This Esplanade outlet is closed but the original Wah Kee stall is still doing a thriving business with a huge following of fans at Pek Kio hawker centre 👈 click
CLOSED Back at Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles 華記大蝦麵 at the Esplanade Mall after almost exactly one year (since it opened here. Wah Kee was founded in 1951 and the parent stall is still in operation at Pek Kio hawker centre).
Browsing the menu while waiting for the rest to arrive, I set my sights on Wah Kee's signature big prawns and the new "Lobster meets Prawn" pot. There was also the "Wah Wah!" pot - the trendy mala style seafood hotpot (but using Wah Kee's signature broth) but we shall save that for another visit.
Nice and comfortable inside away from the blistering heat outside.
Wah Kee's signature meaty big prawns in their famous prawn broth.
Wah Kee's prawn broth has medium body and a distinct crustacean savoury sweetness that is not overbearing. The savoury sweet broth is complemented by a gentle spicy hint.
I come to Wah Kee mainly for this pure prawn broth (with no pork added).
The sea prawn meat was crunchy with a light spring 爽口 and sweet briny taste.
The "Lobster meets Prawn" pot came with one small (frozen) lobster and two big fresh prawns each. There were also half a dozen lala clams in the broth.
It is basically the same classic Wah Kee prawn broth souped up with flavours from the lobster and 啦啦 lala clams.
The lobster and lala clams added more body to the prawn broth and also additional layers of savoury sweetness. If you like more flavours, more depth and greater intensity, then this is for you.
I enjoyed both the original pure prawn soup and souped up soup, but like the classic original a bit more as it is more unique and not easily replicated.
There is a choice of yellow noodles, mee kia and bee hoon in soup or "dry".
We opted for the dry version which comes with a robust savoury spicy sambal chili sauce and lard. There's toppings of fried shallot and fresh, crispy lard croutons.
Dry is my usual choice as I don't want the noodles to shift the taste profile of Wah Kee's finely tuned prawn broth.
Furthermore, Wah Kee's house made sambal chili sauce is delicious and comparable with the best noodle places in Singapore. The slender mee kia, especially, has a nice soft springy mouth feel to the bite and works well with Wah Kee's sambal chili sauce.
Nice chili dip with a zesty spicy sting complemented by mild savoury soy sauce flavour.
One free top up of soup is allowed per order. I like that as the main thing I come to Wah Kee for is their drinkable signature prawn broth 😋
SG$75.56 for the two sets and one added on noodle.
Restaurant name: Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodle 華記大蝦麵 (Esplanade Mall)
Address: 8 Raffles Ave, #01-13C, Esplanade Mall, Singapore
GPS: 1°17'21.9"N 103°51'23.3"E | 1.289416, 103.856484
Tel: 6327 9187
Hours: 11:00am to 2:30pm | 5:00pm to 10:30pm
Non Halal
Date visited: 9 Dec 2016, 15 Dec 2017
Wah Kee parent stall at Pek Kio 👈 click
Wah Kee is one of my favourite prawn mee stalls in Singapore and it is also one of the most famous. Wah Kee founded in 1951 was one of the pioneers of big prawn noodles back in the 1980s (it was then at Farrer Park).
Third generation Wah Kee just opened a branch at Esplanade Mall - it's so new, the bouquet for the opening ceremony still looked fresh 😀 It's 7:30pm on a Friday evening, and there was no queue.
The notice outside said all the big prawns were sold out, leaving only the normal SGD6 version. Never mind, I am happy as long as there is their legendary prawn broth.
Inside Wah Kee at Esplanade, the decor is minimalist. A simple, quite charming wall mural depicting Wah Kee's street side origins was the centre piece. The wooden furniture were set quite close together, but are sturdy and comfortable. The interior is air conditioned and lit with spot lights which can be quite warm if you are directly under it. (I had to as I needed to take photos 😂 )
As I sat at my table, I could smell the gentle crustacean aroma from the open kitchen which filled the entire room.
The menu is simple and everything is on one piece of paper. The menu is basically the same as the (still operational) parent stall at Pek Kio food centre except for the add on of oysters (which we shall leave for a future visit).
I started with a spicy "dry" set of yellow noodles and a bowl of prawn broth (price SGD6++). The noodles were served in slightly atas (premium) bowls but the chopsticks were the disposable kind.
There were 3 prawns halved, about the size of a man's pinkie (little finger). The prawns were fresh and tender with very slight sweet flavour which was mostly masked by the robust spicy sauce.
There was a little heap of fried shallots and lard crackling on top of the mound of noodles.
I gave the generic limp yellow noodles a good toss in the slick greasy savoury spicy sauce with a pronounced lard taste. As I slurped up the slick noodles, my lips were smeared with grease like a layer of lip gloss. Lip smacking shiok 😋 I love the noodles enveloped in the robust sauce loaded with flavours though it tended to mask the delicate taste of the fresh prawns.
If prawn broth is the soul of the prawn noodle dish, then Wah Kee's got plenty of soul. The broth is robustly crustacean savoury, layered with assertive garlicky savouriness. I love this as the taste of prawn heads is distinct and distinctive. There is a little onion/ shallot sweetness for balance in the mainly prawny savoury broth.
I know such strong flavours like strong personalities may not be everyone's cup of tea. But, they have a strong following, and the fans they have - they tend to be die hards.
I enjoyed my dry prawn mee so much that I ordered a spicy mee kia "soup" version to try (price SGD6++).
The waitress at first thought I was requesting for extra soup. That's when I found out from her that customers could ask for soup top ups. That's very generous of Wah Kee, as I assume that the prawn broth is quite costly to make.
This prawn broth was just as good. Having the mee kia soaking in the broth didn't alter the taste profile by much.
The mee kia was done really well. Even when bathed in soup, the soft springy texture of the slender noodles is comparable to the better wanton mee or bak chor mee stalls. Next time, I want to try the mee kia dry.
So I put their free soup top ups policy to the test lah 😉 The waitress came back with this large bowl of tongue scathing hot broth. I am touched. It was delicious to the last drop 👍
I like the service here at Wah Kee (Esplanade Mall) especially when Wah Kee at Pek Kio is
Pricing is at a considerable premium (SGD7 after adding GST and service tax) compared to it's Pek Kio parent stall (SGD5).
4-Star (out of 5). If you are visiting Singapore and want to taste the legendary Wah Kee prawn noodles, their shop at Esplanade Mall is a good option (if you have no time to go to Pek Kio food centre). The shop at Esplanade Mall has kept faithfully to the flavours of the parent stall at Pek Kio. There is a price premium but you get a convenient city centre location and a bit more creature comfort to enjoy your prawn noodle. I shall be back for the famed BIG prawns and also indulge in the oysters next time. Love the free soup top ups 👍
Wah Kee big prawn noodle made the leap from street side hawker stall to central business district restaurant without compromising their original flavours. That's something to celebrate.
Wah Kee parent stall at Pek Kio 👈 click
Restaurant name: Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodle (Esplanade Mall)
Address: 8 Raffles Ave, #01-13C, Esplanade Mall, Singapore (along the long narrow courtyard between Barossa and Demand & Supply)
GPS: 1°17'21.9"N 103°51'23.3"E | 1.289416, 103.856484
Tel: 6327 9187
Hours: 11:00am to 2:30pm | 5:00pm to 10:30pm
Non Halal
Date visited: 9 Dec 2016
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