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Some folks in my circle think fish soup is just for sick days, like porridge. But me? Nah! Whenever that craving hits, you’ll find me slurping down fish soup like it’s going out of style. To add to my best-rated series, I headed to 174C Hougang Avenue 1 in search of An Shun Seafood Soup (Zion Road Blk 91).
This establishment has garnered a total of 505 reviews and received 4.5 stars out of 5 on Google Reviews (at time of writing). The business has flourished for more than two decades, originally established on Zion Road, later moving to Toa Payoh, and finally settling into its current location in the neighbourhood of Hougang.
Being a typical kiasu and kiasi Singaporean, I arrived at the coffeeshop 15 minutes prior to its opening. As punctual as the trains in Japan, the stall started receiving orders precisely at 11am, and I found myself fourth in line.
There was no buzzer system here, just the classic practice of shouting out your number when it’s your turn. I felt a twinge of disappointment when the customer ahead of me attempted to order the ‘omega fish stomach’, only to be told it wasn’t available. Drats! That’s exactly what I had my heart set on.
What I tried at An Shun Seafood Soup (Zion Road Blk 91)
Before my visit, countless netizens were raving about the ‘hei bai (black and white) sliced fish soup’—which, in simple terms, means fried and non-fried sliced fish soup. I decided to keep things separate and started off with the small Fried Fish Bee Hoon (S$6) instead.
“Do you want it with milk or without?” The stall helper asked.
“With milk please!” I replied.
When I brought the dish to my table, I was amused that my dining partner mistook the bowl of fried fish for pieces of pork lard.
The bowl of noodles came with thick bee hoon, green veggies and massive chunks of fried shallots, all doused in a creamy and milky broth. Similar to ramen, I shamelessly began slurping up the slippery strands of thick rice noodles loudly.
The texture was a lovely blend of chewiness, with a hint of crispiness from the fried shallots, which softened slightly as they soaked in the soup.
The soup was luxuriously creamy yet surprisingly light, enabling me to enjoy it without feeling the need to pause for a breather. I detected subtle notes of ginger in the broth and I found it to be perfectly seasoned.
The mini golden fried nuggets of fish were phenomenally crispy on the outside and yet remained decently moist on the inside. While the precise blend of spices remain a mystery to me, imagine the delectable taste of KFC’s original fried chicken, but in fish form— it was simply divine!
I also experimented with different ways of enjoying the fried fish pieces, whether soaking them in the broth, pairing them with the fiery chilli padi-soy sauce combo, or enjoying them alongside soup and vegetables, all in one bite.
We also tried the small Sliced Fish Bee Hoon (S$6) with the clear soup option and our choice of carbs was ee mian.
I wasted no time diving into the soup first, and to my delight, it was bursting with flavour with the slight essence of the ee mian permeating the broth. However, there was a minor hiccup— it leaned a touch too heavily on the salty side— did I catch them on the wrong day?
The fish slices were perfectly fresh, without a trace of any unpleasant scent. The flesh was firm yet delicately flaky, effortlessly melting in my mouth with every bite. I wolfed everything down, skin included.
I gave the soup a second shot, this time pairing it with all the other elements. Surprisingly, it wasn’t so bad after having it with the noodles and ingredients.
Final thoughts
Aside from the fact that the clear broth was slightly too salty for my liking, everything else was executed very well and An Shun Seafood Soup (Zion Road Blk 91) definitely deserves its 4.5 star rating.
I can envision myself returning here for a bowl of fried fish soup with milk whenever cravings strike, especially since there are 2 buses straight from my house to get here.
Fingers crossed that on my next visit, I’ll finally get to taste the omega fish stomach and determine if it’s a new favourite or if it’s getting boycotted forever— we’ll see!
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