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[CHINATOWN, SINGAPORE] Many people don't seem to know that Chinatown Complex Hawker Centre is actually quite known for their steamed fish head dishes, with at least 5 stalls selling the same thing. Seng Kee 119 is known to be the original steamed fish head stall and I've had it 5 years ago and standards seem to be the same!

The Steamed Fish Head ($20) was traditionally doused in a thick fermented bean sauce that can be quite salty on its own. The fish itself was very fresh, as its meat was flaky yet bouncy, with a natural sweetness. This is still good to share among 3-4! The pork lard was fresh as well, adding extra umami to the dish.

However, now thinking about it a few hours later, the flavour may be heavy on the fermented bean, but it seems rather... one dimensional. Perhaps other stalls that have innovated may be able to provide a new flavour combination that can entice me to go back 😂 wonder if anyone has tried this dish from other stalls that is worth a try?

Both prawns and crayfish were v fresh and tasty. The kuay teow had wok hey as well and the sauce was flavourful. All mixed and it becomes a flavour bomb. $13 for a plate.

A signature and popular Sichuan dish that features cubes of chicken coated with spices and fried until golden brown and crispy along with tons of dried chilli and Sichuan peppercorns. It is spicy yet addictive. Be warned of the electrifyingly spicy and numbing sensation. I personally couldn't take the original level of spice and requested a less spicy 少辣 order which was still numbing and spicy on an acceptable level.

📍 Chuan Wei Yuan 川味園 | #01-1076

Sour and spicy broth with pickled mustard greens (酸菜) and fish slices. The yellow-green broth is made with various kinds of pickled veggies such as pickled mustard greens, pickled chilli peppers and pickled ginger. The fish slices are super tender with a velvety silky texture and zesty taste. The portion is good for sharing and it comes with glass noodles in there. This is an appetising dish and really comforting to have on a chilly day.

📍 Chuan Wei Yuan 川味園 | #01-1076

A classic dish from Sichuan cuisine that features crispy cauliflower florets stir-fried with bacon, garlic, scallion and chilli peppers in an aromatic savoury sauce. The cauliflower absorbs the flavour of the sauce so well and makes it addictively tasty.

📍 Chuan Wei Yuan 川味園 | #01-1076

An appetising and mildly tangy side dish made of shredded potatoes stir-fried with Sichuan peppercorns and dried chillies. The potatoes are not too soft, retaining a light crisp/crunch and the “hot and sour” 酸辣 flavour is not too overpowering in flavour.

📍 Chuan Wei Yuan 川味園 | #01-1076

The spicy fragrant broth is aromatic and not overly fiery. The spicy level was comfortable for me. The fish is fried to a slight crisp on both sides and moist inside. The meat is soft and reveals a tinge of smokiness with each bite. The accompanying veg provides a nice and juicy crunch. I would recommend pairing it with rice as it can get quite salty over time.

The queue and the waiting time to get our food cooked can easily go up to an hour. The secret to shorter waiting time is to call and pre-order in advance.

📍 Chuan Wei Yuan 川味園 | #01-1076

From Yuet Loy Cooked Food
金钱豆腐
Golden Coin Dou Fu is a delight!
5 pieces of deep-fried tofu on a bed of signature sauce and bean sprouts, offering an interesting texture contrast.
Great value at just $6.50 for a small portion.

The Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre in Singapore is a food lover’s paradise, with a dizzying array of delicious stalls. It’s home to some of Singapore’s one-Michelin-starred affordable eats and numerous top-rated local delicacies. Each visit feels like a treasure hunt.
Cheng Ji’s Sauce Steamed Pine Fish Head is a favorite of mine, having visited over 20 times. Both my grandmother and I love it and often bring friends along. The fish head is fresh and tender, perfectly complemented by their signature sweet and sour bean sauce. Their dry-fried prawns are also a must-order.
Maria’s Virgin Chicken requires advance booking for the whole chicken due to my grandmother’s age. Zhao Ji’s Hainanese Chicken Rice is quite good, with both the yellow and white chicken being very tender. I usually go for the yellow chicken leg rice, and my friend had one of the best chicken rice experiences here.
An Zhen’s Thin Pancakes are recommended by Michelin. The pancakes are slightly sweet, but you can ask them to reduce the sugar. Their little golden cups are a must-try.
Xi Jie’s Fried Kway Teow has a 20-minute wait, and while it’s quite tasty, it’s not the best I’ve had. Jia Ji’s zongzi (rice dumplings) are quite famous, especially the mung bean and salted egg zongzi, which can rank in the top three. The regular salted egg and pork zongzi must be thoroughly steamed to be delicious.
Quan Neng Qiao Ma Ma’s Laksa has a great flavor, and their Bak Kut Teh (pork rib soup) has a very rich broth. There’s also a video from my visit in 2022. That day, I ate at Yue Lai, one of the best claypot cooking restaurants in Singapore. Mr. Jerald Chua has visited twice, and every dish there is a masterpiece.

I didn’t realised this Malay food stall at Hong Lim Food Centre has been here for very long since 2002, Dapur F. Faiz serving variety Malay cuisines.

Decided to try this stall after so many years working in Chinatown. I came late lunch time and only a few options left, which mee soto still available.

Their price is consider affordable for now. Their mee soto comes with slices of shredded chicken and noodles. Tasty and enjoyable.

Took the coffee. Indeed nice, with a unique and powerful flavour. Too sweet tho. Need to ask for less sugar. The tea is ordinary.

The Peranakan food stall has long gone, which I still miss it so much till these days.

And just very recently, the formers stall has been taken over by this new Nasi Padang stall.

Nasi Padang Beach Road said to have another stall along Beach Road, which I couldn’t identify which one of it.

But their new stall here serves pretty decent dishes with their Nasi Padang.

Love their Ayam Rempah here with the prawn cracker.