Ru Ji Kitchen Fish Ball Mee

Many noodle stalls open to a breakfast crowd, ride the lull, then serve lunchtime before closing up after noon. Ru Ji Kitchen is no different and possibly has even tighter hours. Bak chor mee would have been my go-to order on any other day. Reluctantly, I relinquished that to my friend for Fish ball noodles with extra add-ons (SGD5). Banking on the stall holding true to their word, I requested ‘less spicy’ for once.

Each bite of the mee pok produced a consistent al dente feedback alongside the crunch from bits of pork lard so satisfying it robbed whatever heed I was paying toward the bowl of fish balls. The chilli had a vinegar-like tang, gradually building numbness as I assailed the noodles.

Unlike the uniform texture of frozen fish balls, Ru Ji Kitchen’s are inconsistently shaped. These were quite possibly the bounciest fish balls ever. There was an almost rubbery resistance as I bit it in two. The faint sweetness went down well with the soup and after downing two more, it dawned on me why these were so popular.

The edges of the fish cakes held firmly enough for a pleasant mix of textures. These were just as good as the fish balls.

Quite a delight, besides Yap Kee I’m discovering this nostalgic food court has quite a lot more to offer

7/10