Fried fish soup + yam rice ($7)!
Golden Mile hawker — milky fried fish soup with batang fish chunks, tofu, napa cabbage, plus side yam rice. $6 + $1.
Lunch today: fried fish soup + yam rice at a Golden Mile hawker, $7 combo. 😋
What was on the tray ($6 + $1):
- A milky white fish broth bowl with crispy fried fish chunks, tofu cubes, napa cabbage and coriander.
- A green bowl of yam rice, fragrant with fried shallots.
- A sambal chilli dip.
The milky fish soup is the comfort heart of this bowl. That cloudy white broth comes from boiling fish (and often a splash of evaporated milk) so it turns rich and creamy rather than clear, sweet from the fish without being fishy. The fried fish chunks are the way I like it, batang (mackerel) fried crisp so they keep some crunch even in the soup, against the soft tofu and the cabbage that’s simmered until sweet. A spoon of the sambal stirred in gives it a spicy lift.
The yam rice is the classic Hokkien-Teochew partner: rice cooked with chunks of taro, dried shrimp and shallot oil so it turns savoury and earthy-fragrant, a heartier carb to round out the light, milky soup. Spoon some soup over it or eat it on the side, either way it completes the meal.
Overall: 4.4 / 5. The broth had proper milky depth, the fried fish stayed crisp and sweet, and the yam rice was the perfect fragrant side. A Hokkien-style fish soup win. 😋👍🏼
