Yam’s Kitchen: Home-Cooked Curry Fish Tail, Deep-Fried Hor Fun & Other Zi Char Dishes In Pasir Ris

I’ll never get tired of having zi char, as I can enjoy authentic home-cooked Chinese food without having to step into the kitchen.

If you’re like me, you’ll enjoy Yam’s Kitchen in EHub! @ Downtown East, where they serve up quality zi char dishes with a twist on traditional recipes.

Those who stay in Pasir Ris may recognise the restaurant, as it has been around for almost a decade. Chef and owner Kelvin Yam has 30 years of knowledge in the F&B business, and his aim for Yam’s Kitchen is to provide his customers with a professional and quality dining experience.

I was excited to see what Chef Yam had in store for us. Starting with an appetiser, we were served their homemade Salted Egg Fish Skin 酥炸鱼片 (S$6.80/small, S$9.80/medium, S$12.80/large). Unlike most salted egg dishes, Yam’s Kitchen seasons their fish skin with 100% salted egg sauce.

I was relieved that the salted egg flavour did not overpower the fish skin. Deep fried to a crisp, the fish skin had a good crunch in every bite. This was a good appetiser to start our meal with and helped to open up our appetites.

Following the theme of seafood, we were next served their Deep Fried Fish Tail With Garlic & Diced Chilli 暹煎鱼尾(S$22.80/small, S$26.80/medium, S$32.80/large), which was cooked Thai style.

The fishtail was topped with minced garlic, chilli and lime juice, and the piquant mixture brightened up the flavours of the dish. The fish itself was succulent and flaky, and I could break apart slices of the fish easily.

Yam’s Kitchen specifically uses the tail of the fish instead of the whole body as it has fewer bones, allowing their customers to consume the dish with ease.

I prefer a spicy kick to my meal, so I tried one of their most popular zi char dishes, a variant of the curry fish head. Like the previous dish, instead of a fish head, Yam’s Kitchen serves it with the fish tail. The Yam’s Kitchen Curry Fish Tail 严家咖喱鱼尾 (S$24.80/small, S$28.80/medium) was served in a traditional clay pot to keep the curry warm for a longer time.

One of my must-have ingredients in every curry dish is the tau pok (deep fried beancurd). Once I bit into a piece of tau pok, all the curry sauce that was absorbed exploded into my mouth. Shiok!

Other than the tau pok, there was a healthy mix of vegetables and fish meat. The vegetables, such as okra (lady’s finger), cabbage, tomatoes, and aubergine (eggplant) were thoroughly steeped in the curry sauce, making it soft and comforting to munch on.

Diners can enjoy the curry fishtail with rice, or if you want something different, try it with Bee Hoon 制银牙米粉 (S$3.80 per pax) instead.

Adding the curry sauce into my personal bowl of bee hoon made me feel like I was having traditional curry noodles, great for the recent rainy weather.

For a two-in-one experience, I tried Yam’s Kitchen Two Ways Hor fun 严家鸳鸯河粉 (S$8.80/small, S$20.80/large). As the name suggests, half of the hor fun was cooked the usual way, while the other half was deep fried.

The deep-fried bits were placed on top of the traditional hor fun, and it actually tasted like chunky salted crisps. The two versions tasted so different that if I didn’t know that this was hor fun, I wouldn’t have guessed it.

I could understand why this was one of the best sellers. The gravy was thick with the wok hei aroma and a slight hint of garlic. If it was less salty, I would definitely be able to eat more of this dish.

Zi char dishes are best experienced with a group of friends and family so that you can try a wider variety of dishes. If you ever find yourself craving some comforting home-cooked meals, Yam’s Kitchen in Pasir Ris should be put on your list.

Expected Damage: S$16 – S$30 per pax