Cai Ji Fishball has been an institution here since 1967. That was also the year my family moved to Toa Payoh. The area around Blk 93 market & food centre was my playground but I only ate here after I retired 🤣 Life is funny like that but (one of my life mottos is) better late than never 😬
There's always a queue at Cai Ji Fishball though not a long one. (This photo was when Cai Ji was at the block 94 coffee shop.)
But wait time can be a bit long at Cai Ji as it is a one man operated stall. Boss takes orders, cooks, and collect money but he is fast 💪 Still, bulk orders of takeaways slow him down.
There's $4 and $5 serving sizes. I just opted for the smaller $4 one.
The bowl looked crowded. On top of the mound of noodles and sauce, there were blanched minced pork, fish ball, fish cake, pork ball, fried wanton, stalks of lettuce and a sprinkle of scallion. That leafy lettuce gave the bowl an old school look and feel.
The sauce which was a blend of sambal, soy sauce and lard tasted well balanced, savoury spicy but not too hot, and doesn't kick or bite. There was also no zing from vinegar. But, it felt very friendly and warm like a familiar, reliable, undemanding unassuming companion.
The crisp fried wanton, bouncy fishball, tender house made pork ball and soft crunchy prawn all complemented the noodles well. The flavours were gentle like the noodles they complement.
The $5 serving comes with braised mushrooms and tee poh (dried sole fish), I believe. Those extras should get this bowl of noodles from good to great. Shall get those next time.
I enjoyed the tasty noodles and generous ingredients.
If I still live around here, I'll be glad to have Cai Ji, always there whenever I need a tasty comforting spicy noodle fix.
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