We tried Singapore’s best-rated prawn noodles

I was never huge on prawn noodles, but all it took was a stellar bowl to wholly overturn my indifference towards the dish. Something clicked: perhaps I never understood the appeal because I never had the best — and don’t we all deserve the best?

While on the prowl for yet another outstanding bowl to feed my now-addiction, I came across a reader’s recommendation of Wang Bu Liao Traditional Prawn Noodles. The stall’s glowing Google reviews were enough to spur me on a pilgrimage to Golden Mile Tower to give it a shot and a hopefully worthy addition to our best-rated series.

Wang Bu Liao has racked up a total of 132 reviews with a jaw-dropping 5 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews (at the time of writing). A quick skim through the reviews revealed several 4-star ratings, none lower and 5-star ones forming the bulk of them. Bar the modest number of reviews in comparison to other popular establishments, its (almost) spotless track record seems to be no fluke and is certainly no easy feat.

The no-frills eatery is tucked away on the first floor of Golden Mile Tower. As with the other F&B establishments in the building, the stall has just enough space for the owners to whip up orders as patrons take their seats at the tables outside. 

Despite having arrived well past lunchtime, I was met with several of these tables occupied by customers tucking into bowls of noodle soup. The friendly owners chatted them up; and me, later on. It was impressive — the way they could instantaneously tell I was a first-timer.

What I tried at Wang Bu Liao Traditional Prawn Noodles

Needless to say, I began with the Prawn Noodle Soup (S$6). Although there’s a bigger bowl priced at S$8, the regular portion will fill you right up. No bells and whistles to this bowl; just yellow noodles bathed in a deep brown broth, topped with prawns, vegetables, fishcake and lean pork slices.

With my first spoonful of broth came the moment of truth. The broth was light yet robust, with a pleasant smoky undertone that set it apart from others I’ve tried. However, although the sweetness of the prawns was undoubtedly discernible, I’d have liked it to be more pronounced.

Still, I’d describe the broth as comforting and homely, reminiscent of the prawn noodle soup I grew up eating at my grandmother’s house.

I seldom find myself praising the noodles in typical bowls of noodle soup as they taste just about the same all around. But here, I cannot help but say that the yellow noodles were cooked to a perfect consistency; they were pleasantly springy and chewy.

Moreover, as the noodles stewed for as long as my camera ate first, their subtle alkalinity had a hand in balancing the savoury profile of the broth. The result was mellow and utterly satisfying.

I was all set to peel the prawns, only to pick one up and have the head pop right off. Apart from the head and tail, the prawn has already been deshelled for you. That’s half the battle won for those who take forever to peel one—guilty!

The prawns were fresh, sweet and cleaned well. I only wished for more, as the pieces that came with the bowl were not the most sizeable.

Liang Seah Street Prawn Noodles: Family-run prawn mee stall using traditional recipe from 1946

For good measure, I had a bowl of Dry Soft Bone Noodle (S$6). The dish was pretty self-explanatory: a bowl of dry-tossed noodles with a bowl of pork rib soup on its side. In true food photographer fashion, I placed the soft ribs on the noodles to make the bowl look a little livelier.

Adorned with several pieces of pork lard, the noodles sported an enticing glossy sheen and I didn’t have to do much tossing to get them evenly coated in the sauce. Now, here’s where I began to fully comprehend Wang Bu Liao’s stellar rating; one bite in and I was sold.

The sauce mixture had a pronounced umami, with ample shallot and lard oil that eliminated any trace of unpleasant alkalinity in the perfectly al dente noodles. To top it all off, the chilli packed a satisfying punch. As I worked my way through the bowl with much ease, I found myself hoping it’d be bottomless; I simply couldn’t get enough.

The pork rib soup had a subtle gaminess and tang that I couldn’t quite wrap my head around on my first sip. It fortunately grew on me, after I swirled it around in my mouth a little and let the flavours linger on my tongue.

Earthy tones took centre stage here, lending the dish a flavour profile akin to that of herbal bak kut teh. Okay, in all fairness, they do share the same fundamental components.

The hefty chunk of pork rib was almost delicate, threatening to break in half as I attempted to hold it up for a photo. It was easily the most tender hunk of meat I had ever come across, tearing apart at the gentle prod of my chopsticks. Its consistency was almost melt-in-the-mouth and truly lived up to the ‘soft’ in its name.

Final Thoughts

As far as personal preferences are concerned, I did wish for the broth in the Prawn Noodle Soup to have a more distinct prawn sweetness, though this isn’t a glaring problem by any means.

That aside, both bowls were undoubtedly well-executed and highly comforting. In particular, the Dry Soft Bone Noodle was truly unforgettable, or rather, wang bu liao. I definitely see myself returning for it, and perhaps to give the Dry Prawn Noodle (S$6/S$8) a worthy shot.

Wang Bu Liao Traditional Prawn Noodles isn’t completely flawless in spite of its full 5 stars rating. Then again, no stall is or can truly be. In this vein, I do maintain that it is fully deserving of its exceptional rating. Not convinced? I’ll show you:

Expected damage: S$5 – S$8.50 per pax

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