Hei Piah Family in Teck Whye
Image credit: @nomninjas
Prawn fritters, or hei piah, is an item that often accompanies wu xiang—the dish with many ingredients such as Chinese sausages and the eponymous Hokkien minced meat roll. It’s essentially a deep-fried battered snack that comes with a whole prawn-in-shell. During the two darkest months of 2020—AKA Circuit Breaker—32-year-old Amos Ananda Yeo started Hei Piah Family, selling the crispy morsels from his home.
Image credit: @heipiahfamily
Originally a fashion designer, Amos left his business in Shenzhen to return to Singapore as the Covid-19 pandemic became more serious. Though Amos had initially wanted to venture into the Joo Chiat cafe scene with his ex-flight attendant wife, Laura, they felt that shelling out the capital in the midst of Covid-19 was too risky.
With both their income streams disrupted, the couple then took inspiration from Amos’ mother, who also sells handmade prawn fritters in Tuas, and started Hei Piah Family. Though his recipe uses the same ingredients of silverfish, onions, and spring onions as his mother’s, Amos’ hei piah are smaller but crispier. This results in a prawn fritter that’s not too jelak, making it suitable as a snack or alcohol accompaniment.
Image credit: @angmokiogb
If you’re ordering online, prices for the handmade Prawn Fritters start at $16 for 10 pieces, $28 for 20 pieces, and go up to $150 for 100 pieces. Islandwide delivery is priced at $9, and is waived for orders of more than 100 pieces.
Image credit: @heipiahfamily
If you drop by Hei Piah Family’s store in Long Heng Snack Bar though, the Prawn Fritter sells for $1.50 a pop. These old-school hei piah are fried in batches, and tend to sell out before noon, so it’s best to either visit early or place an online order! Slather some of their house-made garlic chilli over the Prawn Fritter to give it some kick.
Other than their signature Prawn Fritter, Hei Piah Family also has other fried goodies such as Banana Fritter ($1.20), Popiah ($1), and Fried Sticky Cake with Sweet Potato and Yam ($1.20). Eating too much fried food can be bad for you, so order a bowl of cold Peach Collagen ($2.50) to counteract the heatiness.
For another home-based business selling traditional local delights, be sure to check out Sixth Floor Oyster Cake at their new location in Northshore Plaza. Alternatively, check out the newly opened Feng Zhen Lor Mee in Yishun for $4 lor mee!
Address: 138 Teck Whye Lane, Singapore 680138
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 8am to 12pm (or sold out)
Tel: 8696 4568
Website
Feng Zhen Lor Mee Opens At Yishun, Bringing Its $4 Michelin-Approved Noodles To The North
Featured image adapted from @heipiahfamily’s posts.
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