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As you are either Team Wet or Team Dry, it's hard to deny that fried Hokkien prawn mee is a classic hawker dish that has split people in Singapore into factions.

But if you are Team Wet and Team Pork Lard, you are in luck.

681 Hokkien Prawn Mee in Hougang, one of the newer kids of the block, opened on Jan. 3, 2021, and is already winning fans.

Hokkien prawn mee

On public Facebook foodie forum "Can Eat! Hawker Food", one CT Ang shared his recent experience at the stall.

Boldly touting it "One of the Best Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodle in Hougang", Ang justified his verdict by stating that the "pork lard [is] very fresh and crispy", "prawns and squids [were] fresh and tasty", and "sambal chilli [was] really good".

If those words are not enough to convince you to try , he further emphasised that the prawn mee is "ho jiak" ("delicious" in Hokkien) and "V.V.V Shiok" (that's three "very"s).

In a reply to a comment on his post, CT Ang said the noodles costs S$7 for two pax.

The stall also sells a smaller portion priced at S$5.

Netizens' comments

One thing that stands out from CT Ang's pictures is the ample ingredients, particularly the crispy pork lard.

Those who can't resist the lure of pork lard may will be glad to find that they are in pork lard heaven.

Two commenters affirmed Ang's high praise of the food.

However, one had a less satisfactory experience.

The queue may get quite long, according to Ang, so be prepared to wait if you wish to order from this highly-popular stall.

Fresh ingrdients

In a video interview with Foodie King, Gabriel the founder of 681 Hokkien Prawn Mee shared that the dish includes "traditional ingredients such as garlic chives, beansprouts, sotong (squid), pork belly meat, and prawn", on top of the noodles.

He insists on frying his Hokkien mee with fresh pork lard instead of vegetable oil to ensure his customers enjoy the best quality of ingredients.

He procures fresh pork lard from the market everyday that is used in his cooking.

The close proximity of his stall to the wet market allows him to purchase fresh ingredients easily for his food so he does not need to use frozen ingredients.

Made of prawn head and shells, pork bones and skin, and some secret ingredients, the broth takes around three hours to prepare.

While Gabriel specialises in wet style Hokkien Mee, he is able to prepare a dryer version upon request from customers.

No formal training

As a self-confessed Hokkien mee lover, the owner said he struggled to find Hokkien mee with a traditional taste and decided to achieve that goal on his own.

After losing his HR job at an MNC during the pandemic, Gabriel decided to try his hand at the hawker business.

As someone who claimed to learn how to cook Hokkien mee by watching online videos and never having undergone any formal training with a chef or hawker, the results Gabriel has achieved are impressive.

Gabriel shared that he also learnt what his customers expect of Hokkien mee from feedback and tips he is given on how to improve his techniques and cooking along the way.

681 Hokkien Prawn Mee

Address: Hougang Ave 4, Block 681, Yihuat Cafe

Opening hours:

Monday: 10:30am to 8pm

Tuesday to Sunday: 1:30pm to 8pm.

Top images by CT Ang.