YouFu Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodle, Golden Mile Food Centre: Hokkien mee with a bold wok hei that’s equal parts science, art, & magic

It was late afternoon when I reached Golden Mile Food Centre. Having heard about a 21-year-old hawkerpreneur and his new venture into the gruelling F&B scene, I got curious and decided to check out his stall. His name is Andre and he sells Hokkien mee at YouFu Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodle. 

As I stood by the stall waiting to get my orders taken, I witnessed a young chap shove down the remaining two bites of his wanton mee as he rushed towards me. He took my order and without any hesitation, stepped in front of the smoking wok and swiftly fired up my plate of prawn noodles. 

At the age of 14, Andre started helping out at Changi Village Fried Hokkien Mee where his father worked. Since then, he fell in love with cooking and the rest was history. Today, he cooks alongside his mentor—his father—at their newly-opened hawker stall, serving up plates of the freshly prepared local delight.

What I tried

Hokkien Mee here at YouFu Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodle comes in four different price points. I ordered a S$4 plate of noodles and thought that the portion was just right for lunch with some remaining space for a dessert at the nearby Zhao An Granny Grass Jelly.  

Otherwise, if you are looking for a larger portion, there is also a S$5 option to choose from. To take your Hokkien mee experience up a notch, get the S$6 or S$8 as they come served on an opeh leaf. This light yellow fibrous sheet is said to exude a subtle woody fragrance that enhances the aroma of your noodles.

I was offered the option to choose between thick or thin bee hoon at for the Hokkien mee. As a fan of the drier version, I ordered the thin bee hoon to go with the yellow noodles. From my numerous Hokkien mee expeditions, I realised that thin bee hoon is able to soak up the broth better than its thicker counterparts—a little foodie tip to help if you can’t decide which is better.

Indeed, my plate of Hokkien mee leaned towards the drier side. The noodles were smooth and slurpable with a nice al dente bite that was not too soft. Every mouthful I took exuded deep briny notes showcasing the characteristics of a full-bodied broth. 

What I absolutely adored about YouFu Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodle was the bold fragrance and smokiness of the wok hei with each bite. I guess I need not emphasise more; look closely at the noodles and you will be able to see charred spots scattered throughout the dish. Yes, every bit of that contributed to that distinguishable ‘breath of wok’ that is equal parts science, art and magic. 

Two decently sized sea prawns and pieces of sotong also partook in the party on my plate. They were fresh, but in my opinion, played only a secondary role in contributing to the overall experience. The entire meal, I realised that I was concentrating more on the noodles itself, paying little to no attention on the other ingredients—that was how perfectly fried and flavourful the noodles were. 

How can we forget about the fried pork lard? Here, the cubes of pork lard were airy and light. Toss a spoonful and mix them into your noodles for that unexpected crunch and burst of richness.

To fully appreciate Andre’s Hokkien mee, I highly recommend you to try it without the sambal chilli. Like me, if spice is what you live for, add it only after you tried the noodles plain as the heat tends to overpower the savoury-sweetness of the seafood broth in the noodles.

Final thoughts

If this plate of Hokkien mee is the standard that 21-year-old Andre is whipping out every day at YouFu Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodle, I’m excited to witness his growth as he delves further into the business. 

Despite being filled to the brim with Starbucks pastries from an earlier tasting, I unknowingly wiped my plate clean savouring the dish while watching Andre work. From attending to customers to prepping for the next rush hour, his diligence and attitude really amazed me. Stepping into the food industry is a brave commitment, and I sincerely wish him all the best. 

Andre, I’ll definitely be back. 

Expected damage: S$4 – S$8 per pax