Leng Kee Fish Soup: Hearty Fish Soup By 2nd-Gen Hawker At 22-Year-Old Stall In Bukit Timah Food Centre

Leng Kee Fish Soup has always been that one stall I’ve frequented over the years.

Located at Bukit Timah Food Centre, Leng Kee Fish Soup has been in operation for the past 22 years since 1997. Mr Wan, the current owner of the store, took over the business from his dad when he was around 20 years old.

Even though the business seems steady because it’s still around after all these years, Mr Wan shares with me that business has declined. He laments about how even though the business is doing good, it’s a struggle to sustain it as best as he can. 

Hawker centre stalls are the essence of Singaporean culture, and despite the growing demand, business is getting harder to manage. Ingredients prices are the main problem—rice prices have doubled since Mr Wan first started. 

Naturally, prices of the dishes would increase so that hawkers could cope with the surge in prices. This has thus resulted in a decline of customers, affecting Mr Wan’s business. 

Fortunately, Mr Wan still seems to have his regular customers around to support him. One of whom was my grandfather, who used to frequent his store prior to his passing. I have since followed in his footsteps, making me one of the loyal customers as well.

The dish that Leng Kee Fish Soup is well-known for is their hearty Fish Soup (S$5) and Rice (S$0.50) combination. Mr Wan isn’t stingy with the ingredients, always adding a generous serving of fish slices and tofu cubes.

The soup is a light broth and warms your belly instantly, especially on a rainy day. Besides the fish slices, the soup is also filled with tomatoes and veggies that are cooked until slightly soft. 

Just writing about this makes me think about the good times I had enjoying this fish soup with my late grandfather. 

What I like most about the entire dish is probably how well the rice pairs with the fish and chilli. The rice is fluffy and has a unique fragrance to it, unlike any other I’ve tried. The fish has a delicate texture and its flavour profile is slightly on the mildly sweet side.

When the fish is dipped into the house-made chilli and eaten with rice, it becomes the ultimate comfort food combination. 

The other dish that Leng Kee Fish Soup does well is their Pig Trotters (S$4). Although it’s pretty rare to see a stall selling fish and pig trotters, Mr Wan still aims to cook them the best that he can.

The pig trotter’s meat came off the bone quite easily and had a good amount of fats. The sauce was slightly on the sweeter side and was a good match for the meat.

We also tried a bowl of aromatic Fermented Bean Curd (S$1) which is a common side dish for pig trotters. The bean curd slices were served in a traditional sweet dark soya sauce that is common in Teochew and Hokkien cooking. 

Leng Kee Fish Soup’s Fish Soup has always been that dish I look forward to on a rainy day to comfort me. Hopefully, after reading this article and trying the food, it’ll be the same for you too. 

Expected Damage: S$5 per pax