Besides eating Pontian wanton mee, bak kut teh, claypot rice, seafood porridge, and enjoying coffee and toast, what else can we do in Pontian?
One of the things many visitors enjoy doing is to visit Pontian Wholesale Fish Market. Some Singaporeans even make regular trips to this fish market for their super fresh fish at
Every day at between 10:00am to 1:00pm (timings vary), fishermen will bring their catch of the day to the Pontian Wholesale Fish Market and sell their day's catch to wholesalers.
This is the calm before the frenzy as wholesalers wait for the fishermen's lorries to arrive.
The first lorry loads of fish will begin to arrive at about 10:00am. The fish had earlier been off loaded from fishing boats at the nearby Kukup jetty.
Once the lorries arrive, workers quickly unload the fish.
The fish are divided into smaller parcels and weighed.
This is the calm before the frenzy as wholesalers wait for the fishermen's lorries to arrive.
The first lorry loads of fish will begin to arrive at about 10:00am. The fish had earlier been off loaded from fishing boats at the nearby Kukup jetty.
Once the lorries arrive, workers quickly unload the fish.
The fish are divided into smaller parcels and weighed.
These are huge wild sea bass. Wild sea bass tastes wonderful and have firm meat - there are nothing like farmed sea bass which have an earthly taste and soft flesh.
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| Ikan Parang or Wolf Herring |
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| Cownose Ray |
Everyday will bring a different catch, and some of the fishes are seldom seen. These are some of the more exotic fishes that I have spotted, and I am still trying to find out their names. Send me a comment if you know what fish these are 🙏
The Pontian Wholesale Fish Market is a fun place for photo bugs with plenty of photo opportunities, for foodies to walk off their calories before their next makan venture, for the curious sightseer, and also for the savvy homemaker who demands the freshest fish and yet will pay only reasonable competitive prices.
Pontian Wholesale Fish Market
Address: Off Jalan Pontian in the direction of Kukup
GPS: 1.475556,103.392387
Hours: 10:30am to 1:00pm
After buying your fish at the wholesale market, you can bring them to the row of shops just beside the market. There are two restaurants there that will cook your fish on the spot for you. Both are OK 👌
Ong Siew Lian Coffee Shop 好来海鲜 👈 click
亚发代炒 👈 click
The last is stingray.
ReplyDeleteIn Singapore, the frenzy starts early in the morning. Any idea how come in Pontian it starts only at 11am?
I would have thought that there would be lots of ice packed with with fishes.
anyway thanks for the photos and post. Very interesting!
The fishermen go out to sea in the middle of the night and return at about 11am. The fish you find here are as fresh as it gets and are not the kind that has been packed in ice for a few weeks before offloading at shore.
DeleteAh I see, that's why fish here is different from Singapore or Mersing.
DeleteThe approach method are different compare to Singapore or Mersing and also this is the traditional since 1950.
DeleteThanks FoodieFC, do you know what kind of stingray is that? I guess the fish came straight from the boats to the market and they are packed with ice by the retail fishmongers. LOL I'll ask the wholesalers about this and also the start time next time ;D
ReplyDeleteoh there are different kinds of stingray?! (did not know that!)
ReplyDeleteJK, thanks for your blog. I find it very enjoyable reading and very useful. As for the Pontian fish market, do they sell to the public? If so, how does it work? Does the public wait until all the wholesalers are gone or do they just go in and pick and choose whichever fish that they want?
ReplyDeleteThank you Batu Pahat Boy for the encouragement ;D I believe the fishermen and wholesalers do not sell to the public. There is a retail section at the same fish market and the public have to get their fish from the retail fishmongers there.
ReplyDeletecownose ray?
ReplyDeleteYes, it does look like a cownose ray. Thanks for the help ;D
ReplyDeleteBro, correction on one of the photos... The fish is known as Ikan Parang in Malay or Wolf Herring in English. This is the fish that is used normally to make fish chips or keropok as they are called in Malaysia. Ikan Tenggiri is known as Mackerel in English. The fishes in the picture above the Ray look like Barracudas?
ReplyDeleteThanks Kumar. I have amended the name ;D The fish above the Ray is longish and flat. Am still not sure what they were.
DeleteThe first picture of the fish is call Mahi-mahi. It is not the local fish, but is from outstation. Look at the eyes of the fish know that it was unfresh ready. In Pontian buying fish was quite tricky. Some retailer using outstation fish to sell it as Pontian fish, and use a low fish to attract customers to buy. But i feel pity to those ppl why come to Pontian buy those outstation or unfresh seafood back to their home. Sometimes im thinking ppl coming to Pontian is looking for freshest fish or cheapest fish?
ReplyDeleteWholesale n retail market
ReplyDeleteDo they open on Monday? Thinking to go this weekend?
ReplyDeleteNo, Pontian Fish Market only operate from Tuesday to Sunday. Between 4am to 5pm
DeleteThere are a lot fresh fish in this market..try to go at early morning 4something or 5am..at this time,the fish will be from outstation,mostly Indonesia or other places..U can get a lot fresh fish at this time..afternoon around 11 something, the local fishermen will unload their fish, those fisherman are tied to their wholesale, those wholesale will be the one bidding there..btw, try the coffee shop beside, is awesome, must try the coffee n the kaya butter bread..just ask around ah ngao kopitiam..U will see a lot people inside that coffee shop..must try ..do let me know if u guys need more info..
ReplyDeleteHello! My family will be visiting Pontian on 1 Jan 2016. Does anyone know if the Pontian Wholesale Fish Market will be open on 1 Jan 2016?
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the info!
Can i buy fishes more than 100kg for distributing at local market in Singapore? If yes, how will it be done? Also is there any supplier whom i can contact in pontian market to order daily?
ReplyDeleteI blog frequently and I seriously thank you for your information. The
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ReplyDeleteFantastic website. Lots of helpful info here. I am sending it to several friends ans additionally
ReplyDeletesharing in delicious. And certainly, thanks on your sweat!
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ReplyDeleteDo they hv Ikan Kurau?
ReplyDelete