Liu Da Xia: 24 y.o. GenZ hawker makes Singapore’s first ever white curry prawn noodle

join telegram
follow instaMY

As I currently know, 24 is a unique age. You might have just started your first job or finished your college exams. Your friend could just have gotten married, and you might still be searching for a job. This is certainly not the case for Xiao Xuan, 24, who recently opened Liu Da Xia at Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre.  

Liu Da Xia - Storefront

Liu Da Xia was founded as a completely new venture by their primary company, Liu Kou Shui, which serves fusion rice bowls. Liu Kou Shui began as a humble home-based business selling char siew rice at the peak of COVID-19. 

Liu Da Xia - Owners

Fast forward to Dec 2022 and Xiao Xuan and her mom opened their first Liu Kou Shui stall at Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre, which my colleague Aaron had previously visited. Their second store is located at Sengkang Grand Mall. I’m starting to see a trend for the love of the north. 

Liu Da Xia & Liu Kou Shui - Storefront

Together with the newly opened Woodleigh Village Hawker, Liu Kou Shui opened its third outlet at the same time as Liu Da Xia, taking up 2 of the 39 stalls. Situated right next to each other, you might see double as Xiao Xuan says she floats between the 2 stalls depending on the crowd. 

What I tried at Liu Da Xia 

At any Liu Da Xia stall, you will see their easy-to-follow, highly customisable menu. Choose between 7 different noodle dishes with 4 different noodle types. They also have 7 different add-ons to flair up your dish, ranging from Abalone (S$4.50 for 2 pcs), Pork Rib (S$3 for 2 pcs) and Scallops (S$4 for 1 pc).

Those with a big appetite, like myself, can add extra noodles for an additional dollar.  

Liu Da Xia - Dry Prawn and Pork Rib Noodles

The first of the 2 dishes I tasted was the Dry Prawn and Pork Ribs Noodle (S$5.50) with their homemade sambal. This was served with a bowl of their homemade prawn soup. Xiao Xuan recommended I pour a few spoonfuls into the concoction of ingredients. 

Dry Prawn and Pork Rib Noodles - Prawn Piece

Those don’t peel their own prawns will be relieved. The dish contains 2 pieces of pre-peeled prawns, slices of fish cake, pork ribs, a small serving of kang kong and toppings of pork lard and crispy onions sprinkled on top. 

Dry Prawn and Pork Rib Noodles - Prawn Soup

As I started mixing all the ingredients together, they turned a dark, golden brown colour. I noticed that my dish contained yellow noodles and bee hoon, adding to its texture. I first gave the soup a sip – it had a very deep flavour, with an intense burst of umami from the prawns. 

The pork ribs were tender, and I was informed they were cooked with the prawn soup. The bite from the prawns gave the dish a sweet note, and the kang kong added a nice crunchy texture. The few crispy onions and pork lard bites flavoured the dish even further. 

Hong Lim Prawn Noodle: Highly-raved spot serving up gao, umami-packed prawn noodles

Liu Da Xia - Pork Ribs

As one would expect from any prawn noodle dish, I was waiting for the tomato note to hit my palette. However, I was not greeted by one and instead got a delicious sweet note from the sauce. When I asked Xiao Xuan about this, she said that it’s their homemade black sauce, which is a soy sauce base, standard across their noodle dishes. 

Liu Da Xia - Ingredients

Liu Da Xia is implementing this to differentiate itself from traditional prawn noodles, which serve tomato-based sauces. Those who are a bit apprehensive about embracing Liu Da Xia’s modern approach can still savour the traditional prawn noodle taste as they have their own tomato sauce available. 

Liu Da Xia - Kitchen

I was fortunate to be able to watch Xiao Xuan construct both my dishes. Whilst doing so, she explained that the prawn soup base is cooked the day before with pork and chicken bones as well as spices.

She then arrives early to cook off the prawn heads, which are blended and poured into the cooked soup base. The pot is left to simmer for a few hours before being strained and seasoned.

Liu Da Xia - Signature Prawn Noodles with White Curry Soup

For my final dish, I got a sneak preview of their new release, the Signature Prawn Noodle (S$4), with the addition of the Special White Curry Soup for S$0.50. The one element that caught my attention was the serving spoon containing a black mixture. Xiao Xuan explained that it was their homemade curry paste containing lemongrass, belachan, ginger, garlic and shallots; like the prawn soup base, it is made the day before. 

Signature Prawn Noodle with White Curry Soup - White Curry Paste

As with the first dish, there were 2 peeled prawns, kang kong, slices of fish cake and pork. Xiao Xuan recommended mixing the paste into the soup, which turned the soup dark yellow. I took a sip of the broth, and it was light, creamy and slightly spicy. It also had a note of coconut that ended the symphony of flavours. 

Signature Prawn Noodle with White Curry Soup - Pork Slice

For the white curry broth, they use the same soup base to prepare the prawn soup. Instead of adding coconut milk, they use evaporated cream and infuse curry leaves and lemongrass. The yellow noodles and ingredients soaked up the addictive broth and I could not stop slurping it up. 

Final thoughts 

Liu Da Xia - Signature Dishes

What I admire about Xiao Xuan is that she has extensive knowledge of food at a young age and is not afraid to bend the traditional rules of what encapsulates prawn noodles. She has transformed Liu Da Xia and put careful thought into every dish, crafting authentic flavours while putting her own twist into it. 

I have yet to try the Liu Koh Shui parent stall, but when I do make a return to Woodleigh Hawker Village, I will. 

Expected damage: S$5 – S$15 per pax 

Ah Jie Hokkien Mee: 2 Gen Z hawkers’ wok hei-infused Hokkien Mee with freshly made pork lard

Price: $

Our Rating: 4.5 / 5

Liu Da Xia

202C Woodleigh Link, Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre, #01-31 , Singapore 363202

Price
Our Rating 4.5/5

Liu Da Xia

202C Woodleigh Link, Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre, #01-31 , Singapore 363202

Operating Hours: 8am - 9pm (Daily)

Operating Hours: 8am - 9pm (Daily)
Instagram

Video thumbnail
you think the raccoons like being hugged as much as we like to hug them? 🦝 #malaysia #kualalampur
00:49
Video thumbnail
standing on bees-nest with my honey 😤🍯 #malaysia #kualalumpur #honey #fake #hacks
00:27
Video thumbnail
why does it have to be a fashion crime tho 😫 #malaysia #kualalumpur #car #tiktok #hacks
00:29
Video thumbnail
hong kong’s no.1 BBT brand is in SG 🇸🇬 #singaporefoodie #hongkong #bubbletea
00:27
Video thumbnail
🍝wouldn't mind it for a quick pasta fix! #malaysia #foodie #kualalampur #pasta #food
00:31
Video thumbnail
We tried the BEST rated Indonesian restaurants in Singapore | Food Finders Singapore S6E11
16:42
Video thumbnail
largest dog cafe in JB ✨🐶 #malaysia #doglover #cafe #johorbahru
00:39
Video thumbnail
We challenged our office chef to remake Culinary Class Wars’ convenience store tiramisu! #singapore
01:01
Video thumbnail
Why is culinary class wars so popular? #singaporefoodie #culinaryclasswars #netflix
01:01
Video thumbnail
Coriander snacks taste test! | Today Eat What? S1E3
09:40
Video thumbnail
this pizza will rizz you up 🍕
00:26
Video thumbnail
salmon sashimi bingsu anyone? #bingsu #malaysia #malaysianfoodie #kualalampur
00:34
Video thumbnail
new hotdog spot! #foodie #singaporefoodie #hotdog
00:14
Video thumbnail
it's as magical as it can be ☃️🌌 #malaysia #kualalumpur #winter #date #vangogh
00:18
Video thumbnail
make sure you load up before you get these potatoes 🥔 #foodie #malaysia #kualalumpur #potato #kl
00:22
Video thumbnail
claypot pasta anyone? #food #singaporefoodie #claypot #pasta
00:20
Video thumbnail
Are Michelin Bib Gourmand hawker stalls legit? | Food Finders Singapore S6E10
13:34
Video thumbnail
first studio ghibli exhibition in SG #singapore #studioghibli
00:44
Video thumbnail
cendol + pork lard? #malaysia #malaysianfood #cendol
00:22
Video thumbnail
#singapore #sg #singaporevideos
00:19

Newest