Heat, laced with its shrimpy accelerant, made the combination of chilli paste and powder dynamite for the senses and boosted the flavour of the lightly boiled prawns.
Texture has always been my mantra when it comes to an outstanding meal and with Tan’s suggestions, this one delivered in spades. You can choose from mee kia (thin egg noodles), thick bee hoon (rice vermicelli), or kway teow (flat rice noodles), but I enjoyed my contrasting yellow noodle and thin bee hoon combo, the better to soak up soup and sambal with.
Beyond the hearty tenderness of pork ribs and the bouncy sweetness of prawns, Tan introduced me to pig skin (S$1). It was slippery, chewy and just the right kind of indulgent.
Then came another level of decadence: Golden nuggets of crispy pork lard and fried shallots. “It’s all made from scratch. We cook our own because you can taste the difference,” Tan insisted.
To round off the texture-fest, kang kong and bean sprouts brought juicy crunch and a much-needed lift of freshness.
The Old Stall’s prawn noodles may not make the loudest noise in Singapore, but they offer something deeper – quiet devotion to preserving their family’s rich, eight-decade culinary tradition.
