This might just be the best Hay Mee (prawn noodles) Soup we have ever tried

We’re all familiar with hay mee soup (or prawn noodles soup), an all-time favourite dish that you can find in most coffee shops and hawker centres in Singapore. And just as we thought the dish that features a rich prawn-based broth, succulent prawns, and noodles can’t get any better, Violet Oon Singapore showed us otherwise.

Violet Oon Singapore introduces two new Peranakan dishes in The Nyonya Sunday Lunch Collection, and prepares them the way Nyonya grandmothers do as a tribute to the culinary tradition of Peranakan families. The dishes include the Nyonya Hay Mee Soup and Nyonya Assam Laksa.

When we first heard that we’ll be trying the new Nyonya Hay Mee Soup from Violet Oon Singapore, we were curious. There are many great prawn noodles in Singapore – just how much can it be elevated?

The restaurant’s rendition of this beloved classic dish uses locally sourced kelong-farmed prawns as main ingredient in this dish. Freshly peeled prawn shells and heads are first fried with garlic until they turn deep red and flavourful, before being boiled for hours to create the rich prawn bisque the noodles come with.

This is served with two types of noodles: yellow Hokkien noodles and rice vermicelli, kang kong, quick-blanched bean sprouts that retain a nice crunch, and of course, generous portions of fresh kelong-farmed prawns from Singapore. The garnishes – deep-fried shallots and pork crackling – are also worth a mention, because they add another dimension to this dish.

But the unexpected highlight of the dish for us is the Nyonya Tauyew Bak. This pork belly has been slow braised in Violet Oon Singapore’s newly launched Soya Sauce, which is naturally brewed with non-GMO soybeans of the highest quality, free from MSG, preservatives, additional colouring or flavouring.

We love how the soya sauce seasoned the pork belly so perfectly it brings out an enjoyable umami taste. The meat itself also melts in your mouth, making you crave for more.

If you ask us, this is hands down the best prawn noodles soup we’ve had, thanks to the perfect balance of flavours made possible with fresh ingredients and great culinary skills.

Besides the Nyonya Hay Mee Soup, you can also look forward to the new Nyonya Assam Laksa at Violet Oon Singapore. This is going to taste different from the Penang-style Assam Laksa that you might be more familiar with – it’s lighter and less sour compared to Penang’s version.

The gravy is made with ground lengkuas, turmeric root, shallots, and belacan, and the new Violet Oon Singapore’s Chilli Sauce adds a piquant taste to it. Fresh herbs like laksa leaves, bunga kantan (pink ginger flower), slices of dried assam gelugor, and tamarind juice gives the gravy a tangy profile that is flavourful. To give it an even more refreshing touch, local lettuce, sliced pineapple, cucumber, mint leaves, pink ginger flowers, pickled leeks, red and green chillies and black prawn paste (hay ko) is added to the dish.

At the centre of this dish is a pan-fried fillet of fresh Singapore kelong-raised barramundi. Savour it with a touch of the newly launched chilli sauce that’s served on the side for a fiery-hot kick to the dish.

The Nyonya Sunday Lunch Collection is served daily from 11am to 6pm, exclusively at Violet Oon Singapore ION Orchard. The Nyonya Hay Mee Soup and Nyonya Assam Laksa are each available at SGD29. The Violet Oon Singapore Soya Sauce and Chilli Sauce featured in the two lunch specials will also be available at the retail space at ION Orchard.