Seafood dinner at One Prawn & Co

You know One Prawn & Co for its robust prawn noodle soup served in a claypot. 

The stall debuted on the Michelin Guide’s Bib Gourmand list in July 2022, when its chef-owner Gwyneth Ang told The Straits Times about how her cooking elevates local cuisine. 

Six months down the road, the gung-ho hawker continues to do so.

By day, you can still get your fix of prawn noodles. By night, the coffee-shop space offers a 12-course seafood grill dinner ($128++ a person; add $30++ for free-flow house sake). 

While the non-air-conditioned setting is not the fanciest of dining spots, I know I’d be paying a lot more for this menu – and its premium ingredients – if it was in a proper restaurant space.

Dinner kicks off with a medley of starters, including sweet amaebi, Hyogo oyster, cured amberjack and tempura softshell crab. 

Some dishes are meant for sharing, such as the grilled maitake mushrooms with burnt barley risotto and smoky squid “noodles” tossed in a piquant salsa verde. 

The greedy part of me wishes I have the grilled Scottish King scallop to myself. The plump scallop is served in its shell and topped with an XO chilli jam that marks a shift into stronger flavours about halfway through the meal.

Interestingly enough, the hanger steak that follows after does not shine as much as the grilled turbot smothered in garlic brown butter, pickled papaya and capers. I guess chef Ang sticking to seafood is the way to go. 

While I am fairly full by now, I definitely have space for the abalone poached rice, which comes with One Prawn & Co’s signature prawn broth. 

It is the perfect way to complete the meal and, if you are a first-timer, an important showcase of how the brand started.

Whe...