First Street Teochew Fish Soup (第一街潮州鱼汤) @ Upper Serangoon Road - One Of The Best Fish Soups, Be Prepared To Queue Up To 45 Minutes

I have grown up in Hougang but I did not know about this awesome fish soup stall near my home. It is only after I moved to the West then I know about its existence. I have to travel all the way back to the East to visit First Street Teochew Fish Soup (第一街潮州鱼汤) to find out for myself why the stall has a constant long queue of customer willing to wait up to 30-45 minutes, just to have their fish soup.

Batang Sliced Fish Soup 4/5

The stall offers a variety of fishes for the fish soups such as batang (mackerel), promfret and red garoupa. Customers also have a choice to add rice, porridge or mee sua to go along with their fish soup. We started with the Batang Sliced Fish Soup ($5.50/$7.50/$9.50) which comes with fresh slices of mackerel, tang oh vegetable and slices of ginger to remove any fishy taste.. The soup was light and sweet. We added mee sua at an additional cost of $0.50 to go with the bowl of comforting fish soup.

Red Garoupa 4.2/5

A popular and limited quality at the stall is the Red Garoupa ($8/$10). During my first visit, it was sold out and I was second time lucky. I also noted the pricing varies depend on market price. It was priced at $9/$11 during my first visit. I preferred the red garoupa over the batang fish primarily because of the firmer and bouncier texture of the fish meat.

Mixed Soup 4.5/5

My favourite among the dishes I tried is the Mixed Soup ($5/$7$10) which comes with batang fish, greens, squid, fish maw, fish cake, prawn, salted vegetables, ginger, fried shallots and minced pork. The highlight is the minced pork with is mixed with tee poh (dried sole fish). The stock of the fish soup is all the same but the additional of the minced pork with tee poh gives the soup an extra punch, elevating the flavour to a new level.

While queuing for my order, I noted that the stall is quite flexible with the order. I noticed a lot of customers requested to add minced pork in the batang fish soup. After tasting the mixed seafood, I released the minced pork which comes with tee poh, giving the soup the unami finish.

First Street Teochew Fish Soup at Serangoon North Ave 4 was started in 1989 by Mr William Lim. The father runs the stall with his two sons, Desmond and Aaron. Previously they have a few spin off branches including one nearby at First Centre at Serangoon Avenue 4  but all closed now.


First Street Teochew Fish Soup
1014 Upper Serangoon Road
(Jalan Rengkam)
Singapore 534752
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Nearest MRT: Kovan (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 8am - 3pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Kovan MRT station. Take Exit C. Turn right onto Upper Serangoon Road. Walk down Upper Serangoon Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Kovan MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Kovan MRT station (Stop ID 63031). Take bus number 80, 81, 82, 101, 107, 112, 113, 136 or 153. Alight one stop later. Walk to traffic light and cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]

Tamashii Robataya @ North Canal Road - Showcasing The Hidden Gem of Kansai

For a limited period from 11 March to 30 April 2017, Tamashii Robabtaya is working together with Miumi Japan Food to promote the premium and seasonal ingredients of Kansai region. To showcases the food and ingredients from Kansai, both Chef Yukari Tsuchitda and Chef Patrick Tan have come together to create a 8 course omakase menu at $188.

Zensai (Assorted Appetisers) 3.8/5

We started with a trio of appetisers which consists of Mizu Nasu (eggplant), Anago Kyur Otsumami (conger eel) and Hotarui Ika, Soramame (firefly squid). It is my first time having eggplant raw which is lighted marinated with sesame oil and salt. Apparently this species of eggplant can be eaten raw, crunchy and juicy. Another rare ingredient is the firefly squid which is in season. It goes very well with the vinegar miso sauce.

Sashimi Mori 4.2/5

The second course features the fresh seafood of Kansai region. The Sashimi Mori comes in a platter of assorted Kansai raw fish serve with soya foam. On the plate, there are otoro, sea bream and even geoduck.

Takenoko Taki 4.2/5

A rather interesting dish is the Takenoko Take which the bamboo shoot is grilled and served with pepper leaves miso. It is my first time having the bamboo shoot cooked in this way. I really enjoyed the texture of the bamboo shoot and how it has absorbed the sweetness of the marination.

Uni Bowl 3/5

Presented like a sea urchin, the Uni Bowl comes with fish paste wrapped with sea urchin and fried with wheat noodle. I like how the fried wheat noodle gives the dish a crispy texture. It is a good dish but I thought the sea urchin was lost in the flavourful fish paste.

Omi Gyu A4 Donburi 4.5/5

A highlight at Tamashii Robataya is their beef donburi. For the hidden gem of Kansai promotion, Chef Patrick has included the Omi Gyu A4 Donburi in the omakase menu, using omi beef striploin on rice serve with onsen egg and truffle.

Aye Hiyashi Somen 4.5/5

After all the richness, the Aye Hiyashi Somen is a welcoming change. The smooth and silky somen comes in a refreshing cold soup with conger eel and yam. It not only freshened up the palate but also gave a smoothing approach to the end of the dining experience.

Terrine of Matcha 4/5

Anno Imo Candy 4/5

Wrapping up the 8 course omakase meal is the Terrine of Matcha and Anno Imo Candy. The green tea flavoured cake is soft and moist. What is more interesting is the sweet potato wrapped in candy, striking a harmonious balance which is not overpowering sweet.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Tamashii Robataya
12 North Canal Road
#02-01
Singapore 048825
Tel: +65 62220316
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Website
Nearest MRT: Clarke Quay (NE Line), Raffles Place (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 12pm - 230pm, 630pm - 1030pm
(Closed on Sun)

Direction:
1) Alight at Clarke Quay MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk towards the junction of North Canal Road and South Bridge Road. Cross the junction and continue on North Canal Road. Walk along the shophouses along North Canal Road. Look out for an alley and turn left into it. Look for the entrance to the building and take lift to level 2. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Raffles Place MRT station. Take Exit G. Walk towards North Canal Road. Continue on North Canal Road. Walk along the shophouses along North Canal Road. Look out for an alley and turn right into it. Look for the entrance to the building and take lift to level 2. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]