YouFu Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee
Some meals are worth the wait. I packed YouFu Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee from Chinatown’s Smith Street Food Centre and didn’t touch it for almost 45 minutes. Yet, when I finally unwrapped it from the opeh leaf, it hit me! The aroma, the flavour, that unmistakable wok hei… all still very much alive.
Helmed by the father from the original YouFu stall at Golden Mile, this version has become my go-to. Drier style, punchy and smoky, with those beautifully seared yellow noodles and thin bee hoon clinging to prawn stock and pork lard bits like they have been on a slow dance with fire. The opeh leaf was a game changer. It was not just nostalgic, but also locked in the essence of the wok. Every bite was rich, savoury, and a little bit charred around the edges, in a good way.
I have tried versions from the sons at other outlets (Both YouFu and Shiok Hokkien Mee), but I keep coming back to this one. Watching the uncle tame the flames at the wok is like front-row seats to a hawker theatre - intense, fiery, and absolutely essential.
This was comfort food at its smoky, umami best. And yes, it travels well too, just don’t forget to give it a squeeze of that calamansi.
YouFu Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee
335 Smith Street
Smith Street Food Centre
#02-186
Singapore 050335
