Long time no go Toa Payoh Lor 7.
Kim Keat Palm Market & Food Centre has famous stalls such as LiXin Fishball Noodles, Hai Nan Xing Zhou Beef Noodles and Min Kee Tanjong Rhu Wanton Noodle.
And when I returned recently, there were naturally a few names I had never tried before.
Jia Wei 家味 (which means ‘taste of home’) at #01-55 was one of them, and strangely enough, there is not that much written about this stall online. Not even a Google entry.
The stall specialises in Hokkien-style Prawn Noodles, with Prawn Noodles ($4.50, $5.50), Big Prawn Noodles ($8) and Prawn & Pork Ribs Noodles ($10) available dry or in soup.
Lor Mee ($4.50, $5.50) is available as well.
I ordered the Prawn & Pork Ribs Noodles ($10) dry, and when the two yellow bowls arrived, I was quite surprised by how much liao there was.
The dry mee kia came with several chunky pork ribs, while the large prawns were served separately in a bowl of dark brown broth.
The soup was seriously gao gao, with a dark, cloudy appearance and a strong roasted prawn flavour.
The broth is said to be simmered for hours using roasted prawn heads, pork bones and rock sugar, which would explain both the depth and that slight sweetness towards the end.
This is definitely a more 重口味 (zhong kou wei) broth rather than something clean and delicate.
I enjoyed its richness, though I can imagine some finding it a little intense if they prefer something clearer and more naturally sweet.
The prawns themselves were fresh, with firm flesh that was easy enough to peel from the shells.
As for the noodles, they were tossed quite thoroughly in chilli, shallot oil and lard, with enough sauce to get into the strands rather than just sitting at the bottom. I liked the savoury fragrance and chilli kick, though I have to say there was quite a bit of oil involved.
By the time I got towards the bottom, you could definitely see it.
So if you prefer your dry prawn noodles lighter and less greasy, this may not be quite your style. For me, the seasoning was tasty enough that I still kept going, especially together with the tender pork ribs.
Jia Wei seems to be one of those neighbourhood stalls that regulars know about but does not appear very often on the usual prawn noodle lists. Perhaps the short opening hours have something to do with it.
Jia Wei 家味
Kim Keat Palm Market & Food Centre #01-55, 22 Lor 7 Toa Payoh, Singapore 310022
Opening Hours: 8am – 1pm (Mon – Sun)
Other Related Entries
Kim Keat Palm Market & Food Centre Food Guide
Wang Bu Liao Traditional Prawn Noodles (Golden Mile Tower)
Da Dong Prawn Noodles (Joo Chiat)
Lai Hiang Pork Rib Prawn Mee (Pek Kio Food Centre)
Ipoh Zai Prawn Mee 怡宝仔虾面 (Tanjong Pagar Food Centre)
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