Popular Song Kee Fishball Noodle Relocating From Joo Chiat To Yio Chu Kang

Now, it’s relocating once more, this time to a shophouse unit at 100 Yio Chu Kang Road. Song Kee’s owner Chua Poh Seng (far right in pic, who runs the biz with his wife and two older brothers, left in pic) tells 8days.sg that the move will take place sometime “in April” as they are still pending NEA’s inspection. “Our last day at Tembeling Road will be March 10,” he says. The YCK unit used to be the defunct seafood restaurant Crab Party. According to Poh Seng, the move came about as Song Kee’s landlord wanted to sell the space that houses its air-conditioned seats (the noodle shop is split into two shop units, one with air-conditioning). He explains, “Our landlord wanted us to continue renting the non-air-conditioned unit, but it faces the sun and gets so hot during the day. Our customers find it too hot.” So when a customer recommended an available shop space in Yio Chu Kang, the family jumped at the chance to move.

Our colleagues who are Song Kee regulars tell us that since the biz moved to Tembeling Road, the queue for fishball noodles isn’t as long as before (when the stall was at Serangoon, the waiting time goes up to an hour). We’re not sure why — maybe ’cos all its longtime fans (including Ah Jie Zoe Tay) simply don't travel often to the east. Or perhaps this traditionally Teochew dish is more popular in the Teochew-dominated neighbourhoods of Upper Serangoon and Hougang.

Or east-siders simply aren't fans of herh keow (fish dumpling) and fishball noodles — our foodie friends who live there complained that the noodles were too greasy. We do admit the standard of the chilli on the noodles is hit-or-miss these days, but the unctuous, tasty handmade herh keow is still the best we've had in Singapore. You can also buy the raw herh keows at the Tembeling Road shop ($0.80 a piece) and cook them at home.

The Yio Chu Kang shop is not air-conditioned, but Poh Seng says “it’s quite windy there” and more cooling than the current Tembeling Road eatery. Customers who are driving to makan at the new YCK space will be pleased to know that there are parking lots right across the shop (the Tembeling space has only a few squeezy parallel parking spots that test your parking skills).

While the operating hours and seating capacity has not been finalised, Poh Seng estimates there will be “around 15 tables”. The family will also serve the same fishball noodles and excellent herh keow that they are famous for.

The only change? Possibly the prices. Poh Seng shares, “We may adjust the prices [upwards], because ingredient prices are going up for things like herh keow. We are still calculating the costs.”

UPDATE (March 9): Good news, there’s more time for you to head down to Song Kee’s Joo Chiat shop before it moves to Yio Chu Kang — its boss Chua Poh Seng updated us that the relocation date has been pushed back to end of March, “around March 20 to 24”, as the new shop is currently still under renovation and pending NEA inspection. He also tells us that Song Kee’s regulars had rushed to the eatery last weekend after 8 Days broke the news about its move. “I had to get my children to help out, and they collapsed [from exhaustion] afterwards,” laughs Poh Seng. So don’t procrastinate and head down before the hordes descend end of this month.

Song Kee Fishball Noodle is currently at 128 Tembeling Rd, S423638 (till March 10). Tel: 9336-2745. Open daily 11.30am-9.30pm. www.instagram.com/songkee.eatinghouse.

The new address will be at 100 Yio Chu Kang Rd, S545576 (opening in April).