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#7 Fishball Noodles

Yam Mee Teochew Fishball Noodles

Kovan 209 Market & Food Centre, #01-35

Teochew Est. 1983
82
Google 4.3★

About

Yam Mee is a third-generation operation at Kovan 209. The grandfather started in the 1970s, and the current generation revamped the family recipe after National Service, finding the right seasoning balance that turned a struggling stall into one of the most popular at the market.

The mee pok is springy and well-tossed. The toppings go beyond the basics: minced meat, braised mushrooms, ngoh hiang (five-spice pork roll), and fishballs. The handmade chilli has a dried-shrimp depth. The stall occupies two units (the second serves prawn noodles and curry chicken noodles).

Kovan is a residential heartland, which means the crowd is regulars who eat here weekly. Queues form before the 7am opening, and the stall runs until 9pm (longer than most fishball noodle operations). Good value at $4 to $5 per bowl.

ShiokScore Breakdown

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

Fishball Quality 84

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

Noodle Texture 86

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 84

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 82

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 88

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 →