From pushcart to hawker to restaurant, Wah Kee goes big with its prawn noodles

SINGAPORE - The trend of upgrading is a uniquely Singaporean trait. From our houses to cars, upgrading is par for the course.

The proliferation of hawker stalls branching out from their traditional turfs to the restaurant scene is no exception; Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles is the latest player in the upgrading scene with their new 60-seater restaurant at Esplanade.

Mr Kevin Lau, the third-generation of Wah Kee, has big plans for the culinary institution.

With the Michelin-star in his crosshair, the 46-year-old director of Wah Kee knows that quality and consistency is key to upholding the legacy built by his father and grandfather.

"There is a lot of pressure from my dad to ensure that the stock quality and results are good," said Mr Lau.

"I've been working at his stall since I was five, learning how to cook the prawns, shallots, pork lard, and stock."

As the elder Mr Lau interacts with his guests, the younger Mr Lau whips up bowls of prawn noodles for the media.

"We take three hours to prepare the stock," Mr Lau revealed.

The mee kia noodles - which are specially made for Wah Kee - are al dente, absorbing the flavour from the pork lard and sauces mix.

The broth still retained its signature lobster bisque-taste, while the crustaceans were fresh and juicy.

The soup version strangely didn't have the kick that the dry version delivered - the broth didn't seem as rich as the dry version.

Its special chilli sauce - made just for Wah Kee at Esplanade - was excellent with the prawns.

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Wah Kee may be an old brand, but it has new tricks at its newest outlet.

"We (sell) purely seafood. That's the difference between Wah Kee and other prawn noodle stalls."

Other items on the menu include Boston lobsters, oysters from Canada, France and the USA, blue mussels, oyster croquette, and a variety of other seafood.

"The hawker centre (outlet) is selling (a regular bowl of prawn noodles) for $5. Here we are selling $6," said Mr Lau.

"For those $20 and $30, (the price) remains the same."

While younger Mr Lau helms the Wah Kee brand from his father at Esplanade, the 75-year-old patriarch will continue at his bastion at Pek Kio Market.

"Most of my customers recognise me at Pek Kio and want to see me there," said the elder Mr Lau in Mandarin.

"My wife will be there too. We are business partners, so we will all be there," he continued, breaking into guffaws.

In 1951, Wah Kee started at Rangoon road in the form of a pushcart.

As the 2nd-generation took over the reins in 1968, Wah Kee progressed from a pushcart to a hawker stall at Farrer Road, before settling down at Pek Kio in 1997.

As the 3rd-generation takes over the helm at Esplanade, marking another milestone for the brand, Wah Kee seems to be bucking the trend of disappearing hawker legacies.

"When I've children, I'll definitely be happy if they want to carry on the Wah Kee brand," laughed Mr Lau.

In the meantime, the brand is in safe hands at Esplanade with the quality and consistency flying high.

grongloh@sph.com.sg