545 Whampoa Prawn Noodles

545 Whampoa Prawn Noodles is a hawker stall in Tekka Centre, the hawker centre and market at the edge of Little India. It sells one dish: prawn noodles, also called prawn mee. You can have them dry, tossed in chilli, or in a bowl of rich prawn broth.

The stall is run by Li Ruifang, a third-generation hawker. Her grandfather first sold prawn noodles from a pushcart on the streets around Balestier. Her father later ran the family stall at Whampoa Market for about 40 years, and the name still carries that link. Ruifang left an office job at a multinational company to keep the family trade going. She has run the Tekka stall since 2014, with help from her parents.

What to order

The dry version is the more popular choice. The noodles are tossed in a sambal chilli sauce, then topped with bean sprouts, prawns and thin slices of pork. A small bowl of hot prawn soup comes on the side. If you would rather skip the sambal, order the soup version, with the noodles sitting in the broth.

The broth is the reason people come back. The family makes it by boiling sea-caught prawns and adding pork bones for depth. The prawns come sliced in half, so they are easy to eat. You can also ask for fried shallots and lard on top for extra flavour.

Ordering at the stall

• Decide between dry and soup before you reach the front of the queue.
• Bring cash, as the MICHELIN Guide lists the stall as cash only.
• Come early. This is a morning stall that closes by early afternoon, and it does not open every day.
• Expect a line at busy times, as this stall has many regulars.
• Find a seat first, then queue, and collect your own bowl when it is ready.
• Return your tray and bowl to the tray return point when you finish.

If this is your first hawker meal, read our guides on how to order at hawker stalls and hawker centre etiquette before you go.

The setting

This is a plain hawker stall, not a restaurant. You eat at shared tables in the food centre. There is no table service and no booking. Meals at hawker stalls are quick, so a bowl here fits easily into a morning of sightseeing.

Nearby

Tekka Centre is a good starting point for a walk around Little India. After your noodles, visit the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple or learn about local history at the Indian Heritage Centre. Our Little India guide has more ideas for the area. You can also browse more hawker favourites in Singapore or all restaurants in Little India and Jalan Besar.