Prawn + pork ribs noodles + ngoh hiang ($6 + $4.40)!
Hawker prawn mee with a dark pork-rib broth, plus a side plate of ngoh hiang: fried tau pok, fishcake, beancurd and char siew. $10.40.
A hearty hawker lunch spread with BB: a bowl of prawn + pork ribs noodles and a side plate of ngoh hiang items, $10.40 in all. 🦐😋
What was on the table ($6 + $4.40):
- Prawn + pork ribs noodles: yellow mee and bee hoon in a dark prawn-pork broth (the old-school style, slightly cloudy from the long pork-bone and prawn-shell simmer), topped with whole prawns (heads on), tender pork rib chunks, fried shallots and scallions
- A green plate of ngoh hiang variety: fried tau pok, fried fishcake, stuffed beancurd, shredded fried squid, slices of dark sweet char siew and cucumber wedges
- Sides of dark sweet sauce, bright orange chilli and dark sambal
The broth was the standout. This is the old-school Hokkien prawn mee style, boiled for hours with prawn shells and pork bones for that dark, deep umami you do not get from the thinner chain versions. The pork ribs are the upgrade over the usual sliced lean pork, falling off the bone tender, a sign the soup has been cooked down properly.
The ngoh hiang side is the classic hawker move: point at a bit of everything and get variety on one plate, with that slice of sweet char siew as a bonus. The fried tau pok and crumbly shredded squid soak up the chilli and sweet sauce nicely.
Overall: 4.4 / 5. 😍👍🏼 Deep, old-school prawn-pork broth, tender ribs and generous prawns, with a fun ngoh hiang plate alongside. A proper hawker lunch.
