Chye Lye Curry Fish Head Restaurant at Sembawang

I got to know about this restaurant from their postings on Facebook. They have been around since 1967 serving the usual Zi Char fare. They are located in a coffee shop directly opposite Sembawang Shopping Centre. There are clusters of shophouses that given the uniquely old-school charm to this northern part of Singapore. Amongst their dishes, Curry Fish Head is the most popular. It must be of a certain standard if not, it would not be featured on their signboard. We were there for a late lunch. The coffee shop was rather quiet at that time and I actually thought they were not in operation. A lady walked out to greet us when we were there. 

We decided to go with their signature Curry Fish Head ($23) with 2 plates of rice at $0.80 each. Their Curry Fish Head was served with different types of vegetables and tau pok. The curry was in orange color, rich texture but not overpowering with a hint of tanginess and a mild spiciness. The red snapper head was rather substantial, tender and relatively fresh.

My dining companion compared it to the famous Kam Long Curry Fish Head in Johor Bahru and still think they serve a better Curry Fish Head. He is still hunting for a similar style Curry Fish Head that is as good. 

CHYE LYE CURRY FISH HEAD RESTAURANT

1 Jalan Legundi SINGAPORE 759263

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 2.30 pm / 5.00 pm to 9.30 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Rong Ji : homely comfort food

This stall has been around for the longest time, it was recommended by some of their regular customers on certain Facebook groups. I was there for lunch. There were just a few tables occupied in this quiet coffee shop. I decided to order a Seafood Horfun ($4) and Sweet & Sour Pork ($8) with rice ($0.50). The wait was a short one, it was delivered to our table in about 15 minutes, the Sweet & Sour Pork came first then the plate of rice and followed by the Seafood Horfun. 

I actually enjoyed the Sweet & Sour Pork quite a bit. It was better than most that I have tasted. The sauce was slightly tangy with a hint of sweetness and a well-balanced sourish taste. The piece of deep-fried meat though not as crispy as expected to be but it was not soggy as well, it was served together with chunks of cucumber, pineapple, tomato and red onion. It went really well with the rice. 

The Seafood Horfun was just average. Though the flat rice noodles were dark in color, it did not have much wok flavor. The gravy was not starchy but rather watery and not as flavorful. It was served with ingredients like sliced fish, lean meat, and prawns. 

We enjoyed the Sweet & Sour Pork so we decided to come back for dinner. It was quite crowded during the dinner. Most of the tables in the coffee shop were occupied at that time. When ordering, I asked, "Do I have to wait long?" The lady taking my order replied, "No. Not very long." I decided to go with Prawn Paste Chicken ($8) and Curry Fish Head ($22) with 2 plates of rice. We waited for about 30 minutes before it was served. 

My dining companion compared the Prawn Paste Chicken with the one served by the Hong Kong Street Long Ji and felt that it was just not as good. Though it was quite crispy, the flavor of prawn paste was rather mild thus not as flavorful. 

The Curry Fish Head seemed to be one of their popular dishes as a few other tables also ordered that. The Fish Head was quite a small one, served in a clay pot with brinjal, ladyfinger, and dried beancurd sheets. The taste was towards Indian style curry and its level of spiciness was quite mild, it is good even for my dining companion that has a low tolerance for spicy food.

It might not be the best tasting but these homely comfort foods are keeping their customers to come back.

RONG JI

Block 159 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 SINGAPORE 560159

72 Xiao Chu Zhi Jia (72 小厨之家) : Curry Fish Head

This is the only Cze Char stall in this food centre and it has been around for about a year or so. I was there for an early dinner, when i was looking at the menu board and deciding what to order. The elderly Uncle attempted to make a recommendation by asking the number of pax. He suggested that we should try their Curry Fish Head when i told him it was for just 2 pax. The Curry Fish Head is one of their signature dishes as well as their White Bee Hoon, they even have it indicated on their signboard. I decided to go with his recommendation, i given the table number and went back to wait for it to be served. It took about 20 minutes before the elderly Auntie brought it over.

The Fish Head got a notably freshness, serving with brinjal, cabbage, lady finger and also pieces of dried beancurd skin. Its spiciness was rather comforting with a light coconut taste. My dining partner commented that it actually reminded him of Lotong as it tasted quite alike. And, it did not taste as sour as the Asam Fish Head or as strong-flavored as those Indian style Curry Fish Head. 

Those pieces of dried beancurd skin were quite hard, it was so even after soaked in the curry gravy for a while. I expected it to taste similar to the famous Kam Long Curry Fish Head that i used to eat in Johor Bahru but it was quite different and definitely not as good. Their Curry Fish Head is served with dried beancurd skin too and i usually order an extra portion to go with it. I have been looking for a similar version that has dried beancurd skin in it but has yet to find a good one as substitute.

I have also tried their White Bee Hoon on another occasion but i felt it did not taste as good as compared to the other stall in the same food centre that is serving the same dish.

72 小厨之家

Block 628 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 #01-86 AMK 628 Food Centre SINGAPORE 560628

Operating Hours: 10.30 am to 10.30 pm (Daily)

Taman Jurong Food Centre: A Hidden Gem in the West

Taman Jurong Food Centre is the first hawker centre built by the government in 1971. Though it might have lost its former glory as it is not as crowded as before but calling it a 'ghost town' and 'forsaken place' as in a particular article that i came across is definitely exaggerating. It was mentioned in the article that 'during lunch hours owners could be seen swatting flies by empty tables' is not quite right.

Some of the stalls do close as early as 2 pm and some of them sold out pretty early as the nearby factories usually send out representatives to take away lunches as early as 11 am. Their rentals might be on the high side as mentioned in the article as there are some stalls particularly the back row at level 3 are left unoccupied. Of course, do not come at night when most of the stalls have already closed, then the food centre is really a ghost town. Otherwise, i was there for lunch quite often and to call it a forsaken place, i do not quite agree at all. 

Here are some of the popular stalls that you should check it out if you are there:

TOM'S KITCHEN (#03-130)
Operating Hours:12.00 pm to 9.00 pm (Off on Mondays & Thursdays)

They moved from Bukit Timah Food Centre to here in March 2014. This is one of the stalls with a constant queue. Their signature dishes are Chicken Chop, Pork Chop and Baked Rice since their opening in 2004. I did not hear much about this stall when i first chanced upon them but my attention was caught by that on going long queue. I decided to have Fried Chicken Cutlet ($5) during my first visit but the taste was not quite memorable. When i came back this time, i decided to go with their Grilled Chicken Chop ($5). I was expected to pay first then asked to come back in 15 minutes to collect it. 

The Auntie could actually remember you and your order. When you return to collect your order, you just need to hang around there and just watch out for her to signal you over to collect it.

The Chicken Chop consists of a piece of grilled chicken chop with a portion of fries, coleslaw, cucumber and tomato in a pool of brown sauce. It was gorgeously tender and succulent with a smoky charred flavor, it was nicely seared to give the skin a delightful crispiness as it demonstrated a good control of fire. The accompanying brown gravy was intensely flavored and very tasty. My first mouthful actually blew me away, it has not happened for the longest time. This was one of the tastiest Chicken Chop and it tasted so good that i am actually ranking it amongst the top 3 in my list for the best Chicken Chop. 

The menu also consists of Grilled Fish ($5.50), Grilled Salmon ($6.50), Grilled Pork Chop ($5.50), Grilld Sirloin Steak ($7.00), Grilled Lamb Chop ($7.00), Chicken Cutlet ($5.00), Fish Cutlet ($5.50), Pork Cutlet ($5.00) and Chicken Wing Rice ($3.00). They do also serve pasta and baked rice. 

TIEN LAI FOOD STALL (#02-66)

Operating Hours: 9.30 am to 1.00 pm (Closed on Saturdays)

It was founded a really long time ago and it is in the good hands of the second generation now. It serves Hong Kong Roasted Meats that is highly raved by many to be the one of the best in the western part of Singapore, it has one of the longest queues in this food centre. It was almost sold out during my first and second visit, i made an effort to come early this time and joined in the long queue. I waited for close to 30 minutes before i got to order. I decided to have a Roasted Duck Drumstick for $5 and a plate of Char Siew & Sio Bak for $3.

The Roasted Duck Drumstick was nicely roasted to impart a slight smoky flavor beneath the skin with a perfect tenderness. 

I was told that their Char Siew and Sio Bak are usually the first to be sold out, much earlier than their Roasted Ducks. The portion was quite substantial with an adequate amount of rice with Char Siew and Sio Bak. The carmalized Char Siew has an nostalgic old school taste, it was nicely charred around the edges and sweetened. 

They are known to use a higher grade of rice like the pearl rice which gives a better texture as compared to the other stalls. It was then drizzled with their thick and richly flavored dark sauce on the rice.

58 MINCED MEAT NOODLE (#03-150)
Operating Hours: 6.00 am to 2.30 pm (Closed on Tuesdays)

The stall owner, Mr Ang, is the second generation hawker, taken over the stall that first started by his father in 1973 at the old market in Taman Jurong. He started helping his father since young before he took over the stall about 10 years ago. There is another stall with the same stall name at the Taman Jurong Shopping Centre operated by a close relative supposedly with a comparable standard.

The mee pok was cooked well to give it the desired springiness and the right softness. It serves with a good amount of ingredients like minced pork, pork liver, mushroom with bits of crispy pork lards added to enhance its flavor. They did not braised their mushroom here but rather they sauteed it, a rather old school way of doing it. I particularly enjoyed the few big pieces of pork liver that were of the right thickness and sizes, perfectly cooked to a perfect tenderness. 

To enjoy, first is to mix the noodles well with the chilli and vinegar base sauce mix underneath that pile of noodles. The amount of vinegar added was just right to add flavor and not powering, the level of spiciness was just right for the chilli.

I would have be one of their regular customers if it not of its location, as it is way too far from my house. I would also be more than willing to pay $3.50 for such a bowl of noodles as this is one of the cheaper and better Bak Chor Mee that i have ever eaten. You could add another $1 for an extra amount of ingredients.

FENG ZHEN LOR MEE (#03-146)
Operating Hours: 5.00 am to 3.00 pm (Closed on Saturdays & Sundays)

This is another popular stall in this food centre will a constant long queue. They used to be in other part of Jurong but moved to the food centre about 7 years ago. Though there are other noodle dishes on their menu but the most popular has to be their Lor Mee. You could choose between the $2.50 or the $3.00 portion, you could also order the $4 portion for an additional amount of ingredients added. You could specifically tell them what extra ingredients you would want to be added.

The Lor Mee came with ingredients like their handmade fried meatballs, shredded fish meat, braised pork belly, fishcake and half a braised egg. Some customers even order their handmade fried meatballs as a side dish to have it with the Lor Mee or just eat it by itself. The braised gravy is not as heavily flavored and not too overly starchy as well, i usually requested for an extra amount of chilli and garlic paste to be added to bring forth a stronger flavor.

If you come during lunch, you are expected to queue for at least 15 minutes or more but the queue is fast moving though.

HAI ZHEN (#03-166)
Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 2.00 pm / 4.00 pm to 10.00 pm (Daily)

Even though they are not the only Zi Char stall selling this hearty dish but their Fish Head Curry is quite popular. Their prices are very much depend on the sizes of the fish head on that day, it could be from $19 to $22. The freshness of these fish heads is guaranteed as the owner insists in only serving the freshest, he would rather not sell it then compromised its quality. 

The fish head is usually quite big and meaty, with loads of brinji and ladies finger added with tomato and pineapple to bring forth a sourish taste. The curry sauce is not as creamy but rather aromatic with a rather mild level of spiciness. 

SOON LEE (#02-93)
Operating Hours: 5.30 am to 6.30 pm (Daily)

This is a popular drink stall that serves most of their drinks at only 0.70 cents, the popular choices are pineapple drink, lime juice, coconut water and soya milk. They do have also serve freshly squeezed sugar cane drink.

TAMAN JURONG FOOD CENTRE

3 Yung Seng Road SINGAPORE 618499

Rumah Sayang : A Pleasant Surprise

It was a dinner on the eve of Mother's Day, there were queues at most eateries at that time, this was one of those that without a queue but almost all the tables were taken up in the cafe. This cafe is serving Nasi Padang, Lontong, Mee Siam, Laksa and some snacks. There was a promotion for a Curry Fish head with Tahu Goreng and 2 plates of rice for $19.90 which i ordered together with a plate of Mee Siam at $4.50 and a canned drink at $2.00. Though the prices are not particularly cheap but rather reasonable given its location. 

Order is expected to be done at the Cashier's counter with payment collected there. I was asked to collect the Mee Siam and the canned drink, the rest will be served to the table later as they assigned a number tag for that purpose.

It was served in a short while to the table. The Curry Fish Head tasted much better than expected. It did not taste particularly spicy with just the right balance of sourish taste. It consists of half a fish head with vegetables like brinja, long beans and cabbage added. The fish head tasted rather fresh and nicely infused with curry flavor though it was steamed first then added in later. 

The Tahu Goreng was quite decent, the sauce was a bit sweet but still acceptable. It would be nicer if more shredded cucumber and carrot, onion, bean sprouts with grounded peanuts were added. 

The Mee Siam was quite a good choice. It has got a good balance of sweetness and sourness taste and in a good portion together with a hard boiled egg with bean sprouts and bits of crunchy peanuts in it.

The service was alright though not particularly attentive.

RUMAH SAYANG

50 Jurong Gateway #B1-41 JEM SINGAPORE 608549

Operating Hours: 10.00 am to 10.00 pm

Ocean Curry Fish Head at Toa Payoh Lorong 4

I have always been a big fan of Curry Fish Head and i have heard so much of this particular one. This has to be one of the most famous Curry Fish Head in Singapore and they have been around since the 80s. They started at a coffee shop at Geylang Lorong 35 then to Toa Payoh Lorong 8 before moving to the current location about 4 years ago. 

I was there on a Saturday at about 5.30 pm, the place was already quite crowded then and it took quite a bit of effort to find a table for 2. 

We ordered quickly the very moment when we found a table and seated down. We were asked whether we want other dishes from the mixed vegetable rice section to go with the Curry Fish Head. A portion of Curry Fish Head is priced at $25 exclude GST. We waited for about 10 minutes for it to be served. The 2 plates of rice steamed came first followed by the Curry Fish Head quickly.

The Fish Head was of an average sized. It tasted very fresh with not a bit of fishy taste detected. The taste of Curry was a bit too sourish with a rather mild level of spiciness based on a Nonya recipe with  a bit of Indian influence. It tasted rather unique and rather different from some of those out there. The Fish Head was cooked in the Curry to absorb the flavor as compared to some of those that steamed the Fish Head first then added in the Curry later.

The Curry Fish Head was served with pieces of brinja, ladyfinger, pineapple and green cut chilli in it. Maybe, it would be a good alternative if fried beancurd skin and cabbage are added too, just like the famous Curry Fish Head in Johor Bahru at Malaysia.

It was an enjoyable dish overall though a little pricey but the freshness of the Curry Fish Head was worth the value. I did not eat enough Fish Head in Singapore to know whether this is indeed the best Curry Fish Head around though some claimed to be so.

OCEAN CURRY FISH HEAD 海洋咖喱鱼头

Block 92 Toa Payoh Lorong 4 #01-264 SINGAPORE 310092

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 9.00 pm