Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles

wah kee, the big prawn noodles nazi?
be afraid, be really afraid, whispered the masses.
and so afraid i was that only recently did i try them out.
well, you see, fear is but a choice and once i chose not to fear, the reward is sweet!
a sweet, rich, fresh prawns broth, full of garlicky goodness with a subtle hint of spiciness.
wah kee, the big prawn noodles nazi?
to me, uncle is a friendly father figure.
a survival of two major operations, thanks in part to surgeon customers in our midst.
aunty can be sweet too, IF you follow a few simple rules:
1) do stay at least one metre away from the stall when queuing.
2) do speak only when spoken to
3) do not try to cut queue.
4) do come back in good time or stay within visual range after you have placed your order as they will only make your order when they know you are ready to collect immediately.
5) do not mess up her stall by spilling the chilli infused soy sauce or the precious prawn broth when collecting your order.
6) do not return the tray, as they pay good money for trays to be returned to them via cleaners.
wah kee, the big prawn noodles nazi?
well, they do hoard some of the biggest prawns for a hawker stall and i am thankful for that.
if you can afford to spare a twenty, just go for the biggest bowl that they sell!
it is big enough for sharing although you only get 3 BIG prawns.
as for the carb selection, that is a personal preference.
but i do like their dry mee kia, laden with crispy shallots and lardons.
i have also discovered a sweet spot on saturday mornings just before 9am whereby i will encounter the shortest possible queue.
so far, so good and hopefully it will stay as such even after this review goes out?
wah kee, the big prawn noodles nazi?
all hail, uncle and aunty!;)

Now when it comes to Prawn Mee, the one thing I think we can all agree on, is that the tastes and preferences of our locals differs quite substantially. Everyone has an opinion on how the best prawn Mee should taste like.
Believe me when I said that I’ve tried many «famous» places since the 80s till now. Shops have come and gone, newer ones or the better marketed (through social media or word of mouth) has made their way to the limelight and are sometimes over hyped. I’m caught in between opinions when it comes to this store and here’s my experience —
I was lucky enough to join the queue on a Saturday morning minutes before noon and only queued about 30mins for this (I heard it can be up to an hour plus). The stall is runned by an elderly couple. The uncle prepares all the food in the background and the Aunty takes orders and collect the cash. I heard the Aunty can get a little grumpy but with all grumpy old folks I don’t really take any offence and laugh it off as cute.
«Aunty! 2 $ 10 bowl! 1Meepok 1kwaytiao! Dry ah! :)»
«Don’t have $ 10 already! Sold out! Got $ 15! Today the prawn very good! Fresh and big! Ah!»
«Ok la Aunty! Gimme 2 $ 15 bowl then la: D»
I then proceed to wait another 5−7mins before receiving 2 bowls of dried chilli noodles and another 2 mini woks of 3 giant prawns each.
Verdict:
Soup indeed tastes very healthy. You can distinctively taste the sweetness of the boiled prawn heads in the broth. However I’m used to having my soup a little bit more on the saltier side when it comes to prawn Mee. (I guess I grew up that way) their dry noodles are like your usual market type Mee pok with chilli or kway teow with chilli. Nothing special.
The star of the show goes to the prawns! They were big! They were juicy! They were cruncy! Not the least bit dry and cooked to absolute perfection! If you are craving for damn good prawns without going to a seafood restaurant, this is THE PLACE!
But with the long wait, and location… It’s not something that tells me «I MUST come back IMMEDIATELY» after I’ve had my last scoop of soup.
Maybe in a few months times perhaps. But I still have a favourite prawn Mee stall that keeps me going, but this isn’t it.
3.6 STARS

When I crave for prawn mee, this is where I go for my fix. The soup stock is rich and flavorful, and the prawns are big. I always order the most expensive bowl, that has the biggest prawns – they serve the prawns and noodles in two separate bowls.
I normally go there for an early or late lunch to avoid the long Q.

The prawn noodles used to be much better. The soup richer and more flavorful. And the old auntie used to bring your noodles to your table, with a pack of complimentary tissue.
Now the lines are crazy long. The soup is still reddish from the prawn head roe… but the soup base tasted more watered down than the good old days.
Note: if you prefer mee kia (thin noodles), you have to come early as they are usually out of that by noon. After which, I will go for my second choice of noodles-​beehoon.

Pek Kio food centre is famous for many local hawker fare. The name ‘Pek Kio’ is actually Chinese dialect for ‘white bridge’, which was how the locals described Cambridge back in the days. Many of the stalls here have long histories and with that, long queues. One of the most famous is Wah Kee Prawn Noodles, famed for its LARGE prawns and LONG queues.
Though I’m not a big fan for soupy prawn noodle, I can understand the fuss about this stall. The prawn soup is thick and fragrant, while the prawns are big and juicy. And when I say big, I mean BIG big. It is often rated as the best prawn noodle stall in Singapore and its hard to disagree. I would have given it 5 stars if it weren’t for the super long queues.