Ru Ji Kitchen Review: Michelin-Approved Fishball Noodle Stall At Holland Drive

Ru Ji Kitchen has famous fishball noodles at Holland Drive

Fishball noodles are a childhood favourite of mine, and looking back, it’s fairly obvious why. Those smooth, bouncy spheres of fish paste were a lot more palatable and enticing than actual fish or seafood, making them far more appealing to a young palate. But decades later, there’s still a nostalgic appeal about the dish, especially when it manages to nail both the fishballs and the noodles—like Ru Ji Kitchen typically does.

Ru Ji Kitchen is among the most popular stalls at Holland Drive Market & Food Centre. Joined by a sister stall right next to it that serves bak chor mee, the Ru Ji name has been on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list for the past two years, elevating the cult classic to national fame.

Food at Ru Ji Kitchen

The regular Fishball Noodles ($4) set comes with a bowl of chilli-tossed noodles paired with soup, four house-made fishballs, and three slices of fishcake. But before we talk about the soup bowl, let’s focus on the noodles, which were truly something special.

The cook on the mee pok was excellent—al dente, springy, and silky, exactly how I’d want it to be. But what really struck me was the sambal chilli and shallot oil mix, which created an extremely fragrant and really quite spicy flavour profile. I’ve had many bowls of dry mee pok over the years, but this one packed a serious punch.

Now, onto the bowl of soup and its fish-based companions. The soup itself was nothing to write home about, as it was very much in the kind of clear, clean-tasting soups that are meant to accompany, not steal the show.

The yellowtail fishballs, however, were excellent. They were wonderfully soft and delicate, with the umami notes of fish coming through in a tasteful manner. Irregularly-shaped yet sizeable, one could also tell they were made by hand.

The fishcakes were sliced a bit too thinly for my liking, which made them less texturally interesting, to the point where it felt like a flat piece of sponge in my mouth. However, like the fishballs, I liked that they were fresh and flavourful.

I wanted to try a soup version of the dish, so I ordered the Kway Teow Noodle Soup ($4.50). The fishballs and fishcakes were the same as before, but how would the noodles fare in this different medium?

Sadly, the kway teow was the most disappointing part of the meal. They had a strange aftertaste, as if some fishy residue clung to the noodles. The light broth didn’t help either, as it made those unpleasant flavours more obvious. So if you’d like to enjoy fishball noodles at Ru Ji, I would definitely recommend the dry version over the soup one.

Ambience at Ru Ji Kitchen

Ru Ji Kitchen is located within Holland Drive Market & Food Centre, home to many famous stalls including Butter Town, Cheng Heng Kway Chap and Braised Duck, New Lucky Claypot Rice and more. There are plenty of good options and seats available, but Ru Ji does draw a queue during peak hours, so do drop by early if you want to avoid that.

Holland Drive Market & Food Centre is a 10-minute walk from Buona Vista MRT Station.

Ru Ji Kitchen – Eatbook Review

There’s a reason why Ru Ji ranks among the best fishball noodles stalls in Singapore. The fishballs are amazing, and the noodles are excellent too. If you consider yourself a fan of the dish, be sure to check it out!

If you prefer bak chor mee, read our Jin Xi Lai (Mui Siong) review for a stall we’re big fans of. Alternatively, check out our list of the best bak chor mee in Singapore guide.

Address: 44 Holland Drive, #02-28/29, Holland Drive Market & Food Centre, Singapore 270044
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 6:10am to 1pm
Tel: 9435 0820
Website
Ru Ji Kitchen is not halal-certified.

Photos by Nivian Chiang.
This was an independent review by Eatbook.sg.