Legit $2.50 prawn mee with lengthy queues at Pek Kio Market & Food Centre

When a reader despatched in a suggestion for a S$2.50 prawn mee stall, I used to be sceptical, to say the least, considering that costs should have both risen (particularly given the latest economical local weather), or that the parts given could be little. Oh boy, was I flawed.

This is one hidden gem that I’m more than pleased to advocate— and it’s none aside from Lai Hiang Pork Rib Prawn Mee, which is positioned at Pek Kio Market & Food Centre.

Lai Hiang Pork Rib Prawn Mee sported the longest queue in your entire market, and I counted roughly 15 individuals in entrance of me after I joined the queue.

The largest draw? Their prawn mee, with costs ranging from as little as S$2.50. I collect this should’ve been in an effort to serve the aged and low revenue households within the Pek Kio space.

Lai Hiang Pork Rib Prawn Mee provides 3 sizes of prawn mee: S$2.50, S$3 and S$5.

While queuing, I couldn’t assist however discover how form the stall homeowners have been— regardless of the lengthy queues, they gladly gave out free soup refills to those that requested for it, and even hand-delivered bowls of prawn mee on to the aged sitting close by!

What I attempted at Lai Hiang Pork Rib Prawn Mee

I received myself Prawn Mee (Dry, S$2.50) with yellow noodles and bee hoon, and for comparability, I ordered one other bowl of Prawn Mee (Soup, S$5) and requested for kway teow noodles.

Just primarily based on first impressions alone, I used to be immediately shocked. This bowl of Dry Prawn Mee most undoubtedly was value greater than S$2.50!

Admittedly, I used to be solely given one prawn, however Lai Hiang Pork Rib Prawn Mee greater than made up for the dearth of it by giving an honest quantity of noodles, lean pork meat and fishcakes.

In some odd sense, Lai Hiang Pork Rib Prawn Mee’s Dry Prawn Mee jogged my memory of bak chor mee due to the biting, spicy chilli and aromatic shallot oil. This was spicier than anticipated, and after a pair mouthfuls, I discovered myself sweating from the brilliant but addictive spice.

Each strand of noodle absorbed the chilli-laden sauce, making a gritty-like texture. To elevate your entire expertise, toss in a number of spoonfuls of prawn broth into the dry noodles for a kick of umami, briny flavour.

Considering the S$2.50 price ticket, I used to be extremely impressed with the quantity of lean pork slices and fish desserts that was given, in addition to the fried shallots that topped my bowl of Dry Prawn Mee.

Though the lean pork slices have been dry because of the character of its minimize, I loved chewing on them, because it added that well-needed contact of meatiness to the entire bowl.

The knock-out star of my complete meal was the small bowl of soup that was given with my Dry Prawn Mee.

This was briny, full-bodied sweetness that might solely be achieved with hours of boiling. I might style a powerful roastedness from the prawn heads, in addition to a beautiful umami-filled robustness with each sip.

Don’t belittle or underestimate the S$2.50 price ticket, since you’re significantly getting high quality meals right here at Lai Hiang Pork Rib Prawn Mee.

In a bid to match Lai Hiang Pork Rib Prawn Mee’s least expensive and costliest dish, I ordered the Prawn Mee (Soup) in its largest measurement of S$5, and requested for kway teow noodles.

As in comparison with my bowl of S$2.50 Dry Prawn Mee, the largest distinction could be the quantity of prawns. I counted 8 items of halved prawns, which might add as much as 4 complete prawns! Literally 4 occasions the quantity of prawns that had been given with my Dry Prawn Mee— very spectacular.

Apart from that, all the pieces else (the noodles, lean pork slices and fish desserts) was given in the identical quantities.

As against the strong bowl of soup that had been given with my Dry Prawn Mee, this was a lot lighter and cleaner. Though this was notably much less salty, it nonetheless retained that nice, briny sweetness that made every sip comforting.

After a while, the kway teow noodles had absorbed a number of the soup and grew in measurement, forming an intimidating mountain. Despite being a soup-based dish, I appreciated the beneficiant quantity of fried shallots that had been given because it added a silky oiliness to the noodles.

Final ideas

Not solely are Lai Hiang Pork Rib Prawn Mee’s S$2.50 costs one-of-a-kind (particularly in at this time’s economic system), its parts and tastes weren’t compromised both.

In reality, I completely loved my bowls of Dry and Soup Prawn Mee, as I might style the quantity of arduous work that had gone into the strong prawn broth, in addition to the spicy and positively addictive chilli.

With such a form coronary heart in guaranteeing that costs keep reasonably priced for everybody, Lai Hiang Pork Rib Prawn Mee is one stall that I can’t advocate sufficient. Note that they have a tendency to promote out by 2pm, so come early to courageous the snaking queues!

Expected injury: S$2.50 – S$5 per pax

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