We tried Singapore’s worst-rated prawn noodles

From reviewing the best-rated prawn noodles to curating a guide to the best prawn noodles in Singapore, my love for this dish couldn’t be clearer. Well, I’ve gone full circle, folks; my latest conquest comes from the opposite end of the spectrum. It’s none other than the (in)famous Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles, one of the worst-rated prawn noodle stalls in Singapore.

Wah Kee’s ‘worst-rated’ status may come as a surprise to some. Having served prawn noodles for over 7 decades since its opening in 1951, this stall is something of a stalwart. They’ve not only garnered significant media recognition, but also a coveted Michelin Plate.

Huh, what happened then? At the time of writing, the stall at Pek Kio Market & Food Centre holds a 3-star rating on Google from 114 reviews. While a 3-star rating isn’t entirely terrible, a closer look at the reviews raises some red flags.

Many 1- and 2-starred reviews describe Wah Kee as a shell of its former self, with criticisms about bland soup and meagre value for money. More prominently, the bulk of these reviews express indignance towards the stall-owner’s notoriously poor attitude and service.

Terrible, breaking bad, grumpy as ever, rude — these are just some of the terms that reviewers have used to describe the aunty who runs Wah Kee. Many allege that she dismisses customers attempting to order the S$5 portion, insisting that it’s sold out and aggressively directing them to the pricey Big Prawn Noodles (S$15/S$20/S$25) instead.

Regardless, that Michelin Plate must count for something, right? I decided that I was game enough to brave a scolding to give these ‘acclaimed’ noodles a try.

What I tried at Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles

After 2 failed trips, I finally spotted the stall with its shutters lifted and the aunty sitting idly at its front. I approached her, all prepped with a game plan: order 2 S$10 portions of the Prawn Noodles — one soup and one dry — and pray for the best.

To my relief, I succeeded on my first try. I even saw the tiniest smile flicker across her face as she watched me fumble through my wallet for cash.

I was underwhelmed when I received the bowl of Prawn Noodle Soup (S$10). The bowl was small and shallow, containing a visibly meagre portion of noodles submerged in brown-hued broth dotted with red speckles of prawn oil. Crowning them were 4 pieces of deshelled prawns.

The first thought that crossed my mind was that I could get this portion elsewhere for a mere fraction of its price here — definitely not the best first impression.

Lifting a spoonful of soup for the camera allowed me a closer look that left me rather perplexed. It appeared watered down, with a faint yellowish-brown colour that was almost clear and colourless.

I don’t know; maybe I’ve been spoiled with one too many stellar bowls of prawn mee with vibrant, thick and flavourful broths. While part of me hoped that appearance wouldn’t speak entirely for taste, I was sadly proven wrong.

The broth was watery and diluted, with faint and fleeting notes of prawn sweetness I had to strain to savour. However, it was riddled with hints of garlic that imparted a tinge of savouriness that I appreciated. That aside, I struggled to fall in love with this soup.

I picked up a piece of prawn and promptly noticed that it was suspiciously thin and flat. Lo and behold, each piece was a mere half. That meant that my S$10 bowl consisted of just 2 whole prawns in total, and they weren’t sizable pieces — consider that value for money non-existent.

Moreover, the prawns themselves were soft and mushy. They weren’t sweet or fresh either, and instead oddly carried the flavour of dried fish. Should I have just splurged on the Big Prawn Noodles?

Funnily enough, the noodles were the best part of this Prawn Noodle Soup. They were springy and cooked to al dente, and did not possess an unappetising alkalinity. That said, it really was a shame that the usual stars of the dish — the prawns and the broth — fell far below my expectations.

I then moved on to the Dry Prawn Noodles (S$10), hoping they could be my meal’s saving grace. Yellow noodles sat in an orange-hued sauce, topped with prawns and a sprinkling of pork lard and shallots. Accompanying this shallow bowl was a smaller bowl of prawn soup on the side. Yep, my criticisms about the measly portion sizes stood.

The noodles sported a glossy sheen that looked pretty promising; I didn’t have to do much tossing to get them coated in that thick, viscous sauce.

Oh, you have no idea how relieved I was to find myself enjoying this. The sauce had a discernible umami laced with pleasant herbal undertones and a light, tongue-tingling spice. It clung well to the chewy noodles, and the tasty combination was complemented by the crunchy taugeh and kang kong.

I was pleasantly surprised by the bowl of soup on the side, too. Without the noodles, the sweetness of the prawns was more pronounced, enhanced by the savoury garlic bits that floated lazily in the broth. While its flavour profile leaned towards the mild side, I couldn’t really complain as this was far better than that of its Soup counterpart.

Final Thoughts

Contrary to the Google Reviews, my biggest gripe with Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles was not the service but the fare. Having failed to deliver on both taste and value for money, the prawn noodles were a miss for me. While I did enjoy the dry-tossed noodles, they frankly cannot hold a candle to the great ones that I’ve tried.

Could there be a reason why the aunty directs people to the titular Big Prawn Noodles? Perhaps that’s where the stall’s Michelin Plate lies. Still, S$15 to S$25 is not a sum that many of us would readily fork out for a bowl of prawn noodles.

With that, I give Wah Kee a generous rating of 2.5 stars. Although its prawn noodles are edible and worthy of a passing grade, there are plenty of other spots where you’re better off spending your money.

Expected damage: S$5 – S$25 per pax

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