Celebrities Big Prawn Noodle, Tanjong Pagar: S$5 prawn noodles so good that even local celebs support it

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It was during a regular weekday lunch at Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market & Food Centre that I spotted Celebrities Big Prawn Noodle. And mind you, I didn’t spot the prawn noodles first, but the massive photo spread of celebrities plastered all over the storefront.

Photo of storefront

Back in the early 2000s (and before the rise of Netflix), you’d find me camping in front of my television at 7pm, patiently waiting for the primetime show to begin on Channel 8. I still remember several iconic shows, namely Holland V, The Little Nyonya and of course, the Singaporean version of Baywatch, The Champion.

I no longer watch Channel 8 now, but browsing through the impressive photo wall brought back many fond memories of spending weekday nights watching the television with the family. 

If you’re curious to know who’s on the photo wall, here’s a close-up.

Photo of storefront's photo wall

I spotted a photo of young JJ Lin (near the right), as well as a bunch of other local celebrities: a young Li Nanxing (bottom of the board), and Wang Lei (near the middle, to the top left). Eagle-eyed fanatics will also recognise several Hong Kong and Taiwanese stars such as Joe Ma and Jeff Wang!

I later learnt that one of the stall’s partners, David Cai, used to run performing arts schools in Singapore and Shanghai which specialised in acting. His career in the entertainment industry allowed him to network and meet plenty of celebrities, so when Celebrities Big Prawn Noodle opened in February 2022, he relied on their support to endorse the stall.

Admittedly, while most of the photos on the wall are old photos of David and his celebrity friends, there are a couple of photos which were taken right at the stall itself. Who knows which one of David’s celebrity friends might turn up next in support of the stall!

What I tried

Photo of dry prawn noodles

Celebrities Big Prawn Noodle only has three items on its menu, all of which come in both dry and soup versions.

The first thing that I ordered was the Pork Ribs Big Prawn Mee (S$5/S$8). For this bowl of noodles, I went for the Dry (S$5) version, with the classic mix of bee hoon and yellow noodles.

Close up of prawn

The prawns came with their shells intact, but they had been cut open along the side for easy eating. Admittedly, I’m the kind of girl who doesn’t like to get her hands dirty, so I would’ve personally preferred for the prawns to come deshelled. 

After wrestling with the prawn for a minute or two, I was delighted to find that the meat was succulent and almost crisp— a definite sign that the prawns were fresh and had been brined prior to cooking.

Close up of broth

The dry noodles came with a small bowl of soup on the side, and I must say, the soup really impressed me. 

Robust and full-bodied, the soup was incredibly satisfying and had a good balance between saltiness and sweetness. I could taste a rich smokiness, as well as the fresh briny tang of the prawn heads. Each slurp was full of umami flavour and I could see myself coming back just for this glorious bowl of soup.

Chin Choon Prawn Noodle: Cheap Malaysian-style dark sauce prawn noodles loaded with ingredients at Bukit Batok

Photo of mixing noodles

I usually add chilli powder to my prawn noodles (especially when I order the dry version) to give it that well-needed kick of spice and flavour, but this bowl of noodles didn’t need it at all.

The peppery spice kicked in instantly, and I could taste the intense fragrance of dried shrimp, shallots and chilli. The bee hoon and yellow noodles absorbed the savoury sauce well, and as a result, each slurp of noodles was filled with just the right amount of spiciness and saltiness, with a lingering umami taste.

Close up of pork rib

I only received one piece of pork ribs in my noodles, which was a tad disappointing, but its meat was tender and tore off nicely, while retaining a nice springiness to each bite.

Perhaps next time I’ll consider ordering the S$8 version just so I can enjoy more pork ribs.

Photo of prawn noodles with soup

For the second item, I ordered the Big Prawn Mee (S$5/S$8) and asked for the Soup (S$5) version. I went with the same mix of bee hoon and yellow noodles.

Close up of broth

The prawn head stock is essentially the same, but the soup version was a lot cleaner and lighter. Yet, I was pleasantly surprised at how it still retained that full-bodied savouriness, which made each sip utterly satisfying.

Close up of noodles

While the rest of the ingredients remained the same, I enjoyed the soup version of this dish because this is something I’d easily order on a rainy day— warm, hearty and comforting.

Final thoughts

Photo of prawn mee

Celebrities aside, it’s easy to see why Celebrities Big Prawn Noodle always sees a long queue during peak hours. 

The robust soup that came with the dry noodles absolutely knocked it out of the park, and I can tell that plenty of hours and hard work went into making that rich prawn broth. Plus, you’re getting great value for just S$5, with a good portion of noodles and prawns.

Would I try this again? Most definitely, especially when I’m craving something full-bodied and robust, with a spicy and salty kick that’ll leave you going: “Wah, shiok!”

Expected damage: S$5 – S$8 per pax

Fei Zai Pork Rib Prawn Noodles: Tasty bowls of pork rib prawn noodles sell out by 11am

Price: $

Our Rating: 4 / 5

Celebrities Big Prawn Noodle

6 Tanjong Pagar Plaza, #02-30, Singapore 081006

Price
Our Rating 4/5

Celebrities Big Prawn Noodle

6 Tanjong Pagar Plaza, #02-30, Singapore 081006

Operating Hours: 9am - 3.30pm (Daily)

Operating Hours: 9am - 3.30pm (Daily)

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