Steaming fish takes skill—it requires a deft hand to get the timing just right, so you won’t end up with under- or overcooked fish. It also dictates that you use very fresh fish, because there’s not much to hide behind, unlike deep-frying or braising, which cover a multitude of ingredient shortcomings. If you love your steamed fish, we’ve rounded up the best steamed fish stalls in Singapore for you to check out.
Nian Nian You Yu might have closed down at Maxwell Food Centre, but you can still get your steamed fish fix at Fish Village, a new stall that’s popped up at the popular hawker centre. They serve whole steamed fish at reasonable prices, including HK-Style Steam Soon Hock that’s priced at just $23, and HK-Style Steam Pomfret at $12!
Alongside these steamed fish, you can also enjoy Miso Salmon Fish Head ($7), which comes with half a fish head, as well as Thai Sauce Scallops ($14).
Address: 1 Kadayanallur St, #01-32, Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore 069184
Opening hours: Wed-Sun 10am to 8pm, Mon-Tue 10:30am to 8pm
Fish Village is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: @liewjautze
Hong Kong Style Kitchen may be known for their Fried Bittergourd Fish Slices ($9), but these Hong Kong-born hawkers make a mean steamed fish too. Hong Kong Style Steamed Fish, which gets you a whole butterflied fish, will set you back just $18—enjoy this with Beancurd Luo Han Zai ($8) and Eggplant Fried Chicken ($8), plus other zi char dishes too!
Address: 93 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh, #01-44, Toa Payoh Lorong 4 Market and Hawker Centre, Singapore 310093
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11:30am to 1:30pm, 4:30pm to 7:30pm
Hong Kong Style Kitchen is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: @jaceonthemove
You know the seafood is sure to be good stuff when the hawkers are also fishmongers—as is the case at Hee Hee Hee Steamed Fish and Fish Soup, which operates two stalls at Circuit Road and in Toa Payoh. Here, a portion of Flower Garoupa starts from $6, while Seabass will cost $9. More premium options here include Red Garoupa (from $25) and Angoli, AKA sea bream, from $16 for a fish head.
Circuit Road outlet
Address: 79 Circuit Road, #01-12, Singapore 370079
Opening hours: Daily 5pm to 9pm
Toa Payoh outlet
Address: 93 Toa Payoh Lorong 4, Singapore 310093
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 9pm (or till sold out)
Tel: 9168 8017
Website
Hee Hee Hee Steamed Fish and Fish Soup is not a halal-certified eatery.
Michelin Bib Gourmand awardee Zai Shun Curry Fish Head has held on to this honour since 2017, and the crowded kopitiam is a testament to this. They started out as a single hawker stall in the nearby Yuhua Food Centre in 1981, so you can’t doubt that they’re truly experienced in what they do.
They won acclaim for their Curry Fish Head (market price), but regulars will tell you that their Steamed Fish (market price) is the dish to go for. Pick from the selection at Zai Shun, or if you’ve got a wishlist, call ahead to see if they’ve got what you want! They have pomfret, and the rare emperau fish if you’d like that, too.
Read our Zai Shun Curry Fish Head review!
Address: Block 253 Jurong East Street 21, #01-205, Singapore 600253
Opening hours: Thurs-Tue 7am to 3pm
Tel: 6560 8594
Website
Zai Shun Curry Fish Head is not a halal-certified eatery
Image credit: @midorilime
Head to Canton Delicacies, a hawker stall in Geylang Bahru Market & Food Centre, for an expansive menu of steamed dishes by a young hawker who honed his craft at Wan Hao Restaurant in Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel. He serves two kinds of steamed fish: Steamed Song Fish Head with Black Bean ($15) and Red Snapper Steamed Fish Head ($18). If you’re going for the red snapper, you can opt to have it steamed with black bean sauce or good ol’ Hong Kong-style with soya sauce. If you don’t want the head, you can preorder a Red Snapper Steamed Tail or Red Snapper Steamed Fish Steak, priced at $20.
Read our Canton Delicacies review!
Address: Block 69 Geylang Bahru, #01-27, Geylang Bahru Market & Food Centre, Singapore 330069
Opening hours: Fri-Wed 11:30am to 9pm
Tel: 8459 0031
Website
Canton Delicacies is not a halal-certified eatery.
Another ex-hotel chef who hails from Hong Kong is Chef Chik, who runs his eponymous stall at Haig Road Market & Food Centre. The popular stall is only open four days a week, for four hours each day around midday, and serves up zi char-style dishes, double-boiled soups and a number of steamed fish dishes.
The chef’s recommendation here is Steamed Threadfin Belly (market price), which sees the addition of fermented black beans, coriander, and sliced red chilli that gives the fish an addictive, savoury kick. Otherwise, there’s also Steamed Red Garoupa Head and Steamed Fish Tail, both of which are also sold according to market prices.
Read our Chef Chik review!
Address: 13 Haig Road, #01-36, Singapore 430014
Opening hours: Wed-Sat 11:30am to 3:30pm
Tel: 9011 8979
Chef Chik is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: @cyberk13
If you’re in Chinatown, head to Yang Ji 194 at Chinatown Complex for their version of steamed song fish head. There are plenty of stalls in the area that sell this, but at Yang Ji 194, they serve it laden with a house-made, fried garlic sauce that’s won them recognition in the national newspapers.
You’ve got to order this Garlic Steamed Fish Head ($20) to try at least once. Song fish is a freshwater fish with muddy-tasting meat, but the stall’s garlic dressing, with fried old ginger and various aromatics, is said to fully mask the taste of the fish! Alternatively, try their Stir-Fry Sliced Fish w Ginger & Spring Onion (from $15), and other Cantonese-style zi char dishes while you’re here.
Address: 335 Smith Street, #02-57, Chinatown Complex, Singapore
Opening hours: Tue-Wed 11am to 9pm, Fri 5pm to 9pm, Sat 11am to 9pm, Sun 5pm to 9pm
Tel: 9742 9712
Website
Yang Ji 194 is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: @wcn_ni
Spanning two shop spaces in Chinatown Complex is Seng Kee 119, another one of the popular steamed fish stalls in the food centre. They claim to be the creators of Steamed Fish Head in Hot Sauce ($20), and have been recognised by various newspapers including Xin Ming Zao Bao and Lian He Wan Bao. The stall has been around since 1983, making them 40 years old this year!
The famous Steamed Fish Head in Hot Sauce, with its sauce made of fermented beans, sour plums and other aromatics, is prepared with song fish head. You could also opt for Steamed Red Snapper Head (market price) too, alongside zi char dishes including Kang Kong with Cuttle Fish, Prawn Paste Chicken and more.
Address: 335 Smith Street, #02-190 200/207, Chinatown Complex, Singapore 050335
Opening hours: Wed-Sat 11:30am to 2:30pm, 3pm to 8:45pm, Sun-Mon 11:30am to 2:30pm, 4:30pm to 9:30pm
Seng Kee 119 is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: Eva Su
We’ve seen many chefs riding on their Hong Kong heritage, but the guy behind the stove at Macau Fong Cheng Cuisine comes instead from Macau. He learned his craft in Guangdong, China. His Garlic Steamed Fish Head is priced at $15, and if you’re lucky, you might be able to order Salt & Pepper Fish (market price), which sees a whole fish deep-fried with salt and pepper. If you don’t like song fish, you could order Black Bean Steamed Garoupa Head ($20), or Bittergourd Sliced Fish Claypot ($18) too.
Address: 335 Smith Street, #02-211, Chinatown Complex, Singapore 050335
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 10pm
Tel: 9712 6998
Macau Fong Cheng Cuisine is not a halal-certified eatery.
It’s just really comforting to hold a bowl of steaming hot white rice and enjoy it with the delicate flesh of steamed fish, plus the savoury sauce beneath. For more comfort food, we’ve sussed out the best double-boiled soup stalls around town, and ranked the best Korean ramyeon you can get at the supermart!
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