Zi Char - Nan Hua Chang (Traditional) Fish Head Steamboat - Ivan Teh

Zi Char - Nan Hua Chang (Traditional) Fish Head Steamboat
31 Kaki Bukit Road 3
#02-01 Lobby C, Techlink

https://www.facebook.com/p/Nan-Hua-Chang-Traditional-Fish-Head-Steamboat-100086792281369/

Red Grouper Fish Steamboat (SGD $39 / $49 / $72)

Traditional Charcoal Fire Fish Head Steamboat

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 6
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 8
Value for Money: 9
Spent about SGD $20 per person.

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Originally established in 1927 by the grand uncle of Tan Lek Chew, Nan Hua Chang (Traditional) Fish Head Steamboat remains a family run zi char eatery to this day. Note that Nan Hua Chang (Traditional) Fish Head Steamboat has no relation to the famed Nan Hwa Chong Fish Head Steamboat at 812 North Bridge Road, though both are cited as pioneers of this unique Singaporean dish.

Ambience at Nan Hua Chang (Traditional) Fish Head Steamboat is brightly lit, spacious, and functional, with large communal tables with chairs laid out neatly within the massive floor space of this industrial food court. Due to the enclosed space with minimal ventilation, the odour of steamboat hangs in the air, and will carry over to clothing. The place is usually bustling, with most diners ordering zi char.

Service at Nan Hua Chang (Traditional) Fish Head Steamboat is fast, efficient, and attentive, with staff quickly greeting and seating guests. The elderly owner is still around, and goes about engaging regular customers, while the staff demonstrate good product knowledge in recommending dishes. They also clean up quickly when diners leave. The kitchen is speedy, preparing and fulfilling orders quickly.

Food at Nan Hua Chang (Traditional) Fish Head Steamboat is typical Chinese Teochew zi char cuisine, featuring fresh ingredients stir-fried quickly over flame. Dishes are simple and rustic, with homely comforting flavours. The speciality is their fish head steamboat, served in the classic pot over hot charcoal. Portions are sized for communal group dining. Prices are affordable, budget about SGD $20 per person.

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Nan Hua Chang (Traditional) Fish Head Steamboat Signage

Nan Hua Chang (Traditional) Fish Head Steamboat Facade

Seating

A simple bowl of White Rice (SGD $1), fluffy sticky in texture with grainy sweet flavour to the white rice grains. A reliable staple to pair with any meal. Worth ordering!

White Rice (SGD $1)

White Rice

The Cuttlefish Kang Kong (SGD $12 / $16 / $20) features fresh crisp kang kong / water spinach with vegetal sweet flavour, and slippery smooth chunks of cuttlefish with neutral flavour, in a piquant thick gravy of fermented shrimp paste, plum sauce, hoi sin sauce, and rock sugar, resulting in a sweet sour salty herbal nutty flavour. Enticing to the palate. Good!

Cuttlefish Kang Kong (SGD $12 / $16 / $20)

Cuttlefish Kang Kong

The Signature Fermented Bean Curd Fried Pork Belly (SGD $12 / $18 / $22) has tender chewy chunks of pork belly coated in a crisp red fermented bean curd batter, and each bite carries lovely savoury meaty earthy salty flavour. Served with a light chili and white vinegar sauce on the side for a touch of sour spicy heat that tingles. Good!

Signature Fermented Bean Curd Fried Pork Belly (SGD $12 / $18 / $22)

Signature Fermented Bean Curd Fried Pork Belly

The Salted Egg Chicken (SGD $12 / $18 / $22) has boneless chicken chunks stir-fried with salted egg yolk and curry leaves till crisp crunchy in texture, carrying addictive eggy salty savoury spice flavour. Their rendition is well coated, with the salted egg yolk sauce clinging to each piece of chicken. Exciting. Good!

Salted Egg Chicken (SGD $12 / $18 / $22)

Salted Egg Chicken

The Oyster Omelette (SGD $12 / $18 / $22) features an egg omelette that is crisp fluffy around the edges, and soft tender in the center, with eggy savoury salty sweet flavour. The large juicy oysters carry briny salty savoury flavour, pairing well with the spicy chili sauce on the side. Good!

Oyster Omelette (SGD $12 / $18 / $22)

Oyster Omelette

Oyster Omelette

The Signature Tofu Bean Curd (SGD $12 / $18 / $22) features dense spongy soft tofu bean curd strips, covered with a crisp batter. Each bite has a pleasant grainy salty savoury sweet flavour. Their rendition seems more dense than elsewhere. Worth ordering!

Signature Tofu Bean Curd (SGD $12 / $18 / $22)

Signature Tofu Bean Curd

Loved the Red Grouper Fish Steamboat (SGD $39 / $49 / $72). The robust cloudy soup / broth is stewed for over 3 hours with pork bones and dried sole fish, resulting in a punchy meaty fishy savoury sweet flavour. Garnishes of crisp napa cabbage, tender yam / taro chunks, wispy seaweed, and crunchy cai xin / choy sum, combine to lend vegetal earthy sweet flavour. The generous chunks of bone-in and boneless red grouper fish are tender and flaky, with meaty sweet savoury flavour, holding up well in the roiling boil of the charcoal fire steamboat. Note that no milk is added. Highly recommended!

Red Grouper Fish Steamboat (SGD $39 / $49 / $72)

Red Grouper Fish Steamboat

Red Grouper Fish Steamboat

Red Grouper Fish Steamboat

While each order of steamboat already comes filled with ingredients, you can opt to add-on additional ingredients, such as these. The crunchy Napa Cabbage (SGD $4) lends vegetal sweet flavour, the crisp Garland Chrysanthemum (SGD $5) or Tang Oh lends vegetal sweet flavour, the crunchy Golden Mushrooms (SGD $4) or Enoki lends vegetal earthy sweet flavour, the tender Yam / Taro (SGD $4) lends earthy sweet savoury flavour, and the wobbly Silken Tofu Bean Curd (SGD $3) lends mild grainy sweet flavour. Good!