With the capacity for dining-in now increased to 10 people for restaurants, and five for hawker centres and coffee shops, sharing dishes such as fish head curry are now back on the cards. If you’re planning your next family gathering, impress your second aunt or fifth uncle with some of the best fish head curry in Singapore.
Image credit: Na Na Curry
If you’re a true blue Singaporean, chances are you would probably have heard of Na Na Curry. Following its Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition, this homegrown chain has expanded to 10 locations islandwide. The Curry Fish Head ($25 for half, $36 for whole), features either red snapper or the gold-banded jobfish, AKA angoli, which are prized for their thick meat and gelatin.
Other than pieces of boiled potatoes, you also get chunks of yam, which have been simmered till they also fall apart with ease in your mouth. Na Na Curry even makes their curry paste themselves, following the original recipe from way back in their Marina South days.
Website
Full list of locations
Na Na Curry is not a halal-certified eatery.
Pavilion Banana Leaf offers a fish head curry that is perfect for those who like assam. Served in a flat claypot, the Pavilion Fish Head Curry ($32.50++ for half, $42.50++ for whole) gets you a meaty and sweet fish head. Drizzle some of the sour-tinged, savoury curry over a plate of Ponni White Rice ($2++), and enjoy the assortment of ladies’ fingers, tomatoes and eggplant that come with the curry.
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 4pm, 5pm to 9pm
Website
Full list of locations
Pavilion Banana Leaf is a halal-certified eatery.
The Assam Curry Fish Head ($26 for half) is the star of the show here at Ocean Curry Fish Head. But unlike most other eateries on this list, Ocean Curry Fish Head is not a zi char stall, or a restaurant that is dedicated to selling curry fish head. Instead, they sell economical rice, or cai png, and give customers the option to add on traditional zi char dishes.
Most customers order the Assam Curry Fish Head here. The fish head is cooked in the curry itself, which infuses a natural sweetness to the rich, coconutty gravy. The rempah here is also fried with Indian-style masala spices, which gives the curry an additional depth of fragrance.
Website
Full list of locations
Ocean Curry Fish Head is not a halal-certified eatery.
A short distance away from Botanic Gardens MRT Station, The Curry Wok is a family-run cafe known for its Teochew and Nyonya food. The Curry Fish Head ($28 for small, $32 for medium) here is made from fresh fish procured from the wet market daily, and is only steamed upon order. The spicy curry is packed with okra, tomato, and brinjal, for a hearty and balanced meal. Aside from Curry Fish Head, diners can also have the Beef Rendang ($13 for small, $19.50 for medium), which is slow-cooked with star anise and cinnamon sticks amongst other spices. The result is an inviting bowl of tender and fragrant beef.
Address: 5 Coronation Road, #01-04, Coronation Arcade, Singapore 269406
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 11am to 9pm
Tel: 6464 8878
Website
The Curry Wok is not a halal-certified eatery.
Another Bukit Timah restaurant on this list, Ivins Peranakan Restaurant has been serving quality Nyonya cuisine for as long as I can remember. The Nonya Curry Fish Head ($27) is one of their best selling items, sought after for the tanginess of the curry and the sweetness of the fish. Good for three to four people, $27 gets you half a red snapper head, and the usual accompaniments of ladies’ fingers and eggplant. The coconut curry is creamy yet spicy, so don’t be too happy slurping it all down.
Address: 19/21 Binjai Park, Singapore 589827
Opening hours: Fri-Wed 11am to 3pm, 5pm to 9pm
Tel: 6468 3060
Website
IVINS Peranakan Restauant is not a halal-certified eatery.
Come lunchtime, this Jurong East coffeeshop, in which Zai Shun Curry Fish Head can be found, is sure to be packed. The store is known for its many dishes that accompany their Teochew porridge, and the Curry Fish Head ($26) is one of them. Using only the freshest wild-caught red snapper, the stall ensures that there is no fishy odour plaguing the succulent meat. The tangy curry is moreish, and best enjoyed with a bowl of rice.
Address: 253 Jurong East Street 24, #01-205, Singapore 600253
Opening hours: Thurs-Tues 7am to 2:30pm
Tel: 6560 8594
Website
Zai Shun Curry Fish Head is not a halal-certified eatery.
Although Xin Yuan Ji in Bugis is better known for its fish soup and fish head steamboat, the Assam Curry Fish Head here should not be overlooked. Priced at $25.80 for a small portion and $31.80 for a big portion, the dish comes with zhap chye—an assortment of cabbage, long beans, brinjal and even tau pok. The spicy gravy might be a challenge to some, but diners can at least take comfort in knowing that they will not perspire too much as the eatery is air-conditioned.
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.
The first restaurant on Dempsey Road, Samy’s Curry Restaurant has been dishing out some of the best curry in town for more than 50 years. The standout item on the menu is the Samy’s Fish Head Curry (from $22), which is cooked with snapper that is delivered to the restaurant’s doorstep daily. This dedication to quality rewards us with fresh fish meat, that’s firm yet tender, and not one bit fishy. As in true Indian curry fashion, the gravy is thick and seasoned generously with spices.
Address: 25 Dempsey Road, Singapore 249670
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 11am to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm
Tel: 6472 2080
Website
Samy’s Curry Restaurant is not a halal-certified eatery.
West Coz Cafe is an eatery suitable for iftar, as it offers a wide selection of halal zi char dishes. Get their signature Curry Fish Head ($24), which is served in a large claypot. The flesh of the fish head is exceptionally chonky, and goes well with the full-bodied and lemak curry. Other than the fish head, you’ll also get dried tofu puffs, long beans, brinjal, and ladies’ fingers.
While you’re there, you should also try the Cream Sauce Prawns ($16). The luscious and savoury sauce coats the prawns thoroughly, so be sure to suck on the shells so as not to waste a drop of it!
West Coast Plaza
Address: 154 West Coast Road, #02-23, West Coast Plaza, Singapore 127371
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 9:30pm
Tel: 6779 1303
Junction 10
Address: 1 Woodlands Road, #01-34/35, Junction 10, Singapore 677899
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 9:30pm
Tel: 6269 1008
Website
West Coz Cafe is a halal-certified eatery.
Gu Ma Jia Private Kitchen is a no-frills restaurant that will fill your stomach with their huge portions. The family-run business is helmed by Mdm Chan, who hopes to make healthier versions of zi char dishes without MSG, and by using less salt, sugar, and oil. The Assam Fish Head ($31-$34) is the dish that helped the restaurant clinch a “Top Three Restaurant of 2017” award and it’s not difficult to see why. Thanks to the tamarind, the gravy is delightfully bright and light on the palate. Chunks of pineapple and tomato are also featured in the curry, which lends an additional layer of acidity.
Address: 45 Tai Thong Crescent, Sennett Estate, Singapore 347866
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11am to 2:15pm, 5:30pm to 9:30pm, Weekends 11:30am to 9:30pm
Tel: 6285 2023
Website
Gu Ma Jia Private Kitchen is not a halal-certified eatery.
As you can probably tell from the name, Karu’s Indian Banana Leaf Restaurant serves all of its items on banana leaves. Despite its eclectic mix of North and South Indian food, the eatery stands out for its Fish Head (from $28). The curry is made from a traditional blend of spices imported directly from India, which gives it its bright red hue. It’s a big portion, so go down in a larger group to finish everything!
Address: 808/810 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 678144
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11:15am to 9:30pm
Tel: 6762 7284
Website
Karu’s Indian Banana Leaf Restaurant is not a halal-certified eatery.
Owned by an ex-Marriott chef, Canton Delicacies in Geylang Bahru Market and Food Centre offers a large selection of soups and Cantonese-style steamed dishes. The young chef has a wealth of experience from when he first started learning the ropes at the age of 13. The Signature Claypot Curry Fish Head ($22) draws upon the Cantonese technique of steaming the fish to the desired tenderness, before it’s left to simmer in the curry. The gravy itself is not too jelak, because it is well-balanced by the spices and the tanginess of the assam.
Address: Block 69 Geylang Bahru, #01-27, Geylang Bahru Market and Food Centre, Singapore 330069
Opening hours: Fri-Wed 11:30am to 9pm
Tel: 8459 0031
Website
Canton Delicacies is not a halal-certified eatery.
Good fish head curry can sometimes be costly, but this is an inevitable expense if you want to enjoy firm and fresh fish. Remember to opt for the full head, if someone else in your dining group will fight you for the fish eye!
If you’d rather fish head steamboat in place of curry, check out our list of recommendations too! Don’t forget to check out the Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar which is back in full force for some extra-large roti john, and mozzarella prata waffles!
Featured image adapted from @_.ren._, @susanhpyg, @dorimingo813, and @pavilionbananaleaf’s posts
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