Mr Teh Tarik Changi Village: Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee and Fried Oyster

I find myself hanging out more and more at Changi Village nowadays especially for supper.
This is especially odd because I thought that when the main Food Centre (where all the Nasi Lemak action was) closed for renovations, I’d probably not be back in Changi for quite awhile.
And now it turns out I’m spending more time there now than before!

There are a few places to find some good eats in the area like Ah Nam among others but just at the start of the Changi Villa stretch, you’ll find Mr Teh Tarik there.

And like the other Mr Teh Tariks you might find, they have several stall within the premises which sell a variety of cuisines that might tickle your fancy. And the Mr Teh Tarik Cafe at Changi Village is no different because you’ll be spoiled for choice.

But for now, I’m just gonna cover one particular stall.

Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee ($5.00)

It used to be so difficult to find Halal Hokkien Mee in the past but it seems like more and more people have started selling this fan favourite. With the boom of Halal restaurants and hawkers selling Chinese cuisine, you might be able to find a good handful of places which sell a mean plate of Hokkien Prawn Mee.

Mr Teh Tarik at Changi Village is one of those places.

There is a stall there that sells a delicious plate of Hokkien Mee.
We always go there late at night so we always see the same aunty cooking the dish but I’m not sure about the afternoons by the way.

The serving is huge and 2 people can easily share a plate.
And it’s packed full of seafood like prawns (duh) and squid. The prawn stock is tasty and delicious.
In the photo above you might think that there seems to be a bit too much gravy but fret not that’s actually the first time that’s happened in all the times we’ve been there. Anyways more gravy better right?

I grew up knowing Hokkien Mee as ‘Rochor Mee’ because my Dad tells me that in the old days, this dish was evolved and popularized in that area. I don’t many people still refer to it as ‘Rochor Mee’ anymore but I’ll always remember it by that name.

Some enthusiasts will argue that the types noodles you use as the ‘white’ noodle in this dish makes a difference which is actually true. When my dad cooks it at home, he uses a mix of yellow noodles and white bee hoon because he says it gives the dish a nice difference in texture with the different noodle thickness and it’s also how he used to eat the dish when he was younger.

When you buy the dish nowadays, it’s seldom with bee hoon. In the picture above you can see the stall at Mr Teh Tarik uses a thicker noodle very similar to a laksa noodle.
And don’t be alarmed. It’s more white noodled than yellow noodles because my darling wife told the aunty to add more white than yellow 🙂
And you have a choice of $3 / $4 / $5 depending on how hungry you are.

But if you’re not a noodle kinda person…

Fried Oyster ($8)

Now Hokkien Mee may be a dish becoming more and more available but Fried Oyster is a dish that still remains elusive when it comes to the Halal version. I’ve seen quite a few ‘No Pork No Lard’ versions around but that’s just not Halal is it?

The original dish is normally fried in lard which many think is essential but the Halal version is just fried in normal oil which is still fine right.

The Fried Oyster (or Orh Luak) here is quite steady actually. So steady that we seem to order it every single time we go! And I normally see this once Chinese guy making it and I can vouch that his Fried Oyster is consistently the absolutely bomb. But this one time it was this makcik whom I did not have any confidence in.
But my brother says it’s normally her and she cooks the bombs as well.

And it was nice lah!
(Although I personally prefer the Chinese dude. Call it an OCD thing.)

The oysters were fresh and plump and juicy!
And it’s not those itsy bitsy tiny little oyster you’re probably expecting. These were respectably sized and delicious if you’re an oyster lover.

The mix of egg and starch (I think they use rice flour instead of sweet potato flour) is just nice and it gets a really nice crispy edge (which is probably everyone’s favourite part.. admit it!)

But I have to say that the chilli is not bad too but I have a feeling some people may feel it’s nothing special.
And I know that some people REALLY pin a lot of hopes on the chilli. It’s quite okay and has nice kick to it but I guess you have to try it for yourself before you decide whether you like it or not.
You can have either a $5 or $8 serving.

Adam’s Verdict:

Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee 3.5/5 — Fried Oyster 4/5

Maryah’s Verdict:

Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee 4.5/5 — Fried Oyster 4/5

Azlan’s Verdict:

Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee 4/5 — Fried Oyster 4/5

Yana’s Verdict:

Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee 4/5 — Fried Oyster 4/5

So the ratings are quite steady… but…
I think there’s one thing that we all agree is a small issue – Consistency.

Like my brother said – sometimes it can be damn power like 4/5 but sometimes it really sucks like 2/5.
So is it a matter of who cooks it? Maybe the time of day you go?
Who knows?

Well I can tell you I’ve only gone at night. And my advice is – look for the Chinese dude.
Other than that please do try your luck. It’s still probably gonna be worth it.