About

Ru Ji Kitchen occupies two adjacent stalls at Holland Drive Market. Uncle David Ng spent years assisting his brother at a Ghim Moh fishball stall before striking out on his own. The fishballs are made from yellowtail fish (sai tor her), pounded by hand for about an hour each morning until the paste turns pale and elastic.

The mee pok is cooked al dente and tossed in a chilli-vinegar-lard sauce that has enough kick without overwhelming the fish flavour. The fishballs themselves are the draw: irregularly shaped (handmade sign), bouncy without being rubbery, and with a clean fish taste. Four to five per bowl at the base price.

Queues form from 7am and the stall closes by early afternoon when they sell out. The Old Airport Road branch, run by daughter Joanne, serves the same recipe. If Holland Drive is too far, that is the backup.

ShiokScore Breakdown

Scored across 5 dimensions specific to fishball noodles. Learn what each means →

Fishball Quality 92

Texture (bouncy, springy, QQ), fish flavour intensity, handmade vs machine-made. Irregular shape is the sign of handmade. Should bounce, not crumble.

Noodle Texture 89

Al dente is the benchmark. Mee pok should be flat and firm, not soggy. Kway teow should be silky. Overcooking is the most common mistake.

Sauce 86

The cook's signature. Balance of chilli, vinegar, oil or lard, soy sauce. Chilli should have depth from dried shrimp, not just heat. For soup orders, the broth should taste clean and sweet.

Toppings 85

Fish dumplings, fish cake, meatballs, minced pork, braised mushrooms, fried lard. Freshness and generosity. Some stalls give you four fishballs, some give you six.

Value 90

Price vs portion, number of fishballs, overall satisfaction. A $3.50 bowl with four bouncy handmade fishballs is excellent value. A $6 bowl with two factory balls is not.

Style: Teochew

The standard in Singapore. Fishballs from yellowtail (豆腐鱼) or wolf herring (西刀鱼), pounded by hand. Noodles tossed in chilli, vinegar, lard, and soy sauce. Crispy pork lard on top. Around 90% of fishball noodle stalls in Singapore serve this style.

Learn about all 2 fishball noodles styles →