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Have you tried fish soup with bittergourd? Most of us probably haven’t, because that’s a rare combination.
Recently, I tried it for the first time at Fan Ji Bittergourd Fish Soup at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre. to me, fish soup and bittergourd sounds like a good pairing, and I am surprised that most fish soup stalls don’t offer it.
Perhaps they don’t want to lose customers due to the polarising nature of bittergourd. When I was a child, bittergourd was at the top of my hated food list, and I definitely wouldn’t have wanted to try bittergourd fish soup.
But after this dislike transformed into appreciation. Upon learning about Fan Ji Bittergourd Fish Soup, I knew I had to give it a try!
The food centre is a stone’s throw away from Chinatown Point, and even from Level 1, I could already spot the stall at Level 2. The thick golden words on the black signboard really make it stand out!
I arrived with my boyfriend at 11am and we placed our orders. If you want to avoid the queue, it is best to come at this time, because at 11.30am, a queue will start forming at the stall.
What to order at Fan Ji Bittergourd Fish Soup
Fan Ji Bittergourd Fish Soup offers Sliced Fish Soup, Fried Fish Head and Fish Bone Soup at the same price (S$6 for small, S$7 for medium, S$10 for large). They also offer Garoupa Fish Head Soup (S$10 for small, S$14 for large).
To complete the meal with a staple, you can also add rice, thick bee hoon, or mee sua for S$0.50.
Preferring a lighter meal, we opted for the Small Fish Soup with Thick Bee Hoon (S$6.50) and Small Fish Porridge (S$6.50), which is fish soup with rice in it.
Although we both ordered the small portion, the portion of food was so generous! The noodle bowl, especially, was filled to the brim, and I was worried that the food would spill out. Luckily, it did not!
Being a bittergourd hater, my boyfriend transferred his bittergourd into my bowl. With double the portion of bittergourd, I was delighted!
Upon holding the bittergourd with my chopsticks, I noticed the bittergourd was cut into thin pieces. This was perfect for me, because I prefer my food cut into smaller pieces! It allows me to slowly savour the food and make the taste less overwhelming.
I tried a small slice of bittergourd to see whether this preference for small slices of food would also apply here. Indeed, the bitter taste wasn’t as overpowering compared to the usual thick slices of bittergourd I eat. The bitter taste is so mild that perhaps even my younger self would have enjoyed it.
Next, we tried the soup. With so much bittergourd inside the soup, I expected the soup to taste more bitter. Contrary to my expectation, it wasn’t! In fact, the soup had a slight sweetness to it and even my boyfriend enjoyed it!
After that, we focused on the next star of our meal: the fish slices! Most of the fish slices were soft, although a few slices were not as tender. Taste-wise, the fish slices had a clean taste, and didn’t give a fishy smell that other fish stalls sometimes have.
If you want to add some shiokness to your meal, you could pair it with the chilli! By adding just a small piece of chilli to the fish porridge, you get another level of flavour to the sweetness and bitterness of the dish, so you could try it too.
Who Fan Ji Bittergourd Fish Soup is best for
If you’re looking for a healthy version of fish soup that is not too bitter, or wonder how bittergourd will go in fish soup, this is definitely the place to visit! This stall is also suitable for those seeking traditional Teochew fish porridge.
How to get there?
Chinatown (NE4/DT19) is the nearest MRT station to Fan Ji Bittergourd Fish Soup. Look for exit E and the walk to the stall takes roughly 5 minutes.
Do we recommend Fan Ji Bittergourd Fish Soup?
Of course! Even if you dislike bittergourd, the bitter taste is balanced with the sweetness and savouriness of the soup and fish slices, making it suitable for most fish soup fans! If you’re looking for something different from your typical fish soup, consider giving it a try!
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