6 days ago
Food Picks: Hearty prawn noodles at East Treasure
SINGAPORE – There have been many times when I work up a big appetite for prawn noodles and head to Da Dong in Joo Chiat Road, only to find that the stall has sold out for the day. Cue teeth gnashing.
If only I had known earlier that just a few steps away is East Treasure Specialty Prawn Noodle, part of the Astons group of restaurants. The casual 50-seat eating house opened in 2018 and serves prawn noodles in every permutation – soup, dry, regular prawns, big prawns, with pork ribs or pig tail instead of prawn.
Having been there a few times, I would say order the Penang Prawn Noodle Soup ($10.50). The broth has plenty of oomph and is spiked with chilli. Yes, it is a little too spicy for this chilli coward, but I slurp spoonful after spoonful while wiping sweat off my brow. The broth is that good.
What also makes eating there worthwhile is the freshness of the prawns, which come with head and tail shell intact. Sucking juices out of the head is one of life's great pleasures. The thin slices of belly pork boast springy fat and the lean parts are not dried out.
My second option would be Classic Prawn Noodle Dry ($8.50). The sauce coating the noodles is, again, on the spicier side, but it also makes for compelling eating.
Both versions come with lardons, and those cubes of fried pork lard taste fresh and have a satisfying crunch. They are better than any icing on any cake. To pile on more crunch, order a serving of Crispy Pork Tail ($7.80) from East Treasure's selection of ngoh hiang. I would work out extra hard so I can enjoy the crisp skin and tender, gelatinous meat.
One day, when I can carve out enough stomach space, I will eat at Da Dong and East Treasure one after another and relish the different styles these purveyors bring to the genre.
Where: 328 Joo Chiat Road
MRT: Eunos
Open: 9am to 9pm daily
Info: Call 6247-7545 or go to
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