Best fish soup in Singapore
I’ve loved fish soup from a young age, thanks to my grandparents who would frequently bring me to their favourite stall. Fish soup is equally popular among many Singaporeans, who often brave long queues for a warm bowl on the sweltering days we have most of the time—a testament to their love for the dish. However, with the extensive number of options in Singapore, I wonder which is truly the one fish soup to rule them all. To set the record straight, we visited some of the most popular stalls in Singapore, including those with a long history and other award-winning ones. After two days of nearly becoming a pescatarian convert, I’ve come up with a ranked list of the 10 best fish soup stalls in Singapore.
The criteria
Before we jump into it, I’ve listed four main factors to determine what makes a good bowl of fish soup.
Texture of fish: The fish slices should be smooth and tender. Generally, I look for thicker slices of fish because I find that usually contributes to a better mouthfeel.
Taste of fish: The fish should taste fresh but not overly fishy. To me, batang fish that’s both sweet and slightly briny makes for a satisfying balance. To ensure fairness, we ordered batang, AKA Spanish mackerel, as the standard, unless the stall is sold out for the day.
Taste of soup: It should be flavourful and full-bodied, with a slight sweetness from the fish. If it’s good enough to be enjoyed with plain rice, that’s the best. We ordered clear fish soup at all the stalls we visited, although evaporated milk is typically also added on request for a creamy finish.
Value: Fish is often expensive, so we’re looking for something that gives us a bang for our buck. Each bowl should be full of liao, whether it’s a generous amount of fish slices or other ingredients. In fairness, we ordered the smallest bowl available at each stall.
10. Xin Yuan Ji
Xin Yuan Ji was established in 1993, first starting out at People’s Place Market, before moving to their current location in the heart of Bugis. They’re most known for their fish steamboat that’s cooked over a charcoal fire for a smoky fragrance, but for the sake of this article, we opted for a simple bowl of Sliced Fish Soup ($6.80) instead.
This bowl contains the same soup base as the steamboat, though it lacks a smoky aroma. The clear fish soup had seven slices of batang, alongside Chinese cabbage, tomatoes, and tofu. I found the soup sweet-tasting, with a strong fish taste that I didn’t mind. However, it was not as full-bodied as I would have liked it to be, and I would have preferred the addition of pickled mustard to give it a tangy depth.
While we found that the thick fish slices had a firm-enough bite, they felt slightly dry and lacked the natural sweetness of batang. Overall, the fish soup here was nothing to shout about.
Fish texture: 3.5/5
Fish taste: 3.5/5
Soup taste: 2.75/5
Value: 2.75/5
Total: 63%
Address: 31 Tan Quee Lan Street, #01-01, Singapore 188117
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 11pm
Tel: 6334 4086
Website
Xin Yuan Ji is not a halal-certified eatery.
9. Jin Hua Fish Head Bee Hoon
Jin Hua Fish Head Bee Hoon has been around for more than 20 years, and the sheer number of recommendations that I received for this stall, including that of my fish-loving colleague, is a testament to just how popular they are.
Unfortunately, they had run out of batang on the day we visited, so we ordered Shengyu Fish Collar Soup ($6/8/10) instead. In addition to five thin but large slices of fish, the bowl also featured tomato chunks, tofu cubes, and Chinese cabbage, topped with fried shallots. I found that the cloudy soup had a savoury and tangy taste, reminiscent of pickled mustard, along with pleasant briny notes from the fish.
Both my colleague and I agreed that the fish was tender and fresh. However, we didn’t quite enjoy it as it had a dry and flaky texture, which is expected of shengyu. It wasn’t that flavourful either. I recommend trying the sliced batang fish soup instead.
Jin Hua is actually more well-known for their fried fish soup, enriched with Carnation milk. We found this creamy and sweet tasting, but honestly didn’t enjoy the fried fish that much.
Fish texture: 3.25/5
Fish taste: 3.25/5
Soup taste: 3.5/5
Value: 2.5/5
Total: 63%
Address: Kadayanallur Street, #01-77, Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore 069184
Opening hours: Fri-Wed 11:15am to 7:30pm
Jin Hua is not a halal-certified eatery.
8. Arcade Fish Soup
Arcade Fish Soup, situated in the heart of the CBD, has become a popular spot for office workers seeking a fish soup fix. They’ve been around since 1988, with their first outlet located at The Arcade. We visited their Marina One branch, which was a small space with limited seating, and had to wait for a while during the peak lunch period. We ordered a bowl of Sliced Fish ($8) and Fried Fish ($8).
In spite of the steeper price, each bowl came with chock full of liao, including six batang slices, pickled mustard, Chinese cabbage, tomatoes, and egg tofu. Nevertheless, upon tasting the cloudy, Chinese wine-infused broth, I found that it was quite rich with strong tangy notes. There was also a pleasant briny taste from the fish.
Interestingly, the fish slices here were slightly darker than the ones served at the other stalls we had tried. While the texture was slightly rough and on the firm side, the fish was still flavourful. However, I felt that the batang in this bowl tasted a little too fishy. Nonetheless, this bowl of soup gained my colleague’s nod of approval, who thought it was well-balanced and substantial for its price.
Fish texture: 3.5/5
Fish taste: 4/5
Soup taste: 4.25/5
Value: 2.25/5
Total: 70%
Tel: 8566 9077
Website | Full list of outlets
Arcade Fish Soup is not a halal-certified eatery.
7. Piao Ji Fish Porridge
If you’re a frequent visitor at Amoy Street Food Centre, you’ll know that besides Han Kee Fish Soup, Piao Ji Fish Porridge is another popular fish soup stall with a long history of 50 years. We ordered their standard Fish Soup ($7/10/12/15). An empty bowl was first filled with Chinese cabbage, salted mustard, and fried pork lard. Then the hawker poured in a broth that had previously been boiled with pork bones, added batang slices, then topped it with fried shallots, spring onion, and pepper.
The clear soup, which had a visible layer of oil, turned out to be quite hearty, with a prominent flavour of pork. However, I couldn’t help but feel that the broth was a bit too salty towards the end.
The six fish slices were smooth and tender, and came in satisfyingly thick chunks. However, they did not taste as flavourful as I would have liked and even leaned slightly fishy. To fix that, you can just dip them into their spicy chilli ginger sauce. I also liked the addition of the pork lard bits because they were crunchy and added a burst of flavour in between bites.
Fish texture: 4.5/5
Fish taste: 4/5
Soup taste: 4/5
Value: 2.5/5
Total: 75%
Address: 7 Maxwell Road, #02-100, Amoy Street Food Centre, Singapore 069111
Opening hours: Tue-Wed, Fri-Sun 11am to 3:30pm
Website
Piao Ji Fish Porridge is not a halal-certified eatery.
6. First Street Teochew Fish Soup
First Street Teochew Fish Soup has been around since 1988. Fun fact: the stall was so popular that the BreadTalk Group decided to invest in them!
After looking at their concise menu, we ordered their Seafood Soup ($5.80/$8/$11.50) since it also features batang slices. Despite the rougher and firmer texture of the fish slices, which I don’t really like, the fish still tasted sweet, with a hint of brininess.
The soup also came with small prawns, fresh squid, fishcake slices, and seasoned minced meat which gave body and flavour to the clean-tasting soup. While the soup base is consistent across all items, you can change up the flavours of the soup by selecting different fish slices or adding various toppings, such as Bitter Gourd (+$1), Fish Roe (+$1.80), and Seasoned Minced Pork (+$1)
That being said, if you prefer to have more fish in your soup, go for their popular Batang (Mackerel) Fish Soup ($6.80/$9.80/$12.80) instead.
Fish texture: 3.5/5
Fish taste: 4.25/5
Soup taste: 4/5
Value: 3.25/5
Total: 75%
Kovan
Address: 1014 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 534752
Opening hours: Daily 8am to 3pm
Tai Seng
Address: 30 Tai Seng Street, BreadTalk IHQ, Singapore 534013
Opening hours: Daily 9am to 9pm
Website
First Street is not a halal-certified eatery.
First Street Teochew Fish Soup Review: Old-School Fresh Fish Soup From The 1980s
5. Jun Yuan House Of Fish
Like Kwang Kee, Jun Yuan House Of Fish was also awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2021, despite its relatively short runway—it’s only been around since 2014. They are most famous for their Herbal Seafood Soup (from $6) so we had to try that, along with a bowl of their Batang Sliced Fish Soup ($7/9/11).
The clear soup bowl contained six fresh fish slices, a generous amount of Chinese cabbage, and tomato slices, topped with fried shallots. I found that the soup had a naturally light sweetness from the cabbage, which paired well with the umami fish slices. My colleague, on the other hand, felt that the fish was a tad too fishy for her. Texture-wise, the slices were firm and thick, which I really liked.
If you prefer a full-bodied soup with richer flavours, the herbal soup may be more satisfying for you. The seafood ingredients definitely made the dish more substantial and the herbs made the soup moreish. We’re definitely adding bonus points for this rich soup that we ordered with batang fish slices.
Unfortunately, I came here on two other occasions and found that the herbal broth was so thick that it leaned bitter and overpowering.
Fish texture: 4.5/5
Fish taste: 4.25/5
Soup taste: 3.5/5
Value: 3.5/5
Total: 79%
Tel: 8161 8825
Website | Full list of outlets
Jun Yuan House Of Fish is not a halal-certified eatery.
4. Blanco Court Fried Fish Noodles
A wall of accolades is visible as soon as you walk into Blanco Court Fried Fish Noodles, which has been praised by local celebrities including Michelle Chong and Jade Seah. This restaurant has been around since 1997 and was previously located a few units down the road. It has also received an overwhelming amount of positive online reviews.
We ordered two bowls: Steam Fish Soup ($7) and Fried Fish Soup ($7). I requested for milk to be added only to the fried fish soup, but thought they had made a mistake when I received both bowls with milky broth. As it turns out, their clear fish soup also comes in a milky-looking finish. True enough, the broth was super flavourful and savoury, accompanied with ikan billis, Chinese cabbage, and deep-fried egg floss.
While the portions are slightly pricey here, I found a generous serving of nine chunky batang slices in my bowl, with each slice being quite smooth and having a good bite to it.
Fish texture: 4.25/5
Fish taste: 4.25/5
Soup taste: 4.5/5
Value: 3.5/5
Total: 83%
Address: 325 Beach Road, Singapore 199566
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 9:30am to 8pm
Website
Blanco Court Fried Fish Noodles is not a halal-certified eatery.
3. Kwang Kee Teochew Fish Porridge
You’ll recognise Kwang Kee Teochew Fish Porridge by its Michelin Bib Gourmand signboard hanging at the front. The store’s actually been around for a whopping 63 years, with the current owner being the second generation to run it.
We ordered a classic Sliced Fish Soup ($6) that came with eight batang slices and Chinese cabbage, dashed with fried shallots and spring onion. One thing that stood out was the oiliness of the soup, which made the spoon, and in turn my fingers, greasy. While it was slightly cumbersome fiddling about with the oily spoon, the soup did not disappoint with its satisfying, sweet-savoury flavour.
The fish slices ticked all the boxes; they were smooth and tender, with the familiar sweetness that I love. While I found some of the thinner slices slightly fishy, you can easily counter that by dipping the meat in the standard soya sauce with chilli.
Fish texture: 4.5/5
Fish taste: 4.25/5
Soup taste: 4/5
Value: 3.25/5
Total: 83%
Newton
Address: 500 Clemenceau Avenue North, #01-20, Newton Food Centre, Singapore 229495
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11am to 8pm
Punggol
Address: 1 Punggol Drive, #02-19, One Punggol, Singapore 828629
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 11am to 7:30pm
Tel: 9769 9893
Website
Kwang Kee is not a halal-certified eatery.
2. Angel Horse Teochew Fish Soup
Having been around for 31 years, Angel Horse Teochew Fish Soup is a long-standing establishment that’s fairly popular in the Bugis locale. Fun fact: the stall owner has been working here since he was just 20 years old. My colleague and her family have been frequenting the stall for about seven years, so I knew we had to give them a try.
We ordered a simple set of Sliced Fish Soup ($5.50/6.50) and a bowl of white rice ($0.50). Each bowl was loaded with seven batang slices, seaweed, chrysanthemum greens AKA tang oh, and bitter gourd slices. Despite the addition of bitter gourd, the soup was not bitter, but was slightly sweet and quite clean-tasting. The mix of vegetables also added a nice freshness to the dish. However, those who aren’t veggie fans might find the taste slightly overpowering.
I loved how the fish was smooth and tender, laced with umami and sweet notes. I’d say the fish slices here were the most satisfying thus far. Have them with either their house-made salted-spicy bean paste chilli dip or the usual chilli soya sauce dip.
Fish texture: 4.5/5
Fish taste: 4.5/5
Soup taste: 4/5
Value: 3.5/5
Total: 83%
Address: 270 Queen Street, #01-95, Singapore 180270
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11am to 8pm
Angel Horse is not a halal-certified eatery.
1. Mei Xiang Black & White Fish Soup
Mei Xiang Black & White Fish Soup is a well-known fish soup stall located in Berseh Food Centre. You can easily recognise its popularity by their iconic black plastic bowls, spotted across various tables. When I asked the hawker about the stall’s history, she just gave a vague answer of “many years”.
Although I was cautious about the disposable plastic bowls used here to contain the steaming hot fish soup, this stall still gets plus points for being quite efficient. Within a mere few minutes of ordering, we got our bowl of their sole menu item, the Black & White Fish Set ($6).
Upon tasting the yellow-tinged soup, I found it to be rather rich with a distinct ginger flavour. The auntie said that it’s been boiled with fish bones, and I found the cloudy broth savoury and moreish. However, I should warn you that this soup leans greasy, making it a bit jelak if you’re not used to heavier flavours.
I found 10 mixed slices of deep-fried and sliced fish in my bowl. The tender slices tasted slightly fishy at first, but the uber flavourful soup more than made up for it. Given its affordability and rich flavours, this bowl of fish soup was truly mind-blowing. I especially enjoyed the fried fish slices that were tender and soaked with broth, though I didn’t expect to find bones in some pieces.
Fish texture: 4.5/5
Fish taste: 4/5
Soup taste: 4.5/5
Value: 4/5
Total: 85%
Address: 166 Jalan Besar, Berseh Food Centre, Stall 44, Singapore 208877
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11:30am to 2pm
Mei Xiang is not a halal-certified eatery.
Teochew Fish Soup Review: Unique Claypot Fish Soup Stall Has Pumpkin Fish Soup And Mala Beef
Where to get the best fish soup in Singapore
Like all other ranked guides, this list of the best fish soup in Singapore is subjective, so don’t take it to heart if your favourite stall wasn’t mentioned or didn’t make the top position. At the end of the day, fish soup is still a comfort food to be enjoyed by many, despite different taste preferences. If you have more fish soup recommendations, send them our way so we can continue collating our list!
If you’re interested in unique versions of fish soup, check out our Teochew Fish Soup review for pumpkin fish soup and more. Otherwise, for more Chinese food, read our guide to the 10 best Chinese restaurants in Singapore!
Photos taken by Tan Jia Hui.
This was an independent article by Eatbook.sg
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