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Throughout my 4 years hustling at Sethlui, Tekka Centre had unexpectedly become one of my favourite hawker centres to visit. Nope! I’m not there for thosai, but to check out Jasmine Pork Rib Prawn Noodle, a slightly less popular prawn mee stall as compared to the crowd-favourite one with a perpetual queue of followers.
Now I’ll be real with you. I haven’t visited the other popular hae mee stall before. So don’t worry, there won’t be any crowd-triggering comparisons appearing here.
Jasmine Pork Rib Prawn Noodle is manned by a duo of friendly ladies, and has a decent queue of its own. I swiftly joined the line, feeling the low-key panic creep in as I scanned the menu for a dry option. It also didn’t help that the signboard was swamped with images of soup-filled bowls.
I nonchalantly asked the aunty behind me if she was a regular and if they served dry noodles. With a ‘yes’ to both, she went on to share about her discontentment with the other ‘famous’ stall behind. According to her, she was teased for being a first-timer after inquiring whether they serve mee kia— how mean!
“I’m never returning to that stall ever again! By the way, the prawn mee here is quite good,” she added.
What I tried at Jasmine Pork Rib Prawn Noodle
The lady taking my order was very patient and noted down all the different noodles I wanted for each choice. And with that, I commenced my afternoon lunch with the Prawn Noodle (S$4).
4 halved prawns and pork slices lazed atop a bed of yellow noodles, with strands of tau geh playing hide-and-seek, requiring your attention before revealing their presence. I then gently tousled all the ingredients, nudging the hidden seasonings underneath to join the mee in a flavourful embrace.
Although the seasoning possessed a mild shallot-like flavour, truth be told… it wasn’t the most robust I’ve had. But let me make one thing clear: never at one point did I ever feel that the noodles were bland. It also carried a light spiciness that grazed the surface of my tongue; ever so delicately.
A part of me was bracing for the possibility of being put off by the alkaline taste of the yellow mee. Fortunately, none of that happened; phew! I also found just a handful of pork lard but I soon learnt that you could ask for more.
First impressions, the pork slices seemed as dry as the Sahara. But I allowed its appearance to cloud my judgement too quickly. As I took my first bite, I was taken aback by how tender and satisfying they were.
The prawns were naturally sweet and firm, a testament of their quality and freshness.
I also sipped on the bowl of prawn broth which was served alongside. Tastewise, although it was brimming with the essence of crustacean shells, a tad more intensity would have gotten a higher score.
Opting for soup, I shifted my focus to the Prawn Noodle w/ Pig’s Intestine (S$5). My choice of kway teow was accompanied by familiar companions from the first dish; beansprouts, slices of pork and 2 prawns cut in half. In addition, small pig’s intestines, pig’s skin and kangkong made inaugural appearances.
Unlike yellow mee, kway teow has a smooth and slippery texture that never fails to win me over. I’ve come to notice that 2 varieties of noodles always ruin the soup’s natural taste: yee mee and kway teow.
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Although it felt comforting slurping the noodles together with the hot prawn broth, the flat rice noodles had already robbed the soup of its rich umami notes— what a pity!
To make up for it, I dunked my ingredients in the soya sauce-chilli padi combo, which brought forth explosive bursts of spice like a fiery battlefield in my mouth.
The cleanliness of the small intestines and skin were immaculate，as though they had just undergone an intense 2-hour body scrub spa session. The intestines were delicious and I was hooked on the gelatinous texture of the skin.
Together, both parts played vital roles in elevating what would have otherwise been a plain bowl of kway teow soup.
Like the beansprouts, the kangkong provided an addictive burst of crunchy contrast. I just wished that the quantity could have been a little more, even if just a teeny weeny bit.
Now, for my final dish, I ordered the most expensive item on the menu, the Pork Ribs Noodle (S$6). I opted for dry bee hoon and 3 hefty chunks of pork ribs were served separately, submerged in a bowl of prawn broth that bore a close resemblance to bak kut teh.
Upon taking my first sip of the broth, my eyes bulged out like a goldfish. Perhaps it was the extra flavours coming from the flesh and bone of the pork ribs which brought the taste of the prawn broth to even greater heights— it was so good.
The meat of the pork ribs literally encapsulated the term ‘fall-off-the-bone’, with the entire chunk of flesh sliding off the rib bone clean. The meat-to-fat ratio was perfect, containing just the right amount of fat to enhance the flavour, while the meat fibres disintegrated in my mouth like melted butter.
The bowl of bee hoon might have looked simple, containing just a basic concoction of sambal and fried shallots, but it became the perfect blank canvas to pair them with the scrumptious pork ribs.
Final thoughts
After patronising Jasmine Pork Rib Prawn Noodles, I went on Google Reviews to check out what netizens had to say. Like me, there were many who preferred the dry version over the soup. I do agree that it’s an honest prawn stall serving a decent bowl of prawn mee.
Some were arguing that it pales in comparison to the popular stall. Perhaps one fine day, I’ll brave the long queue and try the mainstream stall for myself.
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What other food stalls are worth to check out at Tekka Centre?
