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Despite being a Westie, I haven’t ventured much into Boon Lay besides grocery shopping at Jurong Point. So, I scouted for new food options in Boon Lay Place Food Village and noticed that Ho Huat Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee had some curious Google reviews.
The stall had an okay rating of 3.4 stars, with most people complimenting the fare. However, a fair few pointed out a drop in quality over the years and very average fare despite having “so many awards displayed at their stall”.
There had also been comments giving readers a heads up on the long lunch queues, though it was empty when I arrived. Perhaps it was a matter of timing; I had arrived in the late morning, only half an hour after opening time. It was also then that I took note of the large star that stated “since 1977”, possibly referring to its year of establishment.
While most of the displayed certificates concerned hawker cleanliness and media coverage, the bold text “Top 10 Favourite Fried Prawn Mee” stood out. On the further right side, a Certificate of Participation for the Best Choice Prawn Mee 2010 was also shown.
What I tried at Ho Huat Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee
My Hokkien Prawn Mee took a while to be served. I had ordered the smallest portion at S$5, but there are options for bigger servings at S$6, S$8 and S$10. Ho Huat Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee did serve Fried Rice for the same price, but that wasn’t what I came for. Besides, the portion I received was just right for an individual, and I did not want to add too much to my plate.
This Hokkien Mee initially appeared to be the wet kind. There was some gravy pooling around the ingredients, but the dish transformed into the dry version after I gave the noodles a good stir and they absorbed the wetness. Slippery and bouncy, the yellow mee and thick bee hoon picked up all the broth’s savoury, rich, and somewhat milky prawn and pork flavour.
Before I continued snacking, I squeezed some lime onto the noodles. The squirt of citrus was much needed, and it added an extra layer of fresh sourness atop the umami; its zing elevated the prawny flavour of the noodles.
Oil from the chilli bled scarlet into the pale gravy (or, at least, what was left of it) of my Hokkien Prawn Mee and “tainted” wherever it touched. Mixing a pinch of it with my noodles, I took my first taste.
The heat was a fast-creeping warmth rather than an excruciating spice; hot enough for impact but not too overpowering or unpleasant. I could taste, very slightly, some belacan in the sambal and feel the shreds of dried shrimp and chilli. While the initial note was sweet, there was a saltier aftertaste which paired just right with the not-too-salty noodles.
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There’s nothing better than knowing that Ho Huat used fresh seafood in its cooking. Each prawn was sliced down the middle, sadly taking away much of their chew, but I was glad they had already been deveined.
The sotong was okay lah. There was a substantial amount of it that felt a little tough but tasted fresh. Since I had gotten only 2 prawns, I was glad there was more of the sotong.
Fascinatingly enough, there was…one lone sliver of pork belly. Auntie, I was nice leh… give me some more can? Anyway, I just accepted my fate and nibbled on the piece of meat, a little hesitant to finish it in one go. At least there were plenty of chives to add some green to the plate.
While ordering, I was delighted to find that the pork lard was self-serve and took advantage of this by scooping a generous spoonful (oh, fine, 1.5 spoonfuls) onto my plate. I love pork lard, but dislike having too much fat on meat… ironic, isn’t it?
The golden, fatty bits crunched easily and were very crispy despite having been sitting out in the open, which I was worried might have affected their texture. They were definitely greasy, but not too bad!
Final Thoughts
Ho Huat Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee is just your typical everyday Hokkien mee stall, but I did have an enjoyable meal. It’s the kind I wouldn’t specifically come back for but would still recommend to whoever’s looking for a decent Hokkien mee in the area.
It would’ve been nice to receive more pork belly, though.
I do understand why this would be a popular stall, according to its reviews, despite the Google review score and giving it an average rating myself. Overall, I’d say this is a “try it and see for yourself” stall— it really depends on your standards to determine how much you like the fare!
Expected Damage: S$5 – S$8 per pax
Order Delivery: foodpanda
