Fish slice thick bee hoon soup (鱼片粗米粉汤) ($4.50)!
Maxwell hawker fish slice thick bee hoon soup: sliced fish in a clean milky broth with thick bee hoon, lettuce, fried shallot and coriander. $4.50.
Lunch at Maxwell: fish slice thick bee hoon soup (鱼片粗米粉汤), $4.50. 😋
What was in the bowl:
- Clean milky broth: the pale, light fish soup, savoury without being heavy
- Sliced fish: fresh white fish slices, cooked just to opaque
- Thick bee hoon (粗米粉): the round, chubby rice vermicelli, the chewier cousin of regular bee hoon
- Lettuce + coriander: the greens folded in
- Fried shallot + minced something scattered over for aroma
Fish soup comes in two schools, and this is the clean (清汤) version: a lighter, clearer broth that lets the freshness of the fish lead, against the milky-rich style that leans on evaporated milk and fried fish bones. The clean version is the harder one to fake, there is nowhere for old fish or a thin stock to hide, so a good clear fish soup is a real marker of quality.
The thick bee hoon (粗米粉) is the noodle choice that makes this dish: round and plump rather than the usual thin strands, with a satisfying slippery chew that holds up in the broth without going mushy. It soaks the soup differently from thin bee hoon, carrying more of it per mouthful.
The fish slice test: fresh fish is firm, sweet and clean; old fish is mushy and smells. The slices here were firm and clean, cooked gently in the hot soup so they stayed tender. The fried shallot on top is the aroma finish that ties the bowl together.
At $4.50 for a fresh fish slice thick bee hoon soup at Maxwell, this is excellent heritage-hawker value.
Overall: 4.3 / 5. 😋👍🏼 The clean broth and fresh fish were the standout. Reliable Maxwell bowl, would re-order.
