet market upgraded... Some stalls survived the test of the time, such as the Medical Halls.

We found the stall, but i was shocked to find no one queuing... But upon closer examination inside, i saw a table filled with order sheets laid in tandem dominos, for about 4 rows. I'm anticipating a wait...

When it finally came, i was nervous, anxious, is it to be? Took my first bite, it does have hints of the distinctive broth of that era. Fragrant with the generous servings of deep fried pork lard, and well cooked eggs. The sauce, littered with black dots of "wok-hei"- tasty. Not as fantastic as i would have remembered it to be, his father still kept some of his secrets with him i guess. Worth the wait? Maybe. Does it belong to the Master class? Maybe not.The search continues...

Hokkien Man 
Toa Payoh Lor 7 

First of all, this belongs to the "wet" type of hokkien mee. A type I'm not a fan of, as there'd be less opportunity to capture wok hei - and indeed none here. 

In fact, the broth was so intensely garlicky, every bite bashed in a reminder that this is garlic noodles, for there was little hint of prawns at all. Its milky base was primarily seafood, evident from the cooked to death sotongs (turned skinny and translucent), which also made it sweeter than savoury. 

Its profile is mode of a seafood white bee hoon dish instead. I can't get over the fact that there isn't a stronger prawn flavour... The only saving grace was the sambal which lent a tinge of umami, alas they charge $0.50 for extra chilli...

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Kim Keat Claypot Hokkien Mee 
Blk 92 Toa Payoh Lor 4

It has been popping up on social media everywhere. Even Leslie's video of it sizzling in its claypot. Innovative to be one of its kind to have hokkien mee in a Claypot to seal in its flavour and also to have crispy pork belly as a topping! Everything just tastes so good! 

What it lacks however, is its "wok hei"... Simply because of the way it is cooked. Perhaps that is the reason why it had not make it to the top of this list. Please expect to wait for a min of 30mins even though there seem to be no queue. 
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