$128 Set Dinner At Kopitiam Launched By Michelin Bib Gourmand Prawn Mee Hawker

Would you fork out $128 for a 12-course meal in a kopitiam? Gwyneth Ang, co-owner and restaurant chef-turned-hawker of prawn noodle eatery One Prawn & Co, is hoping that your answer is yes. After generating buzz and winning awards – including a Michelin Bib Gourmand nod last year – for her $14 Penang-style prawn mee, the 30-year-old is now offering a fancy 12-course dinner at her 60-seat modern coffeeshop in MacPherson.

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Gwyneth and her unnamed biz partner, who met while cooking at one-Michelin-starred barbecue restaurant Burnt Ends, will showcase the finer side of their culinary skills for the new dinner menu described to be “seafood-focused with Japanese influences”. Highlights include charcoal-grilled items like king scallops, turbot and pao fan featuring baby abalone and One Prawn & Co’s signature prawn broth. Pairings with exclusive seasonal sakes sourced from Japan are also available.

“$128 for 12 courses is a [good] deal”

We asked Gwyneth if she’s confident about attracting diners who would spend over $100 per pax at a humble (albeit neat and clean) kopitiam. “In this market, $128 for 12 courses is a [good] deal already. You wouldn’t be able to find [a multi-course menu with] grilled turbot at this price,” she says of the premium fish typically served in fancy restaurants over a phone call with 8days.sg. As a rough comparison, a standard 10-course omakase set at mid-tier modern Japanese restaurant Kaunta is priced at $350 per pax. 

“We’re on the upper end in terms of price [for prawn noodles in a hawker setting]. So in a way, we’ve seen how there are people who appreciate our efforts and see the value in our food. Regulars have already shown interest in our dinner.” 

One Prawn & Co's signature prawn mee will continue to be served during lunch hours.

Indeed, the omakase-style dinner menu offers premium ingredients like Danish turbot, prized for its unctuous flesh, Scottish king scallops served in the shell, raw Hyogo oysters and amaebi (sweet shrimp) from Japan.

She concedes that the lack of air-conditioning may be a bigger turn-off. “For Singaporeans, air-con seems to be a very big concern,” she says with a laugh. To create a more comfortable environment, Gwyneth has installed more fans at the coffeeshop. “Macpherson is very windy at night. It’s definitely cooler than lunch hours,” she adds.

Grilled seafood concept in the works all along

“We’ve always wanted to offer grilled seafood here. The charcoal grill has been in our kitchen all along. We just didn’t get around to doing it until now. The quality of our prawn noodles had to be stable first before we played with other [concepts].”

The former chef de partie at Burnt Ends adds that they’re not replicating the food served at the wood-fired fine-diner. “We’re using a simple charcoal grill here. I’ve always enjoyed having grilled seafood by the beach or in an open space. [Similarly], we want to serve good food in a casual setting here.”

Could the dinner menu be a hint at grander plans, say, a new seafood restaurant? “We definitely hope to be able to open a restaurant someday. But let us do some trial and error first.”

Dinner slots open from 21 February 

One Prawn & Co’s 12-course menu is priced at $128 (dinner only) and $158 (with free-flow house sake). Seasonal sakes start at $48 for a 180ml bottle. You can also bring your own alcohol for a corkage fee of $30 per bottle.

Full table service will be provided, along with a more intimate setting of just 15 seats (vs its usual 60) in the coffeeshop. Limited slots are available each day and all dine-ins are strictly by reservation only from 21 February via this website. The eatery will continue to serve prawn noodles from 11am to 5pm.

The details

One Prawn & Co is at 458 Macpherson Rd, S368176. Open daily except Mon. Lunch (prawn mee): 11am - 5pm. 12-course set dinner: 6pm till late. Make a reservation here. More details via Facebook & Instagram.

Photos: One Prawn & Co; 8days.sg

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