From sio bak burgers to bingsu, the newly-opened Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre has really upped the hawker game. And leading the pack at this “hipster” hawker centre is Prawnaholic, which dishes out prawn mee with a modern twist.
You’ll find Prawnaholic on the second floor, along with the rest of the “hipster” hawker stalls. The seating area is more stylish, so you’ll know when you’re in the right place.
Prawnaholic is the brainchild of Chef Alan Choong, who decided to venture out with his unique brand of prawn mee. Queues during the lunch and dinner hours can go up to more than 30 minutes!
What’s all the buzz about? Kurobuta pork belly is served in the prawn mee! Priced a tad higher than your usual prawn mee, this premium ingredient is what you’re paying for at Prawnaholic.
Chef Alan flavours the Kurobuta pork slices with a homemade teriyaki sauce. The pork is then blow-torched to bring out a nice char and smokier flavour.
The Kurobuta pork slices are so addictive! While a bit on the salty side, they were really tender and almost melted in my mouth. The sweet teriyaki sauce also made it the perfect indulgent treat to pair with the prawn noodles. Who knew prawn mee could be so sinful?
I started with Prawnaholic’s Special Prawn Noodles ($6.50) that came with fresh prawns, a homemade prawn ball and Chef Alan’s signature Kurobuta pork slices.
Based off a traditional family recipe from his mother, the broth was robust and full of umami flavour from the prawns. However, I would have preferred if the Kurobuta pork slices were served separately as it made the broth a tad too salty. Plus points also go to the prawn ball that had a nice bouncy texture.
Prawnaholic’s King Prawn Noodles ($8.50) was elevated with giant king prawns. For the higher price, there are even some sakura prawns thrown in for crunch.
While there are both dry and soup versions, I recommend getting the dry one. The dry one is served with Chef Alan’s secret dark soya sauce, a delicious balanced mix of sweet and salty flavours. There are even some hae bee hiam (spicy shrimp sambal), which added an appetising spicy taste.
These premium prawns aren’t called “king prawns” for nothing! The prawns were probably the hugest ones I’ve seen in a bowl of prawn mee. Chef Alan also does them justice as they were juicy and delightfully sweet.
If you’re feeling extra hungry, Prawnaholic has just the thing for you. Get their King Prawn Udon ($12.50) that is topped with everything and more with lala and even a soft-boiled egg! Where else will you find such a value-for-money portion?
While I appreciated the novelty of using udon for prawn noodles, I still preferred the egg noodle combination. The udon was simply too thick to soak up Chef Alan’s dark sauce and all its goodness. Nonetheless, udon fans should go for this bowl, for the marvellous treasure trove of seafood in it.
Chef Alan also shared with me the best way to enjoy this ginormous bowl. You’ve got to dip the Kurobuta pork together with the rich egg yolk for absolute decadence.
Apart from prawn mee, Prawnaholic also has some tasty sides. With only 15 bowls a day, come early to get your hands on their knockout Signature Prawnball with Salted Egg Mayo ($6.50) before it sells out.
The prawn balls had a gorgeous golden-brown colour like you tiao from the thorough frying process. The dough was also surprisingly crispy and not as thick as it looks.
I really enjoyed the consistency and rich buttery taste of the salted egg mayo sauce. It might be a little jelak after wolfing down a bowl of prawn mee, but the prawn ball and salted egg combination are definitely worth a try.
Keep a lookout for a brand new dish launching soon at Prawnaholic, the Torched Kurobuta Pork with Salmon Skin ($8.50)! Made of the signature Kurobuta pork blowtorched with a layer of salted egg mayo sauce on top, the dish is finished with a generous serving of crispy salmon skin.
As if the Kurobuta pork couldn’t get any better, Chef Alan just had to top it with yummy salted egg mayo sauce. The pairing works with the sweetness from the mayo and some saltiness from the pork slices.
It might seem bizarre but you’re meant to eat the Kurobuta pork and salmon skin together. The crunchy skin really complemented the tender Kurobuta pork. I also liked how the salmon skin was not too salty, which balanced out the more seasoned Kurobuta pork.
Even sans the premium Kurobuta pork and king prawns, I would still go for the prawn mee. The dry version is really a must-try with the dark soya sauce and delicious hae bee hiam.
Prawn mee purists may scoff at the idea of putting Kurobuta pork in prawn mee. However, I found the modern reinvention actually quite refreshing.
And with hawkers in Singapore becoming a dying trade, innovative stalls like Prawnaholic are definitely a step in the right direction. Consider me a prawnaholic!
Expected Damage: $6.50 – $15 per pax
