Is This The First Ever Prawn Mee Stall? The Story Of The Old Stall Hokkien Street Famous Prawn Mee

The Old Stall Hokkien Street Famous Prawn Mee is a legendary 80-year-old hae mee stall

When it comes to our classic hawker dishes, it’s often hard to ascertain their pioneers. If we’re talking about prawn noodles, however, The Old Stall Hokkien Street Famous Prawn Mee puts forth a pretty convincing claim to being the first-ever hae mee stall in Singapore.

Third-generation owner Michael Tan and his wife, Michelle Soh

There are currently two stalls that share this name. The one located in Chinatown’s Hong Lim Market & Food Centre is run by father Michael Tan, 72, while the other in Bukit Merah’s Alexandra Village Food Centre is helmed by son Stan Tan, 52. The duo are the third and fourth generation of a prawn noodle hawker lineage that is said to have introduced the dish to Hokkien Street crowds 80 years ago. They are the progeny of prawn mee as it originally was.

Fourth-generation owner Stan Tan and his wife, Madeline Tan

According to Michael and Stan, their family’s hawker legacy began in 1943. Soon after arriving from Jingmen, China, their ancestors opened the original prawn noodle stall along Hokkien Street, setting in motion the spread of the dish in Singapore.

“Those days, it was hard to find job as an immigrant,” said Michael. “You could be a coolie, but my grandfather was very skinny, don’t have much strength to do manual labour. Back home in Jingmen, my grandfather already learned how to make prawn mee. So he decided to open a stall along Hokkien Street to earn money.”

“Those days, it was hard to find job as an immigrant. You could be a coolie, but my grandfather was very skinny, don’t have much strength to do manual labour. So he decided to open a (prawn mee) stall along Hokkien Street to earn money.”

The stall was usually only open at night, with makeshift tables and no shelter from the rain. Most customers had to consume their noodles whilst standing. Despite these conditions, the stall became hugely popular, and soon enough there were other stalls in the area trying their hand at this exciting new dish. The old Hokkien Street became synonymous with prawn noodles.

You would think that after so many years, which included moving shop to Hong Lim Market & Food Centre in 1978 and the opening of Stan’s stall, there would be tweaks to the family’s recipe. Both father and son, however, insist they have mostly remained faithful to their ancestors’ vision. This can be seen in what is arguably prawn mee’s most important component: the highly aromatic and savoury soup.

“Our workers start work at 3am to boil the stock, using only fresh prawns delivered from Jurong Fishery Port each day,” Stan explained. “Prawn heads, pork bones, and a few secret ingredients go into our broth, with no added MSG.”

“Our workers start work at 3am to boil the stock, using only fresh prawns delivered from Jurong Fishery Port each day.”

Michael is particularly adamant about the last point. “You won’t feel thirsty after drinking our soup—that means got no MSG. Bluff you no money one!”

Nevertheless, there has been some innovation over the years. Michael’s mother, the second-generation owner, introduced pork ribs and tails to the menu. Then, after relocating to Hong Lim Market & Food Centre in the ‘70s, they developed the “dry” version of hae mee, which sees noodles tossed in chilli and served separately from the prawn soup. These twists have since become staples for prawn noodle stalls across the country.

If all that Michael and Stan said holds true, then The Old Stall Hokkien Street Famous Prawn Mee is surely the most influential stall of its kind in Singapore. It is also, in my opinion, one of the better ones out there. From the fresh, juicy prawns to the umami-laden soup, not to mention the piquant housemade chilli, the stall serves up excellent bowls of prawn mee.

But even a stall as significant as The Old Stall Hokkien Street Famous Prawn Mee may not be around forever. Stan noted that his two daughters are unlikely to take over the business, meaning once he retires, a cornerstone of hawker history will be gone for good.

So while you still have the chance, drop by one of Michael or Stan’s stalls to savour a piece of prawn noodle heritage.

For a story about one of the oldest satay stalls in Singapore, read our Original Alhambra Satay feature. For a story about a retro snack library in Jurong, check out our Snack More feature.

Hong Lim Market & Food Centre outlet
Address: 531A Upper Cross Street, #02-67, Hong Lim Market & Food Centre, Singapore 051531
Opening hours: Fri-Wed 8:30am to 3pm
Tel: 9853 9630
Website

Alexandra Village Food Centre outlet
Address: 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-58, Alexandra Village Food Centre, Singapore 150120
Opening hours: Tue-Wed 8:30am to 2pm, Fri-Sun 8:30am to 2pm
Tel: 9824 8868
The Old Stall Hokkien Street Famous Prawn Mee is not a halal-certified eatery.

Photos taken by Melvin Mak.
This was an independent feature by Eatbook.sg.