Lau Pa Sat, Yongsan: Singapore Shrimp Noodles and Satay That Taste Like the Real Thing

There's a place in Yongsan that takes Singaporean food seriously, and serves nothing else.

On a side street in Hangang-ro 3-ga, you open the door and one whole wall is Singapore. The three towers of Marina Bay Sands, the water in front of them, palm leaves around the edges. At the top of a poster on that wall is the name of the place: 라우파샷, LAU PA SAT.

On Thursday evening, October 1, I ordered two things: Singapore shrimp noodles, and satay with prawn skewers. The short version: both taste genuinely local.

A wall of Singapore

The mural covers the entire wall next to the entrance: three towers, buildings reflected in the water, oversized tropical leaves wrapping the corners. The poster on it reads "싱가폴 해산물 무침 18,000원", Singapore-style seafood muchim (a dressed, salad-like dish) for 18,000 won.

Above the counter in front of the kitchen hang a thatch-style awning and strings of bulbs. A sign on a pillar says "주문은 QR로": order by QR code, from your phone.

The name Lau Pa Sat belongs to a hawker centre (an open market of food stalls) in Singapore's financial district, which is also Singapore's only hawker market inside a gazetted national monument. From the name to the walls, this place sticks to Singapore.

Singapore shrimp noodles: two prawns, one fish ball

The broth is an orange-tinged beige, in the style of laksa, the spicy coconut-milk noodle soup. On top:

• Two prawns, heads and feelers still on
• One round fish ball in the middle
• Two triangles of fried tofu in front
• Bok choy on the left, with bean sprouts tucked in between
• Sliced scallion, a handful of cilantro and fried shallots on top

White noodles lie under the broth. These shrimp noodles really do taste like you're eating them locally.

On the side: white pickles, on a dish with the same blue scroll pattern as the bowl.

Satay, prawn skewers and peanut sauce

After the noodles came a full metal tray. On top lie large prawn skewers grilled with a red spice rub, heads on. Underneath are two kinds of meat skewers, one dark brown, one lighter with clear grill marks.

A red floral bowl holds thick peanut sauce. Satay is a Southeast Asian dish of marinated meat grilled on skewers, dipped in peanut sauce. This satay, too, tastes genuinely local.

Of course, eating it in Singapore itself is even better. That goes without saying.

Lau Pa Sat is a one-minute walk from Bâton in Yongsan. If you want another meal from these Hangang-ro 3-ga side streets, read them together.

Before dinner: COMMCOMM at 3 p.m.

Before Lau Pa Sat, around 3 p.m., I stopped at COMMCOMM BAKERY CAFE on Hangangdae-ro 44-gil, on the Sinyongsan Station side. A red acrylic board leans against the building entrance, next to a stand-up sign: "PET FRIENDLY · 반려동물 동반가능" (pets welcome).

The window carries a WELLNESS TABLE poster. Its Korean line invites you to enjoy ciabatta made with less sugar, together with healthy soups and bagels. Pictured: green potato soup, spicy tomato soup, "Chocolate Bacon Infused with Truffle" and "Mushrooms Smothered in Cheddar". The poster next to it shows a low-sugar ciabatta and a wine campagne.

Inside, framed polka-dot pumpkin prints hang on a white wall. A wooden table holds a figure in an acrylic case and a vase of flowers, and on a display bed of grey stones sits a yellow polka-dot pumpkin object.

Three desserts to go

The desserts come in three pulp boxes. The labels say "COME HERE COME WITH ME" in red, followed by the COMMCOMM logo, a handwritten item name (one reads "베리", berry) and the shop's address.

Open them up and here's what's inside. A tall soufflé-style pancake, white cream on top with yellow cubes and an orange shard. A square cake covered in white cream, with red bits between the layers. And the last one:

A chocolate-colored dessert shaped like a bear lying on its belly. Only the snout is cream-colored.

Visitor info

📍 Lau Pa Sat (라우파샷) · Hangang-ro 3-ga, around Hangangdae-ro 7-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (a one-minute walk from Bâton)

• 🍽️ What I ordered: Singapore shrimp noodles, satay and prawn skewers
• 💰 Price: Singapore seafood muchim 18,000 won (wall poster)
• 📱 Ordering: by QR code at the table
• 🗺️ Map: Open in Google Maps

📍 COMMCOMM BAKERY CAFE · 1F, 14 Hangangdae-ro 44-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (Hangang-ro 2-ga, near Sinyongsan Station)

• 🕐 Hours: Mon–Fri 08:30–22:00, Saturdays and public holidays 12:00–19:00
• 🐶 Pets: welcome
• 🗺️ Map: Open in Google Maps

Jayden's verdict

A place that takes Singaporean food seriously. The real thing in Singapore is better, of course, but this tastes genuinely local.

• Order this: the satay and the Singapore shrimp noodles
• Tip: ordering is by QR code, so bring your phone
• Tip: COMMCOMM bakery cafe nearby welcomes pets. Check its hours ahead on weekends and holidays.