Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
Fish soup is one of the few dishes I can never get sick of. Its warm, refreshing broth and tender fish slices never fail to comfort me on a bad day, or make a good day even better.
Coincidentally, my editor is also a huge fan of fish soup, and he has 2 favourite fish soup stalls at Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Market & Hawker Centre near our office: Hai Kee Seafood and Teow Chew Fish Soup.
He was a big fan of Hai Kee Seafood until he decided to try Teow Chew Fish Soup on a day when Hai Kee Seafood wasn’t open. Surprisingly, the experience converted him into a loyal patron of this stall.
As a fellow fish soup fan, I decided to try out and compare the 2 stalls. To do so, I will compare their fried fish soup and look out for crispy fish slices and a flavourful, refreshing broth. I will also compare the fish porridge to see which delivers tender fish slices and a fresher fish flavour.
Fried Fish Soup
At Hai Kee Seafood, the Fried Fish Soup is sold in 3 sizes: Small (S$5), Medium (S$6) and Large (S$7). We ordered the medium portion, and since the weather was hot and sunny, we decided to pack our food back to the office. This incurred a S$0.20 takeaway charge, and the total was S$6.20.
Meanwhile, Teow Chew Fish Soup offered 2 sizes: Small (S$5.50) and Large (S$7). We purchased the small portion, and adding the S$0.30 takeaway fee, it cost S$5.80.
At first glance, we noticed the 2 bowls of fish soup were packed differently. Hai Kee Seafood placed their fried fish into a separate plastic bag, while Teow Chew Fish Soup kept the fried fish slices inside the bowl of soup.
This made a difference in the texture of fried fish. Hai Kee Seafood’s fish (above left) was crispy, and I heard a crunch in my mouth when biting into it. Teow Chew Fish Soup’s fish (above right), however, was soggier; it probably softened after some time in the soup.
For the soup, we both enjoyed Teow Chew Fish Soup’s broth, which came with egg floss, lettuce, tomato and ikan bilis. Each sip of the soup presented different flavours from the ingredients, and my colleague commented that it had more depth.
On the other hand, Hai Kee Seafood’s soup came with pieces of tofu skin, lettuce, tomato and fried garlic. However, the taste of the fish and fried garlic was stronger than that of the other ingredients. I am a garlic hater and the flavour wasn’t to my liking.
My colleague and I had different opinions on the winner for this category. My colleague awarded the title to Teow Chew Fish Soup for its layered broth. While I agree with her, I would also credit Hai Kee Seafood for its crispy fried fish. Overall, I would declare it a tie.
Fish Porridge
The second battleground was the Fish Porridge, which I tried on a separate occasion with my mum.
The pricing of the dish was the same as that of the Fried Fish Soup. I ordered the Medium (S$6) at Hai Kee Seafood (above left) and Small (S$5.50) at Teow Chew Fish Soup (above right), this time choosing to dine at the hawker centre.
My mum noticed that the fish slices at Hai Kee Seafood were mostly thicker, firmer and did not fall apart easily. While this was to her liking, she added that there were thinner pieces of fish within Hai Kee Seafood’s broth, so it looks like the fish wasn’t cut very evenly.
The fish at Teow Chew Fish Soup, meanwhile, were evenly sliced into thin pieces. The meat was softer and more tender, and the fresh fish flavour was more prominent here.
We also realised that the rice here was softer than Hai Kee Seafood’s. Personally, I prefer softer rice, but some may prefer their rice on the firm side.
My mum and I had differing opinions on the champion this round. My mum declared it a tie, saying that Hai Kee Seafood’s fish is “thick, firm and generous” while Teow Chew Fish Soup’s fish is “thin, soft and tender”.
I lean towards Teow Chew Fish Soup’s fish porridge, as I prefer my fish to be tender and have a sweet oceanic aroma.
Final Verdict
| Category | Hai Kee Seafood | Teow Chew Fish Soup |
| Fried Fish Soup | Crispy fish slices, prominent garlic taste in soup | Fish slices more soggy, flavourful and layered broth |
| Fish Porridge | Thick and firm fish slices, firm rice | Tender and thin fish slices, fresh flavour more prominent, softer rice |
| Price | S$5 for small, S$6 for medium, S$7 for large | S$5.50 for small, S$7 for large |
| Overall Impression | Quality closely behind Teow Chew Fish Soup | Strong execution across most components, although they could improve on their fried fish |
After a close battle, the title goes to… (drumroll) Teow Chew Fish Soup! The stall wins for its layered, flavourful soup, which I prefer over Hai Kee Seafood’s garlic-forward broth. Teow Chew Fish Soup’s fish slices are also more tender and their flavour was more prominent, and that won me over.
Additionally, considering that Hai Kee Seafood’s medium portion and Teow Chew Fish Soup’s small portion are roughly similar in size, the latter has a slight price advantage of S$0.50.
However, you may also have different criteria for your ideal fish soup. How about visiting both stalls to determine your favourite?
Hai Kee Seafood
Best for: Crispy fried fish & firm sliced fish
Price: From S$5 per pax
Mon to Sat: 11am – 8pm
Closed on Sun
Teow Chew Fish Soup
Best for: Layered broth, tender and flavourful fish slices
Price: From S$5.50 per pax
Sun to Fri: 10am-10pm
Closed on Sat
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