SINGAPORE — One Prawn & Co, the homegrown restaurant that transformed from a humble prawn-noodle business into an ambitious modern seafood grill, will close its New Bahru outlet on Oct 4, bringing one of chef-owner Gwyneth Ang’s boldest culinary experiments to an end after just over two years.
The closure was announced by the restaurant in early September, with the team saying it had decided the time was right to end this chapter as the wider group continues to evolve. Importantly, the company has not publicly blamed the closure on rent, financial losses or declining business, so any claim that the restaurant was forced to shut because of poor sales would go beyond what has been confirmed.
That distinction matters because One Prawn & Co’s story is less a simple restaurant shutdown than another turning point in a Singapore F&B brand that has repeatedly reinvented itself.
From Golden Mile hawker stall to Michelin recognition
Ang’s journey began in 2019 at Golden Mile Food Centre, where she and her business partner operated a hawker stall focused on Penang-style prawn noodles inspired by flavours she grew up with.
Before becoming an entrepreneur, Ang had worked in professional kitchens including Burnt Ends. Earlier reporting on her rise showed how difficult the first years were: the business operated at Golden Mile from 2019 to 2021 before moving into a larger MacPherson Road space.
The move proved important. One Prawn & Co’s richer, more elaborate take on prawn mee earned the MacPherson establishment a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2022, establishing the brand as one of the more prominent examples of Singapore hawker food being pushed into a more polished restaurant format.
But Ang did not leave the concept untouched.
In 2024, the MacPherson business was renamed Zhup Zhup, keeping the more accessible prawn-noodle identity while expanding into dishes such as pao fan and claypot rice. That decision freed the One Prawn & Co name for something considerably more ambitious.
New Bahru was supposed to be the brand’s next evolution
At New Bahru, One Prawn & Co became a modern Asian seafood restaurant built around wood-fire cooking, dry-aged seafood and more restaurant-style presentation.
The shift was dramatic.
Instead of simply reproducing the famous prawn noodles that had built Ang’s following, the New Bahru restaurant experimented with dishes such as prawn bisque ramen, wood-fired seafood, prawn toast and scorched hor fun. The idea was to preserve the DNA of One Prawn & Co while moving far beyond its hawker origins.
Ang previously described the move as a kind of full-circle return to casual fine dining, reflecting the restaurant backgrounds of both her and her business partner. Tatler Asia also reported that one of the challenges was convincing existing customers that One Prawn & Co was meant to evolve rather than remain permanently associated with a bowl of prawn mee.
That tension may ultimately be one of the most interesting parts of the story.
One Prawn & Co had built enormous recognition around an accessible local comfort food. At New Bahru, the same name was attached to a substantially different dining proposition — an 80-plus-seat restaurant centred on wood fire, aged seafood and higher-priced dishes.
Why is One Prawn & Co closing?
For now, there is no detailed financial explanation.
The restaurant’s public statement says the team believes this phase of One Prawn & Co has reached its “natural end” and that the group wants to direct its energy toward its other brands. That is currently the clearest official explanation available.
8days, whose report was also carried by CNA Lifestyle, noted that the New Bahru restaurant appeared relatively quiet compared with some neighbouring businesses. But the publication also said it had contacted One Prawn & Co for further information and had not received an additional response at the time of publication. That observation should therefore not be treated as proof of the reason behind the closure.
AsiaOne separately confirmed the Oct 4 closing date and reported that diners reacted to the announcement with disappointment, with some saying they planned to return before the restaurant shuts its doors.
The One Prawn & Co story isn’t completely over
There is one crucial detail for fans: Zhup Zhup at MacPherson is staying open.
The more casual sibling restaurant continues to serve the prawn-noodle style that originally made Ang’s name, along with other seafood dishes. CNA and 8days both report that Zhup Zhup remains in operation following the New Bahru closure announcement.
That means Oct 4 is not necessarily the end of Ang’s restaurant group — or even the end of the culinary ideas developed under One Prawn & Co.
Instead, it may mark another reset.
Ang has already taken the business through several identities: a Golden Mile hawker stall, a MacPherson prawn-noodle restaurant, the Michelin-recognised concept that became Zhup Zhup, and finally an ambitious wood-fired seafood restaurant at New Bahru.
The closure therefore raises the question diners will now be watching most closely:
What does Gwyneth Ang build next?
For now, One Prawn & Co continues operating at 46 Kim Yam Road, #01-10, New Bahru, with its final day scheduled for Oct 4, 2026. Its published hours are Wednesday to Friday for lunch and dinner, and Saturday to Sunday with extended lunch service before dinner.
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