Chuan Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee @ Circuit Road Market & Food Centre ☏ 8342 6680

Chuan Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee | Block 80 Circuit Rd, stall #02-05, Singapore 370080 (Circuit Road Market & Food Centre) 🚅 5 minute walk from MacPherson station ☏ 8342 6680 ⏰ 11am - 7pm (Weds off)

Heard a lot about Chuan Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee near MacPherson MRT station. Personally, I was also attracted because Chuan still has everything of the FHM trinity of prawn, squid and pork belly in their rendition.

It's the first time I have ever been to this hawker centre 🤭 (Don't dare to use the excuse that I am Johor Kaki lah 😬 )

Anyway, I already like this place. The wet market stalls were at the ground level and food stalls on the second level. There were about twenty food stalls but at night only Chuan Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee remained open.

There was no snaking queue, just a constant trickle of customers. As Chuan was the only stall operating at night (not even a drink stall opened), it offered free boxes of chrysanthemum tea to its customers.

Chuan had all the hallmarks of a traditional Singapore style fried Hokkien prawn mee. The golden brown stock, the soul of the dish looked appropriately viscous.

Chef started a new batch of noodles. For FHM, I like to see the chef cook the dish from scratch, even if it means I have to wait at least 15 minutes per batch.

Tossing and folding the noodles over and over in the pool of prawn stock till most of the liquid was evaporated, leaving the essence of its flavours infused in the noodles.

Came in $6 and $9 servings, I just got the $6 one - don't want too much carbs in the evening.

It's all there - yellow noodles, skinny bee hoon, eggs, prawn, pork belly, squid, sambal, cut chili, chive (garnish) and pork lard croutons without asking.

Okay let's get to the heart of the dish.

The noodles were moist not dry, not drippy wet i.e. just right for me. The crustacean umami savoury sweetness was present and just half a notch milder than my ideal. Slight garlic and lard taste. It was very flavourful and within the top band of Singapore FHM in my opinion.

The chef put in lot of elbow grease to sear in some wok hei - I can hear, see and taste his efforts.

The three forefinger size prawns were succulent, tenderly crunchy, sweet. Well above average FHM prawns elsewhere.

The tender pork belly was porcine sweet.

There's sotong!

Only a few small pieces but they have the crunch and subtle iodine taste, I feel is indispensable in traditional FHM.

Crisp pork lard croutons, not the stale lao hong 漏风 type.

The sambal was the savoury spicy, very hot type. I finished my dollop because I like the fiery kick.

Chuan also provides cut fresh chili.

From the residue on the plate, you can see it was neither the drippy wet nor greasy type.

I enjoyed Chuan's fried Hokkien prawn mee. It's quite close to the Hainan Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee stall at Golden Mile Hawker Centre, just a tad more moist and slightly less intense in flavour.