15 places to get the best fishball noodles in Singapore

Nestled in the heart of Singapore’s vibrant culinary landscape lies a humble yet irresistible delight: Fishball noodles. To the uninitiated, it may seem like a simple dish, just fishballs swimming in broth, accompanied by different types of noodles. 

But the Singaporean foodie knows that crafting the perfect bowl of fishball noodles is an art, requiring a symphony of flavours and textures that are tricky to balance.

So, what makes an unassuming dish of fishball noodles such an obsession for Singaporeans?

Well, apart from being the everyman’s dish, it packs a punch at an affordable price and is also highly customisable. 

You can have your fishball noodles dry, or with soup, and tap into a wide selection of noodles from mee kia and mee pok to yellow noodles, kway teow and even bee tai mak and bee hoon.

No matter what your preference is, fishball noodles are the quintessential Singaporean comfort food. So here are our top 15 selections for the best fishball noodles in Singapore.

1. Song Kee Fishball Noodles

100 Yio Chu Kang Road
Open: Friday to Wednesday (11.30am to 8.45pm)

Why visit? Located in a quaint corner of Yio Chu Kang, Song Kee Fishball Noodles gives off similar vibes to a traditional Malaysian eatery. Mr Chua runs the eatery with his wife and two brothers, and they insist on making their own fishballs, fish dumplings and fishcakes daily.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: The dry fishball noodles with chilli (from S$5) is the store’s most highly recommended dish, accompanied by fishballs, meatballs and fishcakes. 

But Song Kee’s claim to fame is its signature handmade fish dumplings, which can also be found in your bowl of noodles. Each dumpling is painstakingly hand-rolled by Mr Chua using fish meat and tapioca flour, and daintily folded to look like ingots. 

Made from a chewy fish paste skin lined with juicy minced pork on the inside, the dumplings come as a savoury treat that elevate your bowl of fishball noodles.

2. Lina Fishball Noodle

Toa Payoh Kopitiam, 01-523, 125 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, 01-523
Open: Monday to Sunday (7.30am to 7.30pm)

Tampines North Kopitiam, 01-02,  610 Tampines North Drive 1
Open: Monday to Sunday (7.30am to 7.30pm)

Why visit? Married couple Jeevan Ananthan, and his wife, May Leena Krishnan, quit their corporate jobs as an investment banker and digital marketer respectively to start Lina Fishball Noodle in August 2019. 

While the stall initially garnered skepticism for being run by a young Indian and Indian-Chinese couple, its delicious fishball noodles and bak chor mee, complete with housemade fish dumplings and fishballs, has since garnered a hoard of regular patrons.

Lina Fishball Noodle has come a long way, weathering the pandemic, relocating to a bigger stall in Toa Payoh Kopitiam, and even setting up a central kitchen. In August 2022, it opened a second outlet in a Kopitiam outlet in Tampines North.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: While the stall has added other items to its menu, including laksa and chicken cutlet noodles, its signature bowl of fishball noodles (S$5.50), complete with housemade fish dumplings and fishballs, is the highlight here.

Do note that costs are higher at its new Tampines outlet, so you should expect to pay an average of S$0.50 more per bowl, compared to the Toa Payoh outlet.

3. Soon Heng Fishball Noodles

West Coast Market Square, 01-152, Blk 726 Clementi West Street 2
Open: Tuesday to Sunday (5am to 9.30am)

Why visit? Tucked in hawker centre West Coast Market Square, Soon Heng Fishball Noodles is known for opening only in the early morning hours, and selling out before 9 am. 

Each portion comes with many small fishballs that are handmade into irregular oblong shapes, and true to its traditional recipe, the fishballs taste of fresh fish, instead of flour — setting them apart from most factory-made versions.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: Soon Heng is best known for its Teochew-style soup, which is clear but richly fragrant. Since the store only opens early in the morning, the soup noodles (S$4) would be our recommendation for a hearty meal that keeps you full until lunch. 

But be prepared to wait for up to 20 minutes, as snaking queues are common even in the wee hours of the morning when the stall opens at 5am.

4. Hup Kee Teochew Fishball Mee

59 Mei Chin Road, 02-38
Open: Sunday to Thursday (7am to 2pm)

Why visit? The modest Hup Kee Teochew Fishball Mee, located at Mei Ling Market and Food Centre, is one of two fishball noodles stalls in Singapore with a Michelin Guide recommendation to its name. 

The time-honoured brand, serves up perfectly cooked noodles with classic handmade fishballs and meatballs, so it’s no surprise that it entertains long queues throughout its opening hours. Turn up early if you’d like to try a bowl of Hup Kee’s fishball noodles before it sells out for the day.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: Brave the long queue for this Michelin-famous classic Teochew fishball noodles, and enjoy the variety that Hup Kee Teochew Fishball Noodles has to offer. This includes the Teochew fishball meatball mee, Teochew fishball mee and Teochew meatball mee. Accompanied by large and QQ bouncy handmade fishballs, each bowl comes in three portion sizes, priced at S$4.50, S$5.50 and S$6.50 respectively.

5. LiXin Teochew Fishball Noodles

Multiple outlets islandwide 
Operating hours vary across stores

Why visit? Another Michelin-recommended fishball noodle stall, LiXin Teochew Fishball Noodle has one of the richest hawker histories in Singapore. Having started from a street hawker pushcart stall by Lim Lee Seng in 1968, this Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient is one of the most successful fishball noodles franchises, with 13 outlets islandwide. 

LiXin’s fishball noodles are accessible everywhere, from your suburban locations such as Toa Payoh and Bukit Batok, to the Food Opera at Ion Orchard and Rasapura Masters at Marina Bay Sands. The brand is known for its signature 100% yellowtail fishballs and fish dumplings that are handmade with care. It also has a halal-friendly version known as Bounce Teochew Fishball Noodles.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: LiXin’s menu offers a wide range of options, from fish roll soup and fish dumpling soup to its original fishball noodles. 

However, we say go for its signature noodles (S$8.80), which is available in soup and dry varieties and comprise ingredients such as fishcakes, fishballs and fish dumplings. The bowl allows you to try a greater variety of what the stall has to offer.

6. Chao Yang Fishball Noodle

Eunos Crescent Market and Food Centre, 01-24, 4A Eunos Crescent
Open: Saturday to Tuesday (5.30am to 11.30 am) 

Why visit? Run by a relative of the owner behind Song Kee Fishball Noodles, Chao Yang Fishball Noodles is claiming its turf in Eunos, where queues for a bowl of noodles go up to 45 minutes long. The selling point in this stall, that is more than 20 years old, is the generous portions, and the wide variety of fishballs available, for a reasonable price. Do show up early, however, because it typically sells out early.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: For those who like their noodles spicy, a bowl of dry mee kia (from S$3.50) comes al dente, tossed with fragrant lard, sambal chilli, vinegar and seasoning. 

Our recommendation would be to go for the biggest portion (S$5.50), where you get to enjoy everything the stall has to offer, including different fishballs and fishcakes, as well as its handmade her giao, which are smooth and packed with minced pork and sole fish bits.

7. Sheng Ji Fishball Noodle

116 Bukit Merah View, 01-217
Open: Friday to Wednesday (6am to 4pm)

Why visit? Founded 87 years ago as a pushcart stall by the Singapore River, the Goh family has run the Sheng Ji Fishball Noodle stall for three generations now. Taking the reins over from his father, Mr Goh and his wife, Mdm Keo have been in the business for 37 years, using the same Teochew-style bak chor mee recipe that Mr Goh’s father had spent 50 years perfecting.

The owners believe in using fresh ingredients, so it’s no wonder their bowls of noodles are so highly sought after. Furthermore, even as Singapore’s inflation rate skyrockets, the couple have kept their prices very affordable, with everything at their stall, from fishball noodles to laksa, starting at S$3.50 per bowl. 

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: The dry meepok fishball noodles (from S$3.50) are a highlight here, with the lard and chilli made in-house. The noodles are cooked to perfection and well-seasoned, accompanied by fresh pork slices and QQ fishballs. Not to be missed, too, is its laksa (S$3.50), which is creamy and rich with fishcake, tau pok, cockles and beansprouts.

8. Ming Fa Fishball Noodle 

Multiple outlets islandwide 
Operating hours vary across stores

Why visit? Ming Fa started in 1946, when its founder, Lim Chye Kiang, was a street hawker who sold his signature handmade fishball noodles in a pushcart along Chinatown. Helmed by the third generation, it now has 13 outlets islandwide and a presence overseas, too.

It is famous for its Fuzhou fishballs, which are made with a minced pork filling, and coated with an extremely tender layer of smooth fishball. If you’re having late night hunger pangs, visit the Upper Thomson eatery outlet, as it is open 24 hours a day.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: Ming Fa’s mini wok noodles (S$8.50) is the highlight of the menu, for its packed with ingredients that lend their flavour to the rich broth. More affordable options are available as well, such as the basic fishball noodles (S$5.50), chicken cutlet noodles (S$5.90) and the signature Fuzhou fishball soup (S$5.50).

Related Articles:

New openings in Singapore: April 2024

The Masses: Iconic Singaporean-fusion restaurant moves to Capitol with new menu

Review: Zhup Zhup by One Prawn & Co continues to serve premium prawn noodles

9. Ah Hua Teochew Fishball Noodle

415 Pandan Gardens, 01-117
Open: Monday to Saturday (8am to 3.30pm)

Why visit? Ah Hua Teochew Fishball Noodle is founded by Lim Jia Hua, fondly known as uncle Ah Hua, who is an experienced noodle and fishball maker. Featuring handmade fish dumplings and homemade traditional fishball noodles made from a recipe by Uncle Ah Hua’s father, each bowl is authentic and deliciously old-school.

When business got tough a few years ago, Uncle Ah Hua’s daughter, Jean Lim, stepped in to help run the stall and work on marketing efforts. The father-daughter duo have since injected some spunk into their menu, with their traditional noodles now being served alongside trendier items, such as mentaiko balls and fried prawn rolls.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: Ah Hua’s homemade Fuzhou fishball with rice noodles (S$6) may look simple, but it packs a punch, bursting with flavour from the tender minced meat, her giao (fish dumplings), and fish rolls wrapped around carrot and cucumber. For an authentic experience of Teochew noodles, skip the soy sauce to savour the nuanced flavours, and add a bit of bird’s eye chilli for that extra zest.

And whether you have the signature noodles dry or with soup, the fried prawn rolls are a must-try at this stall, though they are on the pricier side, at S$10 for eight pieces.

10. Top 73+1 Fishball Legacy

Cheng San Centre, 01-2495, 532 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10
Open: Monday to Sunday (8am to 8pm)

Why visit? One of the few fishball noodle stalls that are halal-certified, Top 73+1 Fishball Legacy has been around for eight years, having grown into a hotspot for the Muslim community to get their halal fishball noodle fix. 

Its founder, Mr Tang, had learned the traditional way of making fishball noodles from his father, who learnt it from a 73-year-old hawker way back (hence the name of the stall). But beyond the typical Chinese audience, Mr Tang wanted to share the taste of his cooking with many beyond his culture and was hence inspired to open a halal-certified eatery.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: Handmade and scooped using the traditional hand-and-spoon method, Top 73+1 Legacy’s fishballs are recognisable for their extra large size. They are also perfectly QQ and bouncy to the bite. Its fishball noodles (S$5) are a must-try, for the  tender XL fishballs are second to none. We recommend that you opt for dry noodles because the flavourful soup will be served on the side.

11. Thye Hong Handmade Fishball Noodle

Ghim Moh Market & Food Centre, 01-36, Block 20 Ghim Moh Road
Open: Friday to Wednesday (6am to 11am)

Why visit? If the perfect fishball is on your foodie bucket list, you have to check out Thye Hong Handmade Fishball Noodle. Yet another time-honoured brand, Thye Hong’s fishball noodles has been satisfying its patrons at Ghim Moh Market and Food Centre since 1977. 

The stall’s founder, Wee Pong Sai, used to run the stall with his brother before the latter retired. Wee starts each day at 5am, mincing fresh fish and mixing it with flour before moulding them by hand into fishballs and fishcakes. Unlike most stalls that fry their fishcakes, Thye Hong slices and boils them, allowing them to tenderly burst with a subtle sweetness under its light salty taste.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: Thye Hong is a stall that does the traditional bowl of dry mee pok (S$4) really well. The noodles are cooked to perfection, and are flavourful and springy. They are served with a generous amount of lard oil, crunchy pork lard and chilli, accompanied by a light soup with handmade fishballs and fishcakes. Early birds might want to hit the stall early as the fishballs usually sell out before 10am.

12. Xin Lu Teochew Fishball Noodle

Mei Ling Market and Food Centre, 02-05, 159 Mei Ling Street
Open: Friday to Wednesday (5.45am to 3pm)

Why visit?: Located in the same food centre as Hup Kee Teochew Fishball Noodles, Xin Lu Teochew Fishball Noodle boasts a strong customer base from its 50 years of history. Apart from being a frequent feature in television documentaries and food blogs, this humble stall is well-known for its flavourful old-school rendition, catering to those with a stronger palate.

Its soup is the star of the dish, garnished with a generous amount of tung choy (preserved water spinach). The smooth and bouncy fishballs are the perfect complement, soaking up the deeper flavours of the broth.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: To get the best of both worlds, order the dry noodles (S$4.50) to enjoy the savoury flavours of the stall’s sauce, which carefully balances a mix of chilli, lard and vinegar for a multidimensional mouthfeel. Enjoy its special homemade chilli sauce that introduces a tangy, refreshing kick to the dish. The soup on the side comes with five fishballs — a generous amount given its price tag. 

13. Ah Ter Teochew Fishball Noodles

Amoy Street Food Centre, 01-14, 7 Maxwell Road
Open: Monday to Sunday (7am to 3pm)

Why visit? Started in 1958 by Ah Ter’s dad, Ah Ter Teochew Fishball Noodles is now run by the third generation, Gilbert Lim, who gave up his previous job as a trader to take over the reins from his father, Ah Ter. Lim has been running the business for more than 20 years now.

Fun fact: Gilbert was voted the Most Handsome Hawker in 2005 by The Straits Times! But his looks are not the focus here — the food he makes is the main attraction, and with good reason.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: A signature bowl of soup noodles starts at S$6, but we recommend going for the S$8 portion for your money’s worth of soup and an additional side of two prawns and extra meat. There is also a S$10 large-sized portion for big-eaters out there.

Foodies on a quest for the perfect fishball noodles should know that Ah Ter’s handmade fishballs are a standout, thanks to their smooth and bouncy texture. The noodles boast a nice springy texture and are topped with ground pork, pork liver slices, seaweed and pork rinds. The broth is rich in its gutsy flavour, from being simmered with pork ribs for hours.

14. Hock Lai Seng Fishball Noodles

Maxwell Food Centre, 01-26, 1 Kadayanallur Street
Open: Monday to Sunday (7am to 4.30pm), Saturday (7am to 3 pm) 

Why visit? The grandson of Ah Ter Fishball Noodles, 22-year-old Marvin Khan, trained for a year at his grandfather’s stall before opening his new business, Hock Lai Seng Fishball Noodles at Maxwell Food Centre earlier this year.

Just like those who came before him, Khan uses only the freshest ingredients and goes the extra mile to perfect each bowl of noodles. For starters, the tasty soup is cooked with pork bones for at least four hours a day, creating a concentrated broth. 

Rather than blanching the noodles in hot water, he tosses the noodles in the rich broth, allowing it to soak in its essence while retaining their chewiness. Dry noodles are also tossed in a unique sauce blend of vinegar, sambal, ketchup and mushroom braising sauce, and crispy pork lard is added to give a crunchy texture to each mouthful.

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: With such high expectations from the stall’s passionate chef, it’s no surprise that each bowl of noodles is an all-around winner. Customers get to choose from eight types of noodles in either S$4.50 or S$6 portions. 

While it does sit on the pricier side, it is worth the indulgence, as each bowl comes with generous toppings of fishballs, sliced fishcakes, meatballs, prawns, and pork and liver slices that elevate the dish. In fact, we recommend adding on another S$2 to get an upsized portion with two larger ang kar (red leg) prawns.

15. Fishball Story

Bugis Junction, 01-71/72, 200 Victoria Street
Open: Monday to Sunday (8am to 8pm)

Why visit? Opened in 2021, 25-year-old Douglas Ng started Fishball Story at Golden Mile Complex to sell fishball noodles using his grandmother’s recipe. The stall has since moved several times, first to the modern hipster hawker centre Timbre+, and later to NUS and Geylang before settling down in Bugis Junction.

Despite having moved around quite a bit, Fishball Story has managed to maintain its standard, churning out solid bowls of fishball noodles and winning over customers wherever it has moved to. 

The fishballs, and the chilli-scallion-studded slices of fishcake, are housemade, with a uniquely light grey and rough-hewn texture on the outside, while maintaining a delightful QQ texture to the bite. The noodles are also accompanied by robust seasoning and crispy cubes of lard to munch on. 

Price range: $

Crowd favourites: Try the premium fishball noodles (S$6.90), where you get to sample a mushroom ball, prawn ball, fishball and fish dumpling in a single bowl.

Looking for more hawker eats? Check out our guide on beef noodles in Singapore and stalls to visit at Chong Pang Market.

Lina Fishball Noodle, LiXin Teochew Fishball Noodles, Sheng Ji Fishball Noodle, Ming Fa Fishball Noodle, Ah Ter Teochew Fishball Noodles, and Fishball Story are on the GrabFood delivery service.

Do explore the new GrabFood Dine-in service for awesome deals. You can also book a ride to try these fishball noodles in Singapore.