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Picky Eater's Guide to Best Teochew Fish Soup in Singapore 潮州鱼片汤

Teochew_Fish_Soup

Most hawker centres in Singapore have at least one Teochew fish soup stall and it often attracts long queues. The dish is delicious and growing in popularity as it is perceived as a "healthier choice". Still, Teochew fish soup has a lower profile than other dishes like chicken rice, laksa, char kway teow, bak chor mee, etc.

Teochew fish soup has long been one of my favourite Singapore hawker dishes and here are my personal favourites.

*Actually Teochew fish soup has relatively high sodium content, so eat in moderation also lah.

The most common fish for Teochew fish soup in Singapore is Ikan Batang which is also known by its other name Ikan Tenggiri. This fish is known as Spanish Mackerel in English.

Other fish options include red snapper, grouper and white pomfret.

If you go to a Teochew fish soup stall early, you may see the hawker hand slicing the large whole fish. (Image courtesy of flickr.)

Teochew_Fish_Soup

In its simplest form, Teochew fish soup is a clear soup with Ikan Batang fish slices, tomato wedges, tofu cubes and greens like lettuce.

From this most basic form, different stalls have their own versions of the dish. Some have other fish like red snapper, white pomfret, grouper, even prawn and squid. Some have fish roe and even milt. Others have bitter gourd instead of lettuce or tang oh. There are stalls that use kiam chye (preserved mustard), dried seaweed, etc. Each stall have their own recipe and loyal following.

Teochew_Fish_Soup

The fish soup may look clear but the best ones are packed with a tasty umami-savoury sweet flavour. It is made by boiling Ikan Batang fish bone with additional flavours from tee poh (dried sole fish), tung chye, kiam chye, dried sea weed etc. Aromatic fried garlic or shallot oil add another layer of flavour and fragrance. Some stalls add bak pok (pork lard croutons), though much as I like bak pok, I personally find it a little out of place in fish soup.

Teochew_Fish_Soup

I like my Ikan Batang fish slices to be relatively thick and with skin. The fish slices are tender, neither soft nor firm. It has a nice subtle fresh fish sweetness. Skin and meat together give the fish a subtle layered sweet taste and different textures in every bite. 

Teochew_Fish_Soup

Teochew fish soup is eaten with fermented soy bean sauce, cut chili pepper and / or light soy sauce. These sauces' robust flavours and hot spicy sting heighten the sensitivity of our tastebuds to better discern and appreciate the relatively subtle flavours of fresh fish.

Teochew_Fish_Soup

Teochew fish soup is eaten with boiled white rice either in a separate bowl or directly inside the soup in the quintessential Teochew way. Some stalls offer options of bee hoon, mee sua and even yee meen (fried egg noodles). 

My Favourite Teochew Fish Soup Stalls in Singapore


Teochew_Fish_Soup

Han Kee's fish is fresh, the soup is slightly cloudy, mildly savoury, a bit of fish sweetness and a garlicky taste from fried garlic and oil. Cheaper than its competitor Piao Ji at Amoy Food Centre. 

Stall name: Han Kee Fish Soup 👈 click details


Address: 7 Maxwell Road, stall #02-129, Singapore 069111 (Amoy Food Centre)


Hours: 11:00am - 3:00pm (Sat & Sun off)


Teochew_Fish_Soup

Piao Ji is the competitor of Han Kee at Amoy Street Food Centre. Piao Ji's servings cost slightly more than Han Kee. The fish is fresh but Piao Ji's soup is more chok 
浊 or turbid in flavour as it is laced with fried shallot and pork lard.

Stall name: Piao Ji Fish Porridge 👈 click details


Address: 7 Maxwell Rd unit #02-100 Singapore 069111 (Amoy Street Food Centre)


Hours: 11:00am - 3:30pm (Mon & Thurs off)


Teochew_Fish_Soup

I've been a fan of Han Jiang for decades. Love their thick fresh ikan batang slices and clear flavourful soup which has bitter gourd slices.

Stall name: Han Jiang Fish Soup 韩江鱼汤 👈 click details


Address: 409 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, stall #01-15, Singapore 560409 (Teck Ghee Square)


Hours: 12:00 noon  - 2:00pm | 5:30pm  - 9:00pm (Mon off)


Teochew_Fish_Soup

Fresh Batang in thick slices with options for roe, milt and also white pomfret. Cleaning tasting soup and this stall at Maxwell Food Centre use tang oh 茼蒿 vegetable with its distinct fragrance.

Stall name: Yi Jia Teochew Fish Porridge Fish Soup 👈 click details


Address: 1 Kadayanallur Street, stall #01-66, Singapore 069184 (Maxwell Food Centre)


Hours: 11:00am - 3:00pm (Sun off)


Teochew_Fish_Soup

Soup is flavourful with tee poh and fried shallot boost plus cabbage (sans tomato, tofu and such). Ikan Batang slices fresh and thick. Has options for roe, prawn, fried fish etc. 

Stall name: Soon Lee Fish Porridge. Seafood Soup 👈 click details


Address: 4 Defu Lane 10, Singapore 539185


Hours: 8:00am - 3:00pm (Sun off)

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Teochew_Fish_Soup

T.G. means Teo Guan. Light full flavour savoury sweet soup powered by tee poh and fried shallot. Fresh fish, thick slices, and nice roe when available. 

Stall name: T. G. Fish Porridge 👈 click


Address: 14 Haig Road, stall #01-50, Singapore 430014 (Haig Road Food Centre)


Hours: 8:00am - 3:00pm


Teochew_Fish_Soup

Lighter soup than most, flavoured with tee poh, garnished with fried shallot. Has crunchy bitter gourd slices which I like. Fish is fresh and generous with the roe.

Stall name: Angel Horse Teochew Fish Soup 👈 click details


Address: 270 Queen Street, stall #01-95, Singapore 180270 (stall in Albert Centre)


Hours: 11:00am - 8:00pm


Teochew_Fish_Soup

Relies a lot on tee poh for flavour, so if you like relatively robust savoury soup, this is boomz for you. Fish is fresh but no skin, relatively thin slices and liberally dusted with tee poh powder. Widely popular, but I am a little ambivalent as I prefer less tee poh and I like fish skin.

Stall name: First Street Teochew Fish Soup 👈 click details


Address: 1014 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 534752


Hours: 8:30am - 3:00pm


Teochew_Fish_Soup

This place serves both Teochew duck porridge and fish soup. Both are good. They used to be separate stalls - one for duck and another for fish but they are combined two-in-one now. The fish soup is the cheng cheng clear type but flavourful, and the fish is fresh. Their duck porridge is good too. Best of both worlds, really.

Stall name: Hong Qin Fish & Duck Porridge 鴻勤魚粥 • 鴨粥 👈 click


Address: 134 Geylang East Ave 1, #01-217, Singapore 380134


Hours: 6:00am - 3:00pm


Teochew_Fish_Soup

216 Bedok hawker centre has two fish soup stalls - this is the busier one (often long queue before stall opens). The Ikan Batang fish slices are fresh and sweet in a mildly savoury sweet clean tasting clear soup with generous amount of lettuce inside. Fried garlic bits add savoury-umami to the soup. Always get the roe if you are lucky enough to see them as they taste great and are sold out very fast. Competitive pricing, friendly hawkers.


Stall name: Hougang Lee Chen Cooked Food 


Address: 216 Bedok North Street 1, stall #01-54, Singapore 460216


Hours: 11:30am - 3:00pm (Sun, Mon, Tues off)


Teochew_Fish_Soup

Han Kee is the other popular Teochew fish soup at 216 Bedok. The Ikan Batang fish and soup have a slightly different taste as its competitor but ingredients are equally fresh at both stalls. Han Kee use fried shallot for garnish (whereas their competitor use fried garlic). Competitive pricing. Han Kee's fare is milder tasting and have their own loyal following. I like both. (This stall is not related to the Han Kee of Amoy Street.)

Stall name: Han Kee Fish Soup


Address: 216 Bedok North Street 1, stall #01-46, Singapore 460216


Hours: 8:30am - 3:00pm (Mon, Fri off)


There are many Teochew fish soup stalls which I haven't tried in Singapore. So, if your favourite stall is not mentioned, give me a shout out in the comments 🙏  I promise you that I will visit your recommendation.


Thank you 🙏


6 comments:

  1. 1010 Tai Seng Ave, Mei Chin fish soup

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. Hey, check out Mr Batang Fish at Amoy street Food Centre #02-96, their batang slice damn fresh and very thick slice!!!

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    3. Thank you. I have tried Mr Batang Fish before a couple of months ago. Tony.

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  2. Try Jalan Kukok Food Centre One of the best dish soup with thick slices of fish and then soup comprises of the ingredients that you mentioned. Pre covid, go before 12noon as it may run out by 1pm. Current situation may operate longer. I think they close on Monday & Tues.

    Another favourite fish soup of ours is at Toa Payoh Lorong 5 Food Centre. Very nice fish soup here with thick and fresh fish slices. Lunch time is usually not as crowded as evening queue which can be sold out by 7pm. Close on Mondays and Thursdays and sometimes Saturdays.

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    1. Thank you for the recommendations. Shall visit them :-D

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