Hong Yong Chao Zhou Yu Yuan Guo Tiao Mian – Underrated Teochew Handmade Fishball Noodle

You can never miss this stall, especially early in the morning, at Jalan Bukit Merah Market & Food Centre. The stall always has the longest queue which doesn’t seem to shorten until its fishballs are completely sold out.

Hia Tsoong Chiau is one of the few hawkers who still makes his fishballs by hand. Here’s his daily routine : he goes to the fish market at 2am to collect the fish, prepare and blend the fish at 3:15am, and shapes the fishballs by 4:15am.

Hia’s son and wife start selling fishball noodles around 4:15am while he mends the beverage stall next door. Around 4pm, he will prepare the ingredients for the following day. He ends his day at about 9pm.

Hia shared that it was tough work, and the team takes a break on Monday and Tuesday.

Hong Yong Chao Zhou Yu Yuan Guo Tiao Mian evoked nostalgia. I remember back before Dover Road Hawker Centre was demolished, I ate $2 fishball noodles for breakfast everyday. Hong Yong Chao Zhou Yu Yuan Guo Tiao Mian’s dry chilli version($2.50) tasted exactly like it. The kway teow mee, which was coated in pork lard oil, was extremely fragrant.

Hong Yong Chao Zhou Yu Yuan Guo Tiao Mian’s handmade fishballs are made fresh daily. Only 2000+ fishballs are made each operating day. The fishballs are made from 黄尾鱼 (Yellowtail, aka 番薯鱼).

Although Hia’s son has been helping him out since a long time ago, Hia is the only one who knows how to make the fishballs, ever since 1969.

I’ll recommend getting the bigger bowl ($3.50) because the smaller version comes with only a small portion of noodles and 5 fishballs.

I managed to know more about Hia as he was extremely open and friendly. He shared that his routine became mundane, and he appreciated that there are people out there who still care about the effort that he puts into each fishball. Kudos to hardworking and disciplined hawkers, like Hia, who give their best to their patrons without fail!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

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