Ah Huat Hokkien Prawn Mee: We finally tried Punggol's most talked-about Hokkien mee stall
Every time I open Facebook on my phone, Ah Huat Hokkien Prawn Mee seems to pop up without fail in the 'Hokkien Mee Hunting' group. Although the stall has been open for at least 1.5 months, it's recently become the talk of the town online, with comments ranging from praise for its flavour to complaints about soggy prawns and inconsistent quality — the list goes on.
Curiosity finally got the better of me, so I swung by Foodgle coffee shop at 308C Walk to see what the fuss was all about. I'd been in touch with Daniel, the stall owner, beforehand, but I arrived early on purpose and had my dining partner order for me, hoping to avoid being recognised (Disclaimer: all stall photos were taken only after the meal).
Why did I do that? A recent tasting served me one of the better mee hoon kueh soups I've had, so I recommended it to a friend who happened to live upstairs. Unfortunately, his experience didn't live up to the hype — he didn't enjoy it, which made me realise how food can sometimes differ on media invite days. I wanted to see for myself what a regular customer usually gets.
Having been a chef myself, I recall the pressure the F&B director would place on us whenever a food critic was due for lunch. It's funny how the tables have turned.
Owner Daniel shared that he and his team train people who may not have prior experience cooking a certain dish. They had all undergone stringent training that lasted anywhere between 3 to 10 days.
Within 15 mins, we had already received the Hokkien Prawn Mee (S$6) and Ah Huat Fried Rice (S$6). If a customer waits 45 minutes or more, Ah Huat Hokkien Prawn Mee makes it their mission to offer a free kopi or teh kosong — a thoughtful gesture, indeed.
Alas, the most contented dish, the Hokkien Prawn Mee arrived. Over here, thin bee hoon is used in place of the thick variety, paired with yellow noodles. It had 2 prawns, sotong, pork belly pieces, golden nuggets of pork lard, sambal and a calamansi.
Visually, it appeared drier than the versions I'd seen on social media. Even my friend, who visited the stall with her husband the night before, got a wetter plate. I can only imagine how tough it must be for these hawkers, who aren't professionally trained. Even chefs struggle with consistency, so what more for them?
Alas, the most contented dish, the Hokkien Prawn Mee arrived. Over here, thin bee hoon is used in place of the thick variety, paired with yellow noodles. It had 2 prawns, sotong, pork belly pieces, golden nuggets of pork lard, sambal and a calamansi.
Visually, it appeared drier than the versions I'd seen on social media. Even my friend, who visited the stall with her husband the night before, got a wetter plate. I can only imagine how tough it must be for these hawkers, who aren't professionally trained. Even chefs struggle with consistency, so what more for them?
12 best hawker stalls at 409 AMK Market & Food Centre
However, it was the yellow mee's alkaline taste — that 'siap siap' sensation on the tongue — that was a bit too strong for my liking. Imparting the calamansi's citrusy yellow drops to the noods did, however, improve the experience.
Now for the positives. The prawns — often criticised for being soggy — were actually fresh, firm and sweet. Kudos to the chefs for taking the time and effort to peel each prawn carefully, leaving just the tip of the tail intact.
Even the pork belly pieces were plump and soft, with the luscious fat melting in my mouth.
I also enjoyed the squid — tentacles and all — which were pleasantly tender. To me, the showstoppers were the pork lard pieces and sambal.
There were a dozen (yes, I counted) substantial pieces of pork lard — golden-brown morsels of crispy bliss that added a sinful burst of flavour to every spoonful of noodles.
The sambal was bold and fiery; just a tiny bit packed a real punch. It was a solid supporting player, bringing everything together.
We also tried the Ah Huat Fried Rice, a dish inspired by Daniel's mum, who used to make it for him during his childhood.. The rice, with a rich reddish-brown hue, was stir fried with roast pork, and topped with a sunny side-up. On the side sat a single prawn and pieces of pork lard.
Oh, I just found out that for the month of April, the egg and prawn are given free.
The rice had a subtle, smoky hint of wok hei, with a gently sweet undertone reminiscent of char siew seasoning. It was truly unique — I've rarely, if ever, had fried rice done this way.
The fried egg on top added a rich creaminess to the rice, especially where the golden yolk had trickled down the grains.
The roast pork pieces were fragrant and tender, and together with the pork lard, offered a satisfying balance of texture and aroma. Each bite contributed a savoury richness, with the crispy edges adding a light crunch that complemented the rice beautifully.
The Hokkien mee needs a lot of work for sure. The robustness of the prawn broth, the alkalinity of the yellow noodles and the inconsistent final product are 3 important shortfalls that they should resolve.
While the sambal and pork lard were great, I believe the noodles should ultimately be able to stand out on their own, without relying on supporting condiments to shine (that's just my opinion). I ended up liking the Ah Huat Fried Rice more.
I'll give them some time to work on standardising their processes, and head down once more to give them another try. If you're around the Punggol area, why not swing by Ah Huat Hokkien Prawn Mee? Taste is subjective, so try it for yourself!
Expected damage: S$6 – S$10 per pax
Xiao Di Fried Prawn Noodle ($6) vs Reverie ($32): Kopitiam stall or restaurant does it better?
The post Ah Huat Hokkien Prawn Mee: We finally tried Punggol's most talked-about Hokkien mee stall appeared first on SETHLUI.com.
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