Fish Ball & Fish Cake Noodles

The best part about being coastal, is the availability of fresh seafood - or so we generally think.  Popular holiday destinations will serve seafood along or near the sea perhaps for an impression of authenticity in the quality of the catch, so to speak.  On the flip side, not all waters in this region are fish havens, with more narrower sea channels catering more for shipping and with such traffic, it's not surprising that fish would have migrated to less polluted homes, like here, in the Gulf of Thailand.
Instead of indulging in lobsters, crab and grilled fish, we explored a by-product of fish made locally and to our surprise, it was exquisite. We are not food connoisseurs but we know our noodles, since it's a Singaporean chinese staple.

Noodles in Rayong are very smooth in texture, almost like silken tofu minus the oil and blandness.  But the fish ball and fish cake was nothing I have ever tasted before. This consistency in the texture of the fish ball and fish cake was as 'bouncy' as the fish bobbing in the sea.  The fish cake did not look wrinkled and certainly didn't even reflect a slime of oil.

Indulge in the BEST fish ball and fish cake noodles here

As you can see from the picture, this stall operates after hours only - along the 'five foot way' of a row of shop houses. Every day, the stall operators will drive here and spend about 30minutes to set up the stall.  We were waiting for them to set up.  Visitors may not be able to find this spot before the stalls open, but I am sure, locals will be able to point out the spot.  The stall is alongside the main trunk road in Rayong City and just a block away from the main bus terminal.

For adventurous visitors, who are either back-packing or just having a night out in the city, this is a good place to get into the local culture.  This bowl of noodles is far better than any grilled or bbq seafood that the coastal restaurants can offer, because when on vacation, local fare is the quickest way to gain understanding of how different or how similar a place is from the place we grew up in.
For me, it brought back memories of growing up in old Singapore, where hawker fare was one where we sat on wooden stools along streets or sidewalks, something i find endearing and perhaps pollution does add to the entire eating experience but it did not compromise on the fact that we still grew up healthy and well.