The Dead Cockroach: 545 Whampoa Prawn Noodle @ Tekka Market & Food Centre

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545 Whampoa Prawn Noodles at Tekka Market & Food Centre needs no further introduction.

I will spare you the story of how this third gen University Finance graduate, Li Ruifang gave up her cushy corporate job to don the apron or how her grandfather began peddling his prawn noodle in the streets during the 1950s. These information can easily be obtained from the numerous blogs sharing them.

A perpetual queue can always be seen as it is one of the more popular stalls here. Fortunately for me, there were no more than five people when I arrived at about ten in the morning. When it was almost my turn, the stall helper came down the line to ask for my order.

I have bookmarked this stall on my to-eat list for the longest time and I am glad I am finally able to do a food trail in this food centre at Little India.

When it comes to prawn noodle, I am always in a dilemma because it is tough choosing between having it dry or in soup.

However, I wanted to have it dry this time, opting for a mix of bee hoon and mee (yellow noodle).

When asked if I wanted sambal chili and ketchup, I was stunned for a moment. Sambal chili, yes but I have never been given the ketchup option with prawn noodle anywhere before. This is a first for me. Curious about how the taste will turn out, I gave her the go-ahead.

Ruifang whipped out my order in just a few swift movements. From putting together the sauce-mix to cooking the noodle, I must say she has mastered her craft well under the tutelage of her Dad.

But, the ultimate question is, does her prawn noodle taste good?

I had the largest bowl at $5 which come with a mound of bee hoon/mee, bean sprouts and four halved prawns that have been shelled and deveined.

A small bowl of prawn soup is served on the side.

Firstly, the prawns. I loved the freshness and firm bite but that is only because sea-caught prawns like ang ka and sua lor are used. Non of that farmed nonsense is being used here.

Apart from that, another highlight would be the tender and chewy pork slices which is one of my favorite things to eat. I seriously could not get enough of them and should have topped up for more.

Ruifang does not serve fish cake slices in her prawn noodle.

Next, her home-made sambal chili is really good and the sauce-mix coated the bee hoon/mee really well. During the tossing, I even discovered crispy pork lard hidden at the bottom of the bowl!

I have not tasted any prawn noodle like Ruifang's before. Perhaps, it is the ketchap that gave the overall taste profile a new dimension.

The fried shallot crisps sprinkled on the noodle deserve a mention. Just the thought of peeling all those shallots alone is enough to make me cringe however, instead of relying on ready-made supplies, Ruifang chose to make them at the stall herself.

She totally deserve a standing ovation for this.

Indeed, her effort shows as the freshly fried shallot crisps are far more superior in terms of texture and aroma compared to the stale and rancid ones from the suppliers.

As for the prawn soup, I am relieved that there is no overwhelming saccharine levels of rock sugar because that is how the prawn soup from my neighborhood tastes like.

Judging from the color, I thought it would be rich and robust. On the contrary, Ruifang's version is not heavy at all.

Although on the lighter side, it is still flavorful enough with crustacean essence and a underlying pork sweetness that does not make me feel guilty for finishing it to the last drop.