Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
If you thought that all City Plaza had to offer was in its first 4 levels, you’re sorely mistaken. Tucked away in level 5 is a small food court housing Poon Nah City Home Made Noodle, serving up soupy bowls of customisable seafood noodles and freshly fried side dishes daily.
Craving crispy prawn fritters, I made my way down to City Plaza this morning – partly to avoid the midday crowd and mainly because I dreamt of fragrant prawns last night.
While the food court may be small, there was no shortage of seats. I was also glad to escape Singapore’s humid heat in the air-conditioned setting, especially when there were only 2 other diners at 10.30am.
Serving up more than 20 years of history, Poon Nah City Home Made Noodle is no stranger to their craft. Their repertoire includes their signature noodles, affordable rice dishes and various 小吃 – side dishes that are bound to fill the gaps in your stomach after the mains.
What I tried at Poon Nah City Home Made Noodle
While I had initially journeyed here in search of prawn fritters, there was no way I was going to head home without a bowl of piping hot noodles. After a painstakingly long moment of consulting the extensive menu, I decided on the Abalone Clam Hand Made Yu Mee (S$6) and a plate of 3-in-1 (S$6) fried goods.
While I was impressed by the 4 plump razor clams, I was a little miffed by the English translation of the dish. Perhaps due to a faulty app, the 鲍贝 – or razor clam – was translated to “abalone clam“. So if you’re searching for a bowl of abalone noodles, you should probably get the Abalone Home Made Noodle (S$13.50) instead!
Now, on to the actual taste of the noodles.
The “handmade” factor of the noodles stood out in the yu mee, or you mian (幼面). The noodles were chewy and soaked up the broth, making them well-seasoned. Without a doughy texture, they paired nicely with the razor clams and made for a comforting bite.
The broth itself likely has an anchovy base. Though it doesn’t deviate from the seafood flavour profile, I do think that it lacks the subtle sweetness gained from simmering the actual clams, abalone and prawns in the soup. I would have preferred less salt in the broth as well, especially since it does get saltier when the noodles absorb the liquid.
Moving on to my beloved prawn fritters. While Poon Nah City Home Made Noodle labels it as the Beansprout Cake (S$2.50), this fried dough boasts a crunchy shelled prawn nestled right on top. Since I bought this as the 3-in-1 set, the plate also came with the Crispy Prawn Cracker (S$2) and Yam Roll (S$2).
The outer layer of the batter has been fried to a delicate crisp, giving way to a moist and succulent centre. Biting into a piece brings out the light fragrance of bean sprouts, which is enhanced by the prawn’s meatiness and crunch. The batter is perfectly seasoned, making this my go-to treat from City Plaza.
However, try to eat the bean sprout cake while hot, since the batter can get a little jelak when cold.
For the other components of the 3-in-1 set, the Crispy Prawn Cracker was my next target. It features a brittle network of batter fried in oil, best enjoyed with one of Poon Nah City’s sauces. While I loved the crunch from the cracker, I was disappointed that there was no hint of prawn flavour at all.
Based on the dish name, I had expected a keropok-style fragrance where prawn paste is directly added to the batter before frying. However, this Crispy Prawn Cracker tasted more like the oil it was fried in than the prawns advertised. It only took on flavour with chilli sauces and was akin to a salted crisp rather than keropok.
The yam roll, on the other hand, was more appealing. It had slivers of carrot and soft yams seasoned lightly, and I liked the chewiness of the roll. The outer layer of the rolls was also fried to an appetising golden brown, intercepting the yam paste with textured bites.
For this, I preferred dipping it in the sweet and garlicky plum sauce. Poon Nah City’s chilli is rather spicy, so a little goes a long way. When paired with the yam roll, I found it a bit too strong for my taste.
Final thoughts
While my hunger was satiated with the portions for each dish, I do think that Poon Nah City’s noodles and sides were a little underwhelming. I liked that the noodles were fresh and made-to-order, and the side dishes were cut into bite-sized pieces, but they lacked the flavours that I was expecting.
Of course, I’d stop by for a Beansprout Cake if I were passing by. But would I travel here just for the sake of dining at Poon Nah City Home Made Noodle? Probably not. I’m glad I took the time to try their food and scratch my prawn fritter itch, though!
Expected damage: $4.50 – $10 per pax
Order Delivery: foodpanda Deliveroo
