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Fish soup is one of those dishes that I don’t particularly reach for. I’d much rather go for something “heavier” like hokkien mee or fatty shao rao any day. I mean… just how good could fish soup be? But today was a fish soup kind of day, and I found myself at Lorong 5 Toa Payoh Food Centre Fish Soup.
Ok, technically speaking, this store does not have a name on its colourful signboard. But they’re pretty well known at Blk 75 Lorong 5 Toa Payoh Food Centre.
To avoid the dinner crowd, I went down at around 5.30pm. But there was already a small line. I later discovered that they had already run out of rice! Guess the store really is a popular spot for both the dinner and lunch crowd.
What I tried at Lorong 5 Toa Payoh Food Centre Fish Soup
After reading several reviews, I decided to get the Fish Soup with Minced Meat (S$7.50). This was also what Auntie recommended. The stall also sells other seafood-filled goodies like Tom Yam Seafood Soup (S$7/S$9.50/S$12) and Red Grouper Fish Soup (S$10/S$12/S$15).
I can’t do without carbs with fish soup, so I got bee hoon to make up for the lack of rice. I loved how my bowl was packed with ingredients and loads of fish.
My S$7.50 bowl had numerous slices of thickly cut batang fish, or Spanish mackerel, that were tender and fresh. The fish was lightly seasoned with white pepper and soy sauce; it was cooked to perfection and flaky.
It was hard to tell if I had ordered fish soup with minced meat or fish and minced meat soup… I was pleasantly surprised by the many chunks of minced pork in my bowl; I had a piece of meat with almost every spoonful of soup!
The meat was well-marinated, but I found it to be slightly overcooked and on the drier side. The savoury notes of the meat did, however, complement the natural sweetness of the fish nicely.
The soup had a strong taste of fried garlic and cabbage, but I found the overall taste to be a little lacking. While it tasted clean and refreshing, it lacked the kick of umami that I was looking for.
The soup did not taste cohesive or robust enough. This was quite a shame, considering how each individual ingredient tasted great on its own.
The bee hoon went well with the dish, though I do think rice would be a better pick for the fish soup here. As the fish soup is on the thinner side, the soup did not coat the noodles adequately.
Auntie did not skimp on the bee hoon portion, though. If you’re hungry, I guess you know what to get.
I think the star of my meal at Lorong 5 Toa Payoh Food Centre Fish Soup was the chilli. There were two types of chilli: a more liquid, fermented bean chilli and a thicker one (this one was really quite spicy!).
The fermented bean chilli had soybeans and a sour tang from plenty of calamansi. I added tons of it to the soup, and I think it added a much-needed oomph and depth of flavour.
The thicker, spicier chilli added a shiok kick to the fish and had me wiping off sweat in no time.
Final Thoughts
While my meal at Lorong 5 Toa Payoh Food Centre Fish Soup was filling, it left me feeling rather unsatisfied. The fish was very fresh, and the added minced meat enhanced the taste of the soup. But together, the dish did not feel cohesive, and it felt like something was missing from the soup.
It was also puzzling that the thing that carried the meal was the chilli of all things at a fish soup store, when you’re there for, well, their fish and soup.
Just how good could fish soup be? Lorong 5 Toa Payoh Food Centre Fish Soup missed the mark for me. But if you’re simply looking for something quick and easy, I guess this will do. The fish soup here goes really big on the portions and ingredients.
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