Albert Street Prawn Noodle: 1963 recipe for juicy prawns & hearty noodles at Old Airport Road Food Centre

As someone who has lived my entire life in the Mountbatten area, Old Airport Road Food Centre is no stranger. I still remember my go-to “atas” meal as a child: a piping hot bowl of fragrant prawn noodles. So imagine my insistence on trying out Albert Street Prawn Noodle again— a taste of my childhood days and a love for prawns condensed into a single bowl.

The auntie at the store told me that they’re the second owners of traditional prawn noodles that have been open since 1963 – a proud testament to their quality despite rising prices and rent.

What I tried at Albert Street Prawn Noodle

What’s a meal at Albert Street Prawn Noodle without an order of their signature soup-style Prawn Noodles (S$6), right? You just can’t go wrong with that, especially when there’s a “Chef’s Recommends” stamp right beside its name.

As expected, classics never lie. Even though I got the smallest bowl, two huge prawns were soaking in the broth. At first, I was slightly dismayed that I’d have to peel the halved prawns myself – I was starving, so please forgive me – but to my surprise, the flesh just slid right off with a little tug from my chopsticks.

The prawns were juicy and firm, with that slight sweetness characteristic of fresh seafood. That same sweetness also seeped into the broth, tinged an appetising orange from simmered prawns and bursting with umami.

My first mouthful of the yellow noodles was even more fragrant with slivers of fried shallots and crunchy bean sprouts that enhanced the texture. The auntie manning the store also advised us to get the chilli powder and chilli sauce separately. The sauce leaned towards the taste and viscosity of light soy sauce, with slices of fresh chilli inside. Since I felt that the noodles were seasoned well, I didn’t use the sauce.

I did use the chilli powder, however, and it gave the soup a light, spicy kick. It was refreshing to switch up the flavour profile halfway through the meal, and I liked that I could adjust the spice level to my preference.

I also tried the Pork Belly Prawn Noodle (S$6), another recommended menu item. I opted for the dry version with Mee Pok noodles tossed in spicy sauce. Now, when I tell you this was spicy, I mean it. While it was still within my tolerance when I took my first bite, the spice from the homemade sambal sauce did get stronger as I ate.

If you’re not confident in your spice tolerance, you can have your noodles coated with black sauce, ketchup or the white version–– soy sauce with pork oil. Spice level aside, I enjoyed the Mee Pok noodles. These flatter, less slippery noodles were the perfect canvas for the sauce. Even when they cooled down, the noodles didn’t clump together, and the alkaline aftertaste was negligible.

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The soup for the Pork Belly Prawn Noodle was served on the side with all the toppings. In addition to the two prawns that come with the small bowls, there was a heap of thinly sliced pork belly. I love that the cuts were not too close to the skin, which made the meat-to-fat ratio perfect.

The slices were also evenly cooked and tender, soaking up all the broth’s goodness. Sipping the soup after a mouthful of noodles helped to tone down the spiciness and balance out the contrasting flavours.

When I tried the broth, I could tell that it was a little lighter than that of the soup-style Prawn Noodle. However, the difference was only noticeable when I drank the soups one after another, and the clouding of the Prawn Noodle broth was minimal.

Final thoughts

I’m glad I came back for a bowl of these prawn noodles. With how hectic life has been, I rarely have time to get my childhood favourite for meals. I mean, who’d say no to that glistening broth and those chunky prawns? For the price point and the taste, trust me when I say I’ll be back soon.

Next time, I think I’ll get the dry version of the Prawn Noodles to mix in half the broth while preserving the clarity of the other half. And since I was pleasantly surprised by how well Mee Pok works with prawn noodles, I might replace it in my usual order too!

Tasting the prawn noodles again reaffirmed my love for the dish, or rather, Albert Street Prawn Noodle’s rendition of it. Hey, if you’ve never tried a prawn noodle recipe that’s more than 20 years old, have you really eaten prawn noodles?

Expected damage: S$6 – S$12

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