It’s early on a Tuesday morning in the heritage-laden neighbourhood of Joo Chiat. Usually, I would be admiring the candy-coloured shophouses that pepper the streets, but today, I couldn’t care less. My eyes were glued to the large red counter dinging ever-so-often while shooting surreptitious glances at those seated at the old-fashioned stone tables. The air was thick with tension and laced with a quiet yearning, and everyone standing was wondering whether they were already too late. All this anxiety for prata seems excessive, but it’s all part and parcel of eating at Mr and Mrs Mohgan’s Super Crispy Prata.
A little late to the party, you retort, but I would contend that I’m ever-so fashionably late. If you didn’t know, Mr and Mrs Mohgan’s Super Crispy Prata has earned themselves cult status for being one of the best prata stalls in Singapore. Thus, as the ever-intrepid, hardworking food writer, how could I possibly not affirm its cult status, no matter how late we are into the game?
What I tried
Like I said, even though it was only 9.30am that sleepy Tuesday morning, the coffee shop was bright-eyed and abuzz with activity. The drinks stall uncle is hollering orders, the noisy shifting of chairs, and the constant ding made it quite the lively scene. Not wanting to feel the stone-cold disappointment of missing out, I joined the queue to place my order.
The system at Mr and Mrs Mohgan is simple, you place your orders first, and you’ll be assigned a number. I kept my prata order simple with two Kosong (S$1) pratas, one Egg (S$1.50), and one order of Coin (S$5 for six) prata. If any prata stall can nail these basics, the rest is filigree.
One thing you’ve got to love about Mr and Mrs Mohgan is that everything’s made-to-order, so each prata is hot off the grill and fresh. However, the downside is the waiting time. I’ve heard of the legendary waiting times of up to two hours for a single serving of prata. Well, if Singaporeans are willing to wait that long—it must be good, right?
My number flashed up on the screen, and I walked a little too excitedly to collect my order. A glossy sheen coated their perfectly charred tops; it’s a pretty sight, if I do say so myself. You can have your choice of fish curry or mutton curry or both if it suits your fancy. And, if you must have it with sugar, you can have that too but know that it will be served with a side of judgement as well from me.
We’ll begin with the simplest prata of them all, the Kosong or plain prata. Although, at Mr and Mrs Mohgan, there is nothing plain about this. It’s a shatteringly crispy disc that toes the line between chewy and perfectly fluffy on the inside; it seems like perfection comes easy at Mr and Mrs Mohgan.
The dough is flavourful and wonderfully elastic, so eating this with your hands feels mandatory. The experience only gets better when you tear those supple folds and dip them into the curry. Mutton curry is always my preferred curry of choice for its robustness and depth of flavour. I take that lone chunk of potato swimming in the curry as a bonus and reward for waking up this early.
Elsewhere, the fish curry is piquant, chunky, and delivers just the right amount of heat. With prata like this, it then comes to the age-old dilemma of should I get more prata for curry or more curry for my prata? Indeed, these are the tough questions one has to ask themselves.
The Egg prata is another member of this prata trinity that factors into determining one’s cult status. An egg prata is simple; an egg is cracked into the dough, folded over and then tossed onto the grill.
Here, it’s a light and pillowy square with swirling patterns of yolk peeking through that translucent surface. It’s not as crispy as the Plain, but the egg’s richness and texture make it worthwhile. If not, you can always have the Plaster (S$1.50) prata, which is sort of a reversed egg prata with the egg on the outside. I mop the plate clean as Mr and Mrs Mohgan flip the sign to show that they are sold out for the day, and it’s only 10am.
Feeling like the cat that got the cream, I made my way to the last one on my list—the ever-popular Coin Prata. These crispy saucers are more complicated than they look. The dough is first rolled, then twisted into the shape of a coin and thrown on the grill. They can be notoriously dense when not done right or too soft if they spend too little time in the grill.
Here, these are buttery, fragrant with an enviable crunch as you rake your fork across. Each curl of dough loosens pretty easily as you pry these coins and dunk them into the curry. They are a little denser than the kosong prata but in the best way possible. Who knew fried dough could taste so good?
Final thoughts
I left Mr and Mrs Mohgan’s Super Crispy Prata thoroughly satisfied; there was something to be said about hawker stalls nailing something with such precision. I’d say its cult status is entirely affirmed, and I’ll gladly play a game of musical chairs at the coffee shop just to enjoy those Mr and Mrs Mohgan’s wares.
The gentle morning sun started to transition into that blistering afternoon heat I was all too familiar with. I got up from my seat and took in those vibrant shophouses; Joo Chiat is a beautiful neighbourhood indeed.
Expected damage: S$1 – S$4 per pax
Price: $
Our Rating: 5 / 5
Mr and Mrs Mohgan’s Super Crispy Prata
300 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427551
Mr and Mrs Mohgan’s Super Crispy Prata
300 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427551