I've been wanting to tick Jing Ji Fish Ball Noodles off my eat-list since Matt pointed out the Sembawang Hills Food Centre stall to me nearly a year ago. Finally got to try it this morning after a few visits (say until macam like people trying for a baby like that... 🤔 ).
Everything here for $8. We had one mee kia, one mee pok, and both sets had added pork liver (which Jing Ji is famous for).
While you wait in line, an auntie will take your orders and collect payment (to speed things up). If you order "dry", she will ask you if you like "chili, vinegar, ketchup". I struck ketchup off the list.
The clump of mee kia still looked anaemic even after vigorous tossing. But don't be misled by the meek looking noodles - they were packed with flavours - the lardy, savoury kind with some spicy heat lurking underneath. There was a bit of tanginess from vinegar. The noodles had a nice tender crunch to the bite, and were wet and slurpy with the slick blend of sauce and lard clinging to the strands. There were a few crunchy juicy bean sprouts buried in the heap of noodles.
Different and the same. I mean mee pok is a different noodle from mee kia but the sauce was the same. So, long story short - they were equally lardy good.
Ask for bak pok and you shall receive a generous helping of crisp, flavourful, fresh lard croutons.
The fish balls were light, springy, break with gentle bites, and burst subtle natural fresh fish taste and aroma. Nice in the way I like my fishballs.
Noodles good, sauce nice, fish ball bagus, but I am here for their much touted pork liver. They were cooked 95% done with a very little bit of "bleeding" visible.
The liver was sliced relatively thick (which I like). They were tenderly crunchy to the bite, chewing it turned the liver into a "powdery" paste in the mouth. Very nice and in my personal experience a close second to the benchmark liver at Mui Siong at Veerasamy Road.
Jing Ji is a nice place for fish ball noodles that is good in every department - noodle, sauce, fish ball, liver and the savoury sweet soup too.
Restaurant name: Jing Ji Fishball Noodles 錦记鱼圆粿條面
When at Sembawang Hills Food Centre, get your kopi (coffee) from Sin Hoe Huat Cafe stall #01-01. They serve a robust brew with good flavour and caffeine kick.
Before there was Formula 1, there was the Singapore Grand Prix at Old Upper Thomson Road, across the road from where Sembawang Hills Food Centre is today. The Singapore Grand Prix started in 1961 and ran its last race in 1973 (following a spate of fatalities).
My dad brought me to watch the races a few times. Spectators trekked along dirt tracks to watch the race from slopes anywhere along the race track (which was a public road on non race days).
The sight of the sleek, colourful, mean machines sent my heart racing. I remember the loud shrill scream of their engines as they roared pass right in front of us where we perched on the grassy slope beside the track.
Date visited: 7 Nov 2020
I remember squeezing extra ketchup onto my mee pok when I was a little school girl.
ReplyDelete