5 other awesome handmade fishball noodles to eat, now that Song Kee Fishball Noodles is closed

Timbre+, 73A Ayer Rajar Crescent. Open Mon-Sat, 8am-6pm. Also at #02-01 Stephen Riady Centre, NUS, 2 College Avenue West. 

We mourned the day Fishball Story left its East-ish Golden Mile Food Centre location for the far far West. Founder Douglas Ng is one of the best known faces of young hawkerpreneurs – with a Michelin star for the stall to boot! – and rightly so. 

He takes a lot of pride in spending hours painstakingly “beating” the fishballs by hand to get them plump and firm. And those chilli- and scallion-flecked fishcakes also jostle for the limelight, juicy and tender with a little jolt of heat. 

It’s one of the best tossed bowls of noodles we’ve had too, with a killer sambal, shallot oil, and a good sprinkling of lard. 

#01-31 Bedok North Food Centre, 216 Bedok North Street 1. Open Thu-Tue, 6am-2pm. 

For some reason, this hawker centre does not get as much buzz as its more famous Block 85 and Bedok Interchange counterparts, but there are lots of great finds here. Case in point: This fishball noodle stall makes a mean bowl of noodles at incredibly wallet-friendly prices.

The yellowtail fishballs here – imperfectly rotund – are all handmade, bouncy and tender. A mere $3 nets you five fishballs, one fish dumpling, and a meatball; or you can top up $1 like we did for another three fish dumplings ─ they’re getting more and more uncommon these days, so we were glad that these were springy to the bite. Don’t be afraid to get your noodles with chilli. The sambal is flavourful without being aggressive, and the specks of dried shrimps really add a lovely sweetness.

#01-37 Old Airport Road Food Centre, 51 Old Airport Road. Open Tue-Sun, 7.30am-1pm.

With three stalls to their name, this is hopefully the start of a chain of handmade fishball noodles. David Ng, who first started the original shop at Holland Drive, is now joined by his Gen Y daughter and son-in-law pair, who have been diligently expanding the business. The third shop is at Redhill Lane. 

The large orbs of fishballs are decidedly softer than the other versions we tried, different but no less enjoyable. We’re also huge fans of their handmade fishcakes for the crisp exterior. The noodles here are quite al dente, laid thick with sambal chilli, vinegar and crunchy pork lard. Flavour-wise, we love the balance of tart and spice, but it’s a tad slick and oilier than we’d like. For $4, you get five fishballs and about 6 slices of fishcake – pretty generous in our book. 

Photo: @jane.hia

#02-88, Chinatown Complex Market, 335 Smith Street. Open daily, 6am-3pm. 

Strictly speaking, it’s not a fishball noodle stall. But we’re not one to nitpick, because ultimately, it’s the quality of the fishballs that really matter. 

Make your way to the mint green zone in the hawker centre, and if you spy a snaking queue, that probably is it. Every single yong tau foo item here – from their fishballs to the fish paste-stuffed tau pok – are meticulously handmade with yellowtail. They’ve even taken up the shop space next door for their prep work!

We love how succulent everything tasted, and they’ve kept the flavours pretty clean – all the better for tasting the natural sweetness of the ingredients. The mildly sweet ikan bilis broth is just another reason to brave the 30-minute queue. But if you’re hankering for a spicy kick, their chilli sauce packs quite a punch! 

Do note that the combinations for your yong tau food is somewhat fixed – unlike other stalls where you can leisurely pick and choose. However, you can let them know if there’s anything you don’t take, and they can swap it up for you. 

534 Macpherson Road. Open daily, 11am-7.45pm. 

Kin Kin received a lot of hype for their Signature Dry Chilli Pan Mee, for the spicy and umami flavour bomb that ensues from the combination of dry, pan-roasted chilli, food-porn worthy poached eggs and crispy shallots. That’s good, yes, but you’ll be missing a lot if you don’t also order some fishballs to go with it.

Really. Those giant, pockmarked handmade fishballs – larger than golf balls! – are like the unsung heroes at Kin Kin. They’re soft and supple with a texture like firm tofu, and really soak up the gentle sweetness of the broth well. 

It’s only 80 cents apiece to add to your noodles, more than worth it when you consider the heft! Otherwise, get a whole bowl of five for $4.