鱼缘, Fishball Story

Original Fishball Noodle ($4.50)

Fish Ball Story is one famous stall we don't wish to patronise. No matter how good they are.

First, it was Douglas's FB post in 2015 when he tender for a stall in the Bukit Panjang Hawker Centre, managed by NTUC Foodfare - but unhappy with the capping of hawker prices. Now at the Yishun Park Hawker Centre managed by Timbre on a not-for-profit basis - he fulfilled the criteria to have at least one basic meal priced at $3, but limits the offer to 30 bowls/ day by sticking a paper over his menu.

His grandmother's recipe of the fish balls is excellent. The mixing sauce for the noodles don't taste like our usual fish ball noodles, and are forgettable.

When a hawker enjoys the lower rental of a hawker centre, but refuses to sell a 2 fishball pieces noodle at $3; to those who wanted to pay less for lesser. It's a social responsibility of a hawker; we see it.

Our social responsibility is to pay more for good food when we can afford it, and bigger portion when they are good, of course.

德记, De Ji Cooked Food

Noodle Soup ($3)

At this corner of the Kebun Baru Food Centre, tables were easily littered with red, empty bowls from De Ji. The bowls looked worn out, with visible scalding marks on them! Never mind melamine leaching; i'm simply looking forward to slurping in some good, hot soup.

The flavorsome soup, made thicker by the flour from the sheng mian (noodle) used, is seriously toothsome. I almost emptied the bowl. The ingredients are simple, but fresh - fish cakes, fish balls, pork slices, pork liver and lettuces. A comforting lunch, after a busy morning.

Be warned. The lunch hour queue does get a little too long.

Noodle Dry ($3)

Stall #01-23

鱼老板, Fish Boss (Handmade Fishball)

Fishball Mee Kia ($3)

A newly opened fishball noodle stall (#02-106) in the Taman Jurong Market Food Centre, and it is already attracting some faithful followers, like myself.

Main draw of the stall is its handmade fishball, but i remained pretty enthralled by their al denta noodles, tossed in flavorsome soy sauce seasoning, minced pork and fresh spring onions. What's irresistible is their crunchy pork lard.

The handmade fishball and fishcake taste fresh, not fishy at all and are lesser floury than normal. Mere thought of biting into one of their fat bouncy fishball is mouth watering. Ugh!

Fishball Mee Pok ($3)

Bedok North Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle

Minced Meat Noodle, soup ($3)

If it wasn't for the long queue that stretches across the Blk 538 Bedok North Market and Food Centre, we wouldn't have taken a second look at this spartan little stall, (#01-102). It was just Bak Chor Mee what?

We noticed the hawker was a little slow, and our noodles got really over-cooked. Soup and ingredients were alright. Overall, it was above average, but you wouldn't come all the way for it. If you are nearby, why not?

Minced Meat Noodle, dry ($3)

合记, Hup Kee Teochew Fishball Mee

Fishball Noodle ($2.50)

A simple enough fishball noodle? What's the magic here?

Hup Kee was relocated from the torn down Margaret Drive Hawker Centre. It was a stall we had frequently patronized for their simple and generous bowl of $2 noodle which include fish balls, fish cake and fish dumplings. It was comfort food.

Hup Kee is now operating from the Mei Ling Street Food Centre. Still good; still cheap; still heart warming.

亚九, Ah Kow Mushroom Minced Pork Mee since 1945

Minced Meat Noodle, Dry/ Soup ($4)

As good as it looked; i have been running to the kitchen for water, fruits, and more water to quench the dryness that had turned bitter in the mouth. But this is the famous Ah Kow Bak Chor Mee from Hong Lim Market that had since opened an outlet at Blk 359, Bukit Batok West Ave 5.

Tormenting dryness aside, we took comfort in the hawker's genuine effort in preparation of his every ingredient - their special meat dumplings, the well braised mushrooms, the fresh minced pork, and crispy dried sole fish. These are no mere feat.

亚木 (柴船头), Ah Mu Teochew Kway Tiao Soup (Boat Quay)

Early bird catches the worm. This good stall in Sims Vista Market and Food Centre, opens from 4am till sold out, usually before 10am! If you arrived, seeing lights off of the yellow signboard, means it's game over.

So how good is the food? If you consider Tai Hwa Pork Noodle at Crawford Lane to be the ultimate premium. Ah Mu here, is the budgeted premium. I would gladly choose Ah Mu over Tai Hwa.

Fresh ingredients aside, the vinegary seasoning of the dry noodles entices us, while we got totally sold on their luscious meat broth! Like us, you would slurp the bowl dry too.

Teochew Minced Meat Fishball Noodle, Soup ($3)

Teochew Minced Meat Fishball Noodle, Dry ($3)

顺利, Soon Lee Mushroom Minced Pork Noodle

Mee Pok, dry ($2.50)

It was a simple order of minced pork noodle at Pek Kio Food Centre; a choice of convenience. But it turned out to be a very satisfying meal. We just never know the 'power' of the popular stall in this neighborhood.

First bite, and it screams 'old school'. Priceless. 

A simple bowl of noodle that reminisces a taste of long long time ago.   

U-Mee, dry ($2.50)

如记, Ru Ji Kitchen - Handmade Fishballs!

On any average morning, this busiest food stall in Holland Drive Food Centre easily lures you onto the back of their long human queue! There are several popular stalls nearby (We will get to those.), but none beats this.

The stall has been boosting of their handmade fish balls and fish cakes for the longest time - Years back, with several interviews running on the paper but we have never got to try them till today.

Patrons before us were all having their dry noodle; but i do prefer their lighter soupy version. The fish balls prove to be meatier than our usual albeit the slight fishy stench and it being saltier, else it was great. Ric is intolerant to such, so we wouldn't be hurrying back. And yes, you taste the MSG here.

Mee Pok Fishball Noodle Dry ($3)

Kway Teow Noodle Soup ($3)

58 Minced Meat Noodle - Complain but i still want to eat!

Up the escalator in Taman Jurong Market Food Centre to level 3, a snaking queue greeted us. Then a strong, mouth-watering vinegary whiff hits me! It stopped my footsteps, quite literally. I jumped behind the queue and simply refused to look further.

Today is not my first. It's been more than 2 years from my last bowl of bak chor mee here!

Bak Chor Mee, dry ($2.50)

Its memorable taste is heart-stopping wonderful! No doubt, Ric had to spend half an hour at the queue that moves ever so slowly, with the hawker moving away next door to refill his drink, making phone calls while peeping in to the queue. Haha... Ric was clearly irritated.

But i was heightened in anticipation. Between crunchy lard bits with minced meat, pork slices, tender pig's liver, canned button mushrooms and fresh Shiitake, i took a sip of their altogether savory soup to dispel the morning chill. Ahhh...

Bak Chor Mee Pok, soup ($2.50)

254 Fishball Minced Meat Noodle, 鱼圆肉脞面

Fishball Mee Pok, dry ($2)

Would you believe a good $2 fishball noodle exists in year 2015?!

Yah, we knew about San Yuan Groumet $2 mee pok with fishballs; the ones here come with additional fish cakes and minced meat, not mentioning its large, bouncy fishballs! Furthermore, we like their hand-made-like noodle that is less yellow in color and cooked al dente.

It tastes deliciously old-school albeit the strong MSG; but i was overwhelmed with thrill for dining in one of Singapore's oldest hawker centre which retains its high ceiling design after several rounds of upgrading works. And the place is busting with energy, as busy shoppers does their marketing for the coming Chinese New Year!

Long breakfast queue at 254 stall (#01-32)

Yuhua Village Market And Food Centre, Jurong East

汕源, San Yuan Gourmet - $2 Noodle Soup

Fishball Noodle, dry ($2)

Everybody's complaining about rising food prices. It is very true, that even buying raw ingredients from the market to do our own cooking is hurting mom's purse. Not mentioning, eating out at hawker centres where $3 is the norm for a simple meal - clear soup noodle.

How luxurious does one wants their fishball noodle? I just crave for a serving of lightly savory hot soup, fresh crunchy fishballs and al dente noodles - satisfying our unsophisticated needs at a 24hrs stall in Blk 409, Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, Teck Ghee Square hawker centre.

Remember their Laksa too, with loads of fresh cockles! and soft-boiled Tau Pok! Support! Support!

Laksa Noodle ($2)

大华, Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle!

Ba Chor Mee Pok, dry ($4)

I'm a Ba Chor Mee hater, really.
Only the famous stalls in the city managed to lure me for the occasional meal. But i am much convinced with Singapore's best at Blk 466 Crawford Lane today.

A hater because porky ingredients filled noodle is kind of repulsive - just by the thought of it. Yes? And i particularly loathe minced meat in my noodles..

But not the ones here where freshness of the ingredients is impeccable; i forgot i'm having the piggy!

Noodles is not the star of the show; all adoration goes to the tantalizing pieces of pork liver, slice meat, minced meat, pork lard and dried sole fillet; to be fuse with their powering vinegary sauce. It's the best prepared sole fish i ever had - crispy and sweet, under the watchful eyes of not over frying it!

Ric had to be back in this sweltering 40mins lunch queue before long, because i'm craving my fill of their hours simmered broth. Their noodle soup for our next visit.

Teochew Bakso BIG Fishballs

Fishball Noodle ($3)

Wondering what to have for dinner at People's Park Cooked Food Centre, i observed many aged uncles in the neighborhood wolfing up noodle bowl consisting of fat Fishballs and large slices of Fishcakes from stall #01-1088.

"It must be good", i thought. Trusting the taste of the elderly.

Ric explained that 'Bakso' may simply be a direct translation from Teochew dialect, meaning to parboil with hot water. If you love your Fishballs, give them a try here.

They are quite good, we shall say ;)

新恒丰 Kway Teow Stall

Lunch was at Xin Heng Feng Guo Tiao Tan - Blk 91, Whampoa Food Centre.

We were here to testify that a mere Fishball noodle stall could operate from 2 joints but was only charging $2.20 ($2.50 for non-self service) for an ingredients loaded bowl!?

Seeing is believing!

Besides being cheaply affordable, it was also tasty.

Ingredients used were fresh, and if you were lover of fried Shallots (葱头油), you would be so happy as the added garnishing were generous, chunky and crispy!

中兴福州鱼圆 - Sesame Dry Mee

Within the same Coffee Shop of the Tiong Bahru Prawn Fritters, there is this Fuzhou Meat Fishball Noodle Stall that's been operating for years. All handmade fishballs at that.

They serve up really nice bouncy, meaty fishball albeit it's smaller in size when compared to the actual ones we had in China Fuzhou. Those were so large; only 2 fits into a bowl.

Sesame Dry Noodle ($3)

They have our regular fishball noodles, but we choose this. You could try? It is Sesame Noodle that taste similar to any local bowl of dry mee pok. But with an added tinge of sesame. Nice.

荣记, Ipoh Hor Fun

We were early for lunch today as we planned to catch the aerial display of the Singapore Airshow that starts at 1130am.

Our favourite stall at Changi Village Food Centre - Guang Xing only operates from 12pm sharp; so that left us with the other option - the opposite stall, Rong Ji Ipoh Hor Fun.

Ipoh Hor Fun ($3)

Mushroom Chicken Feet Noodle ($3)

Despite being all decked out with recommendations from our various local Foodie Talk shows, the fare from Rong Ji is only mundane.

The best part?
The well-braised Chicken Feet and crisply fried Dumpling :)

Ah Ho Teochew Fishball Noodle

Its location near busy Mustafa Centre makes it near impossible to revisit Ah Ho till today. With Mom in hand. As with many Singapore hawker stalls owners, their stalls had been passed on to their younger generation.

潮州鱼圆面 ($3)

Taste wise, there's certainly a difference your taste buds can tell. The new generation had opted for a lighter hand on the seasoning sauce. But comfortingly, freshness of all its ingredients is maintained.

The crispiness of their tasty 扁鱼乾 (Dried Flounder) left much yearning for.

And it's heartening to see that the old hawker parents are still around to help out. Try visiting them if you are in the vicinity.

They still won me over with their very unique Chilli sauce mix with fried Garlic bits. Hmm... I shall just request for 'more Chili' to solve the taste difference.