Prawnaholic – The New Generation of Our Classic Hae Mee!

According to google, an ‘-aholic’ denotes someone who is addicted to something. I’ve heard of shopaholic, workaholic and even sleepaholic. But, prawnaholic? That’s a first for me.

Located on the 2nd floor of the newly opened Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre, Fareground, Prawnaholic sells hae mee with a modern twist.

The chef-owner, Mr Alan Choong, started his job in the food and beverage industry five years ago, working in different hotels and restaurants before carving out his career as a hawker.

He shared that during his tenure as an apprentice, he would visit different hawker centres to source for inspiration. One of his favourite dishes to order would be, you guessed it, prawn noodles. Now that he has his own shop, he has decided to pay homage to the local delight by creating a modern version of the hawker classic.

When asked if he preferred working as a hotel line cook or a hawker, the 24-year-old shared that the job as a hawker is definitely tougher, but the sense of satisfaction he gets is worth it. He enjoys the daily interaction with other stall owners and customers and getting to know them better.

At the time of writing, there are only six dishes on the menu. Two dishes are sides while the other four are different variations of hae mee. Diners can look forward to Special Prawn Noodle ($6.50), Lala Prawn Noodles ($4) and the King Prawn Udon ($12.50).

A bowl of Special Prawn Noodle(dry/soup) comes with your choice of noodles, and a variety of ingredients, such as a fresh large prawn, torched Kurobuta pork and homemade prawn ball. I felt that the bowl($6.50) was reasonably priced. 

The prawns used were fresh, sweet and juicy, and the prawn ball was chewy and not too floury. The star, for me, was the thick cuts of torched Kurobuta pork, which sported a nice char. Alan shared that he made the decision to change the traditional accompaniment, pork ribs, to Kurobuta pork belly to elevate the luxuriousness of the dish.

We had our prawn noodles dry, and was coated with a homemade chilli sauce. The sauce is a special concoction that Alan created from a mixture of dried shrimps and other aromatics.

The noodles come with a small bowl of soup that’s dark, sweet, and very flavourful. Don’t fear about the thirst that usually kicks in after drinking a bowl of MSG-laden soup. Alan shares that he does not use MSG in his soup, and the flavours you get are all natural. We’re definitely going back for a second helping!

If $6.50 for a bowl of prawn noodles is a little too high for you, you can opt for the Lala Prawn Noodles ($4), which come with a fresh prawn, a piece of Kurobuta pork and some clams. This is a great option for people on a tighter budget. The broth and sauces are the same, so you wouldn’t be missing out on much.

Prawnaholic does two appetisers as well — Prawn Balls & Salted Egg Mayo ($6.50), and Salmon Skin & Salted Egg Mayo ($6.50). We were told that the prawn balls are made in limited quantities, and are usually the first time that gets sold out. We had the latter, which was very ordinary, and not really worth the money in our opinion.

It is always heartwarming to see the younger generations starting out as hawkers. Even though it is hard work, at the end of the day, their passion for hawker food still triumphs. Prawnaholic does serve up a decent modern rendition of hae mee. The broth and sauce are both tasty, so we’re sure that you’ll enjoy your hearty bowl of prawn noodles either way (dry or soup). 

<em>MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.</em>