Giant grouper soup ($16); Batang soup ($14); Rice ($1)!
Sunday hawker — giant grouper soup $16 + batang soup $14 + rice $1. Premium fish soup spread.
A premium fish soup feast with BB: giant grouper soup ($16) + batang soup ($14) + rice ($1). 🐟😋 We splurged on the good stuff.
This is fish soup at the high end, where the fish itself is the splurge:
- Giant grouper soup ($16): grouper is the prized, meaty white fish, and giant grouper especially so, thick, firm, slightly gelatinous chunks with a clean, sweet flavour that justifies the price. Easily the star of the table.
- Batang soup ($14): batang (Spanish mackerel) is the firmer, more robust fish, with a distinct savoury flavour, a classic in Teochew-style fish soup.
- Rice ($1): the essential carb, to spoon the soup over or eat alongside.
What ties it together is the broth: a clean, milky-sweet soup (often with a splash of evaporated milk) simmered to coax out all that fishy sweetness without any muddiness. Both bowls came generously loaded with fish, the grouper tender and luxurious, the batang firmer and meatier, so it was a lovely contrast to taste them side by side. Add a dash of the chilli and a bit of the soup over rice and it’s pure comfort.
At $31 for the two it’s a splurge over an everyday $5 bowl, but for premium fish like this, it’s worth treating yourself now and then.
Overall: 4.8 / 5. 😋👍🏼 A clean, sweet, milky broth loaded with premium fish, the tender giant grouper the highlight. A worthwhile splurge. Would re-visit.
