After being around for more than 60 years, Kwang Kee Teochew Fish Porridge at Newton Food Centre has gained some recognition after being listed in the Michelin Bib Gourmand Singapore 2021.
It is the 3rd sliced fish soup hawker stall to be listed with a Bib Gourmand in Singapore, along with Beach Road Fish Head Bee Hoon at Whampoa Food Centre and Jun Yuan House Of Fish at Old Airport Road Food Centre.
The hawker stall has come a long way since 1962, previously located at the old Orchard Road carpark (at Orchard Central) and subsequently moved to Newton Food Centre in the 1970s.
Second generation hawker Jason Tan has been helping his father since he was 13. Apparently, his father used to be in the clothing business, and learnt the ropes from observing others and experimentation.
On the menu are Sliced Fish Porridge, Sliced Fish Soup, Fried Fish Soup, Fish Head Soup and Dual Fish Soup.
Each bowl cost $6, $8, $10, or $12 (with the Dual Fish Soup starting from $7).
Other than white rice, customers can also add yee mee, thick bee hoon or mee sua. Auntie recommended the yee mee.
The batang fish (Spanish mackerel) was first blanched in water to minimise the fishy smell, then cooked very fast in the fish broth.
The fish broth is cooked from slow-cooking of fish bones, with no pork or lard included at all. Jason revealed it was to cater to customers who do not eat pork.
The first thing that left an impression was that the soup was clear and clean-tasting, mildly-sweet and yet flavourful. I loved that, along with the freshness of the thick-cut fish slices.
While this is Teochew style, there is no tang chye (preserved vegetables) and seaweed as Jason felt that the vegetables when left in the soup for long would turn it too salty.
Instead, the soup was added with cabbage which gave some crunch and sweetness.
There was a lovely ti poh flavour in the soup.
What Jason did was to deep-fry the fried sole fish then turn in into powder. The ti poh powder would then be added into the soup towards the end of the cooking process. This would allow the flavours to be infused more thoroughly.
Also, aluminium pot is used in the cooking so as to retain the heat in the soup better.
There is also Fried Fish Soup prepared during dory fish, though I would think the sliced fish really allows you to appreciate the freshness and delicate flavours of the fish better.
Kwang Kee Teochew Fish Porridge
Newton Food Centre #01-20, 500 Clemenceau Ave N,Singapore 229495
Opening Hours: 11am – 8pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon
Other Related Entries
10 Must-Try Sliced FISH SOUP 鱼片汤 In Singapore
Beach Road Fish Head Bee Hoon (Whampoa Food Centre)
First Street Teochew Fish Soup (Upper Serangoon)
Han Kee (Amoy Street Food Centre)
Jun Yuan House Of Fish (Old Airport Road Food Centre)
* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.