Big Prawn Noodles + bonus boozy Hotdogs & Rice Bowls!

Hello Makan Kakis!

Another week, another new Foodie Friend to meet! Xin Hui Helder-Eng is a story-teller, a copy-writer & self-confessed social media nanny who puts her lyrical skills to good use at Tie Fun Wan, her family-run Restaurant-Cafe, that serves delicious rice & noodle bowls from just $8 nett by her brother-in-law, Chef Ken Chia.

She’s also a contributor on Parched Asia, an online lifestyle magazine dedicated to the pleasures and pursuit of drinking – cocktail culture, drinking trends, interviews, great recipes, new bars, reviews, listicles and good advice.

Speaking of which, she shares with us where to go for good eats and drinks, so have a listen below for rice bowls, hotdogs, cocktails and so much more!

HEAR:

• Click to listen/ download podcast Part 1 – The Tie Fun Wan Ricebowl concept and signature dishes.
• Click to listen/ download podcast Part 2 – What is Parched Asia? Also, Xin Hui’s recommendation for great late-night cocktails and food at Fung Kee Hotdogs.
• Click to listen/ download podcast Part 3 – Where Xin Hui goes for awesome Prawn Noodles.

SEE:

First of all, you should know that Xin Hui loves dining out for food that she can’t make herself and as a die-hard Eastie, she knows her East-side eats well. In fact, she jokes that some say West is Best, people go to the East to Feast! And feast you will, at a stall that has been gaining great popularity – Da Dong Prawn Noodles in Joo Chiat.

For Xin Hui, a family- run stall gets extra points because they share the same background as she has. So with Da Dong Prawn Noodles, it belonged to a first generation hawker uncle, who handed things on to his son. So when you pay them a visit at the coffee shop (it’s not fancy, feel free to show up on flip flops!), you’ll see 3 young men hard at work. They are very busy, so they keep things moving like clockwork – it’s like a dance, that’s how synchronised they are – one does the cooking, another takes orders, and the third is serving up orders.

Never mind all that, the food is, quite simply, DELICIOUS. The soup, in particular, is killer! From what she has observed, Xin Hui says most customers order the standard soup noodles with big prawns & bee hoon/ mee. However, Xin Hui likes hers dry with soup on side and extra chilli! Tell them how you like your dish prepared – soup, dry, choice of noodles, regular-sized or jumbo-sized prawns, etc. – they’ll sort you out.  But don’t expect a smile or too much of a chat because they are so busy. By 12.30pm on weekends, you’d be too late! It’s still very much worth a visit – you might find weekday crowds a bit more manageable.

TASTE:
Da Dong Prawn Noodles
354 Joo Chiat Rd S(427600)
Open: 7.30am – 2pm Wednesday to Monday (Closed Tuesday)
Tel: +65 98171663

*photos courtesy of Xin Hui Helder-Eng