The Alexandra Village Food Centre might be temporarily closed for renovations, but before it did, we were lucky enough to check out one particular traditional prawn noodle stall after a trek down the southern stretch of the Rail Corridor towards Tanjong Pagar.
I'd kicked off my journey from Buona Vista Access Point 2 near the Holland Drive Market carpark, which led straight under Commonwealth Avenue. This vibrant starting spot was marked by bold graffiti spilling across the concrete underpass.
From there, it was easy terrain traversing the manicured parks and futuristic architecture of One-North, past the leafy landscape of Portsdown, then onwards past Queensway to our final makan destination.
Mediacorp GOLD 905's Denise Tan exploring the Rail Corridor. (Photo: Abundant Productions)
Mediacorp GOLD 905's Denise Tan exploring the Rail Corridor. (Photo: Abundant Productions)
This walk clocked in at about 3km –– The Old Stall Hokkien Street Famous Prawn Mee's prawn noodles that date back to 1943.
While you now have to wait until this particular outlet reopens in June, you can always opt for their other one at Hong Lim Food Centre. Either way, it's worth trying out.
Gold 905's Denise Tan about to enjoy a bowl of prawn mee. (Photo: CNA/Denise Tan)
True to its name, it began 82 years ago as a pushcart in Hokkien Street run by the great-grandparents of Stan Tan.
The 52-year-old fourth-generation hawker carries his heritage with pride, as torchbearer of a recipe first handed down to his grandparents, then to his parents, who continued the business at Hong Lim Food Centre from the late 1970s.
Tan grew up helping his grandmother, washing bowls and clearing tables as a young boy. A laminated newspaper clipping displayed at the front of his stall offers a glimpse into the family’s long-standing history – it’s a snapshot in time of him as a five-year-old alongside his grandmother at their original Hokkien Street pushcart.
By 12 years of age, Tan was already picking up cooking tips from his mother, but it wasn’t until his National Service days that he began seriously learning the ropes. He has now been helming the family’s second outlet at Alexandra Village for the past 15 years, while his parents continue to operate their Hong Lim stall.
The old newspaper clipping showing Stan Tan as a child. (Photo: CNA/Denise Tan)
Both stalls are popular and often sell out before closing time, a testament to the family’s dedication to maintaining high standards.
“The most important thing is we use fresh prawns every day and also, we don't use MSG,” Tan explained. “Actually, the recipe is more about practise. You have to keep practising because you need to have the ‘feel’. You can know the recipe, but you still need experience.”
And you can really taste those years of experience.
Tan recommended I try their bestselling dry-style pork rib noodles with prawn (S$6 or S$8) for the best of both worlds – noodles coated with their house made sambal and a bowl of “mouth-watering special recipe” soup on the side.
The bestselling dry-style pork rib noodles with prawn and a bowl of soup on the side. (Photo: CNA/Denise Tan)
But what makes the soup so special? Starting at 3am daily, fresh sea prawns, pork bones, pigtail and pig skin are simmered for hours to draw out a broth that’s both nuanced and robust. Without the mask of MSG, the soup’s natural depth comes from aromatic garlic cloves, sweet yet briny prawns and savoury pork, its collagen-rich off-cuts adding a touch of silky body.
Pressing each clove of garlic with his ladle to release more flavour into the soup, Tan said, “Ours is not the dark, heavy kind. It’s lighter.” And he was right. The soup was tasty without being too cloying.
Each bowl comes with three pork ribs. (Photo: CNA/Denise Tan)
Good thing too, as the bowl of noodles came with three hefty pork ribs, luxuriantly striated with fat. “We stew the pork rib separately with a bit of pepper,” Tan revealed. Sinking my teeth into the succulent meat, I felt a tiny nip from the spice.
For those craving a spicier kick, their signature chilli powder is a must. It’s no ordinary seasoning, it’s a legacy. “Since 1945,” Tan said proudly. “My grandfather created this fried chilli powder with hae bee (dried shrimp).”
I sprinkled it liberally all over the contents of my bowl. Smoky, shrimpy and spicy, it clung to the noodles, sharply perfumed the air and awakened my tastebuds. Excellent in both the dry and soup versions of the prawn noodles, the chilli powder has become such a hit with customers that it’s available to take home in S$5 containers.
For a double dosage of fire, I asked for extra sambal chilli paste. Introduced by Tan’s mother in the 1970s, this addition amped up the saucy satisfaction with layers of umami from toasted belacan (fermented shrimp paste) and hae bee.
For extra heat, add some sambal chilli. (Photo: CNA/Denise Tan)
Heat, laced with its shrimpy accelerant, made the combination of chilli paste and powder dynamite for the senses and boosted the flavour of the lightly boiled prawns.
Texture has always been my mantra when it comes to an outstanding meal and with Tan’s suggestions, this one delivered in spades. You can choose from mee kia (thin egg noodles), thick bee hoon (rice vermicelli), or kway teow (flat rice noodles), but I enjoyed my contrasting yellow noodle and thin bee hoon combo, the better to soak up soup and sambal with.
Beyond the hearty tenderness of pork ribs and the bouncy sweetness of prawns, Tan introduced me to pig skin (S$1). It was slippery, chewy and just the right kind of indulgent.
Then came another level of decadence: Golden nuggets of crispy pork lard and fried shallots. “It’s all made from scratch. We cook our own because you can taste the difference,” Tan insisted.
To round off the texture-fest, kang kong and bean sprouts brought juicy crunch and a much-needed lift of freshness.
The Old Stall’s prawn noodles may not make the loudest noise in Singapore, but they offer something deeper – quiet devotion to preserving their family’s rich, eight-decade culinary tradition.
Stan Tan's wife and two daughters also help out in the business. (Photo: CNA/Denise Tan)
The weekend I visited, it was a full family affair –– “Not easy, this job,” he laughed – I couldn’t help but hope that like the Rail Corridor which led me there, their prawn noodles will continue to evolve and endure for generations to come.
The Old Stall Hokkien Street Prawn Mee is located at Alexandra Village Food Centre, 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-58, Singapore 150120. It’s open 8.30am to 2pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays to Sundays. It’s closed on Mondays and Thursdays, but the food centre is temporarily closed for renovations from now until Jun 30, 2025.
Meantime, visit their other outlet at Hong Lim Food Centre, 531A Upper Cross Street #02-67, Singapore 082001.
Catch Makan Kakis with Denise Tan every Thursday from 11am on MediaCorp GOLD 905.
Continue reading...
I'd kicked off my journey from Buona Vista Access Point 2 near the Holland Drive Market carpark, which led straight under Commonwealth Avenue. This vibrant starting spot was marked by bold graffiti spilling across the concrete underpass.
From there, it was easy terrain traversing the manicured parks and futuristic architecture of One-North, past the leafy landscape of Portsdown, then onwards past Queensway to our final makan destination.
Mediacorp GOLD 905's Denise Tan exploring the Rail Corridor. (Photo: Abundant Productions)
Mediacorp GOLD 905's Denise Tan exploring the Rail Corridor. (Photo: Abundant Productions)
This walk clocked in at about 3km –– The Old Stall Hokkien Street Famous Prawn Mee's prawn noodles that date back to 1943.
While you now have to wait until this particular outlet reopens in June, you can always opt for their other one at Hong Lim Food Centre. Either way, it's worth trying out.
Gold 905's Denise Tan about to enjoy a bowl of prawn mee. (Photo: CNA/Denise Tan)
True to its name, it began 82 years ago as a pushcart in Hokkien Street run by the great-grandparents of Stan Tan.
The 52-year-old fourth-generation hawker carries his heritage with pride, as torchbearer of a recipe first handed down to his grandparents, then to his parents, who continued the business at Hong Lim Food Centre from the late 1970s.
Tan grew up helping his grandmother, washing bowls and clearing tables as a young boy. A laminated newspaper clipping displayed at the front of his stall offers a glimpse into the family’s long-standing history – it’s a snapshot in time of him as a five-year-old alongside his grandmother at their original Hokkien Street pushcart.
By 12 years of age, Tan was already picking up cooking tips from his mother, but it wasn’t until his National Service days that he began seriously learning the ropes. He has now been helming the family’s second outlet at Alexandra Village for the past 15 years, while his parents continue to operate their Hong Lim stall.
The old newspaper clipping showing Stan Tan as a child. (Photo: CNA/Denise Tan)
Both stalls are popular and often sell out before closing time, a testament to the family’s dedication to maintaining high standards.
“The most important thing is we use fresh prawns every day and also, we don't use MSG,” Tan explained. “Actually, the recipe is more about practise. You have to keep practising because you need to have the ‘feel’. You can know the recipe, but you still need experience.”
And you can really taste those years of experience.
Tan recommended I try their bestselling dry-style pork rib noodles with prawn (S$6 or S$8) for the best of both worlds – noodles coated with their house made sambal and a bowl of “mouth-watering special recipe” soup on the side.
The bestselling dry-style pork rib noodles with prawn and a bowl of soup on the side. (Photo: CNA/Denise Tan)
But what makes the soup so special? Starting at 3am daily, fresh sea prawns, pork bones, pigtail and pig skin are simmered for hours to draw out a broth that’s both nuanced and robust. Without the mask of MSG, the soup’s natural depth comes from aromatic garlic cloves, sweet yet briny prawns and savoury pork, its collagen-rich off-cuts adding a touch of silky body.
Pressing each clove of garlic with his ladle to release more flavour into the soup, Tan said, “Ours is not the dark, heavy kind. It’s lighter.” And he was right. The soup was tasty without being too cloying.
Each bowl comes with three pork ribs. (Photo: CNA/Denise Tan)
Good thing too, as the bowl of noodles came with three hefty pork ribs, luxuriantly striated with fat. “We stew the pork rib separately with a bit of pepper,” Tan revealed. Sinking my teeth into the succulent meat, I felt a tiny nip from the spice.
For those craving a spicier kick, their signature chilli powder is a must. It’s no ordinary seasoning, it’s a legacy. “Since 1945,” Tan said proudly. “My grandfather created this fried chilli powder with hae bee (dried shrimp).”
I sprinkled it liberally all over the contents of my bowl. Smoky, shrimpy and spicy, it clung to the noodles, sharply perfumed the air and awakened my tastebuds. Excellent in both the dry and soup versions of the prawn noodles, the chilli powder has become such a hit with customers that it’s available to take home in S$5 containers.
For a double dosage of fire, I asked for extra sambal chilli paste. Introduced by Tan’s mother in the 1970s, this addition amped up the saucy satisfaction with layers of umami from toasted belacan (fermented shrimp paste) and hae bee.
For extra heat, add some sambal chilli. (Photo: CNA/Denise Tan)
Heat, laced with its shrimpy accelerant, made the combination of chilli paste and powder dynamite for the senses and boosted the flavour of the lightly boiled prawns.
Texture has always been my mantra when it comes to an outstanding meal and with Tan’s suggestions, this one delivered in spades. You can choose from mee kia (thin egg noodles), thick bee hoon (rice vermicelli), or kway teow (flat rice noodles), but I enjoyed my contrasting yellow noodle and thin bee hoon combo, the better to soak up soup and sambal with.
Beyond the hearty tenderness of pork ribs and the bouncy sweetness of prawns, Tan introduced me to pig skin (S$1). It was slippery, chewy and just the right kind of indulgent.
Then came another level of decadence: Golden nuggets of crispy pork lard and fried shallots. “It’s all made from scratch. We cook our own because you can taste the difference,” Tan insisted.
To round off the texture-fest, kang kong and bean sprouts brought juicy crunch and a much-needed lift of freshness.
The Old Stall’s prawn noodles may not make the loudest noise in Singapore, but they offer something deeper – quiet devotion to preserving their family’s rich, eight-decade culinary tradition.
Stan Tan's wife and two daughters also help out in the business. (Photo: CNA/Denise Tan)
The weekend I visited, it was a full family affair –– “Not easy, this job,” he laughed – I couldn’t help but hope that like the Rail Corridor which led me there, their prawn noodles will continue to evolve and endure for generations to come.
The Old Stall Hokkien Street Prawn Mee is located at Alexandra Village Food Centre, 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-58, Singapore 150120. It’s open 8.30am to 2pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays to Sundays. It’s closed on Mondays and Thursdays, but the food centre is temporarily closed for renovations from now until Jun 30, 2025.
Meantime, visit their other outlet at Hong Lim Food Centre, 531A Upper Cross Street #02-67, Singapore 082001.
Catch Makan Kakis with Denise Tan every Thursday from 11am on MediaCorp GOLD 905.
Related:
Continue reading...