Lucky Her Kiao📍88 Horne Road • Third Generation Song Kee Hand Made Fish Dumpling & Ball ☏ 9830 1661

Lucky Her Kiao📍88 Horne Rd, Singapore 209083 🚅 10 minutes walk from Lavender & Bendemeer stations ☏ 9830 1661 ⏰ 11am - 6pm (Weds off)

James Chua, third generation of Song Kee.

I am a long time fan of Song Kee and grew up with their fish balls and fish dumplings (her kiao 魚餃). Song Kee is today, one of the top fish ball brands in Singapore and still among my favourites.

I don't say this lightly. It's literally my hawker dish growing up - let me explain.

The patriarch who founded Song Kee was running a pushcart stall selling Teochew kway teow noodle soup near Kallang River around Bendemeer Road / Geylang Bahru from 1955.

The story of how James' grandpa was forced to swim across the Kallang River to escape from gangsters who pounced upon his stall gave us a clue on where his mobile noodle stall might be.

Near where Bendemeer Road crosses the Kallang River, it is about 10 minutes from where James' restaurant is located today at 88 Horne Road.

So, grandpa's mobile stall that started it all came full circle with James coming back to the Kallang area at 88 Horne Road.

In the 1960s, James' father opened the first 松记粿条汤 Song Kee Kway Teow Soup stall at Toa Payoh lorong 5 hawker centre.

This was where I came into the picture. I lived just steps from this hawker centre from childhood till I finished senior high school (pre-U) i.e. most of my growing up years.

I don't remember the details but I always gravitate towards the distinctive smell of fish balls rolling in churning steamy boiling water and the smell of lard when hot noodles were tossed in a bowl.

The taste and smell of food stalls at Toa Payoh Lor 5 food centre shaped my tastebuds and passion for Singapore hawker food.

Amazingly, this stall is still in operation today, nearly 60 years on! The second generation, James' father is still running the stall.

Today, I am so glad to enjoy the third generation of Song Kee at Lucky Her Kiao by James Chua.

3G Singapore hawker culture is at the cross roads.

To move forward, hawkers either scale up their production through food factories (known as central kitchens) or continue the artisanal way (like James). The third alternative is to let the business fade away and close with the retirement of the incumbent generation.

Staying artisanal is the road less travelled as Singaporeans generally have not yet accepted paying more for hand crafted, higher quality hawker food. Factory made food meets the needs and price expectations of most consumers.

James Chua chose the harder path to preserve the craft which is true and centre in his life since he was a young teen.

To me, we are fortunate to have a few passionate youths like James who wouldn't let the heritage craft disappear in Singapore. (James is 47 this year but he looks youthful lah 😄 )

James still makes these hand rolled and cut 100% yellowtail fish meat noodles at Lucky Her Kiao.

James named his shop Lucky Her Kiao because his family and friends call him Ah Heng 阿兴 (lucky in Teochew language). Her Kiao because fish dumpling is what James is best known for and among the best practitioner of the art in Singapore.

James made making fish dumplings looked so easy. He has made a few million her kiao with his hands since his teens, starting at his dad's Toa Payoh stall in the 1980s.

Her kiao or fish dumplings which Song Kee and James are most famous for. They looked like ears 👂

I took this photo of yellowtail fish 黄尾鱼 at a fish market (not at Lucky Her Kiao). I want to show you what is yellowtail fish which James uses to make all his fish products. It's also called 番薯鱼 sweet potato fish.

While James is stubbornly faithful to traditional hand making fish dumplings and fish balls, he is open to technology that improves his workflow and productivity. Our orders were churned out efficiently with a state-of-the-art six basket noodle boiler.

Bowl of fish noodles in a pool of soy sauce, fish sauce, aromatic oil blend with chili sauce, fried garlic, blanched pork, stewed mushroom and tee poh.

All fish, no carb noodles. It's indulgent but well worth it.

Compared to wheat noodles, fish noodles are thick. Tender lightly crunchy spongy. Tastes naturally gently sweet just like fresh fish, which it is.

As we saw, it is made with 100% yellowtail fish, not surimi.

Dried sole fish or tee poh is an umami bomb.

Paired with tofu, tau pok, tau kee, her kiao, fish ball, fish cake slices, dried fish maw, corn, wood ear fungus, etc in a bowl of savoury soup.

James' her kiao is relatively big and plump.

The 100% yellowtail wrap was relatively thick, tender crunchy to the bite. It has its own fresh fish taste.

The ground pork filling also has its natural fresh pork sweetness and is spiked with quite robust tee poh umami.

Think of her kiao as a big wanton but the wrap is made of rolled fish meat.

Teochew style fish ball with bits of aromatics embedded.

Our fish noodle set meal costs SG$18. All protein and vitamins, carb free, guilt free, delicious indulgence. Come and get it!

James is one of the last few fish dumpling artisans left in Singapore. Our support will ensure that the craft survives for another generation in Singapore.