The Food Jaunt wishes everyone a Happy Chinese New Year! This week, we decided to travel down to Commonwealth for some food exploration in preparation for the yearly steamboat reunion dinner. We came across Mei Ling Market & Food Centre and noticed a queue for one of the stalls — Xin Lu Teo Chew Fishball Noodle. As food bloggers and as fellow Singaporeans, you know we never skip a queue! 🙂
The Sight
Two bowls. One mee pok noodles topped with pork lad and a generous amount of spring onions and fried shallots. The other with 5 big white fishballs about the size of ping-pong balls floating in clear soup that was also sprinkled with spring onions as garnishing. Hidden inside the noodles were a few shredded slices of “Tang Chye” - preserved cabbage marinated with salt and garlic.
The Smell
Initially, there wasn’t a distinct smell from the bowl of fishball noodles but as we stir and mix the noodles with the sauce, the sourness from the vinegar wafted into our nose.
The Sound
The Tang Chye were slightly crunchy but overall, the dish was pretty silent.
The Taste
The mee pok noodles were slightly chewy and we could taste the strong vinegar and soy sauce on it. The neutral balancing qualities of the pork lard enhanced the flavours. The Tang Chye added a slight saltiness, making it filled with a bountiful of flavours. And, the fishballs were definitely the star of the entire dish! “QQ” texture (bouncy and chewy) that explodes in one’s mouth. The insides were really soft and there was a slight sweetness to it. Some might feel the handmade fishballs are slightly on the plainer side but it was a perfect pair with the noodles as the rich seasoning taste from the noodles helped balance out. If you would like some kick to it, make sure to request for chilli.
The Verdict
Even though fishball noodles may seem like a simple dish, it was perfect for a heartwarming and filling lunch. The stall serves a generous amount of fishballs and noodles at a price of only $4. Furthermore, they sell their own freshly made fishballs in packets especially during the festive season — Chinese New Year. It is a great dish to accompany your steamboat meals during your reunion dinner. However, they have limited stock available so do reserve it in advance! The queues during lunchtime might be slightly longer so we recommend you to arrive there earlier to grab your fishball noodles.
Xin Lu Teo Chew Fishball Noodle
159 Mei Ling St, #02-05, Singapore 140159 (Located in Mei Ling Market & Food Centre)
Open Daily from Monday to Sunday (5.45am to 3pm)
Comments