After finding success with its elevated version of prawn noodles, One Prawn & Co has now expanded its footprint beyond its MacPherson headquarters with an upmarket concept in New Bahru.
The new addition to the buzzy Kim Yam Road lifestyle cluster presents modern Asian flavours, wood-fire grilling and dry-aged seafood in a refined, yet refreshingly casual, setting.
The captain of the ship remains chef and co-owner Gwyneth Ang, who cut her teeth at such culinary establishments at modern barbeque restaurant Burnt Ends and Italian joint Forlino before leaving port on a vessel of her own.
In 2019, Ang started One Prawn & Co at Golden Mile Food Centre, where the concept quickly earned enough regular customers and social media cred to justify an upgrade to a corner spot at MacPherson Road.
That original eatery still operates today with both snaking queues and a Michelin Bib Gourmand to its name, though it’s since been rebranded as Zhup Zhup, leaving the One Prawn & Co moniker free for Ang’s swankier New Bahru concept.
While a version of the chef’s signature prawn broth will feature in the restaurant’s lunch offerings – more on that later – the main focus will be contemporary Asian flavours inflected with Western techniques and ingredients, where small plates accompany heartier seafood dishes.
The dinner menu is divided into Bites, Smalls, Hearth, Starches, and Bar Bites and Dips. Start with dishes from Bites and Smalls sections which will suitably whet your appetite for the mains later. Prawn Toast and Aioli ($16) is Ang’s take on deep-fried prawn toast, now spread over sourdough and served with a housemade aioli. Ankimo Mousse and Love Letter ($18) is reminiscent of the Chinese New Year snack, with love letters stuffed with monkfish liver. Dry-aged Hamachi, Kimchi, Puffed Rice ($26) features dry-aged Hamachi crudo paired with kimchi and puffed rice.
Under Hearth, there’s Carabinero, Sakura Vermouth and Toast ($72 for two pieces), served with crisp toast to soak up the velvety sakura vermouth cream; and Monkfish and Cashew Curry ($52), wrapped in banana leaf and kissed with the flame in the style of local otah otah or sambal stingray, before being finished with a splash of cashew curry.
For Starches, try the indulgent charcoal-cooked claypot rice ($108) heavy with braised sea cucumber, scallions and, if you’re willing to pay extra, seasonal uni. More familiar dishes include the OPC Signature Haddock Burger ($24), and Live Spiny Lobster Poached Rice ($98). There are also bar bites to go with a beverage programme featuring Asian-centric cocktails, inspired by kimchi, cheng teng and more.
If you only have time for lunch, you will find a less comprehensive menu, although this is a case of quality over quantity. Order the fan-favourite ramen anchored on the brand’s famously labour-intensive broth, made from boiling 18 kilograms of prawn heads and 30 kilograms of pork bones over 20 hours.
One Prawn & Co sits up to 50 in a cosily appointed dining room with just enough industrial edge to keep things interesting – there’s even a chef’s table for those who like to get up close to the action – with an additional 32 alfresco seats for breezy drink nights.
One Prawn & Co is at 46 Kim Yam Rd, #01-10, Singapore 239351.
