Fish soup is the perfect comfort food for any casual afternoon, whether you crave a clear, light broth with fresh batang fish slices or pomfret, or a rich, milky herbal seafood soup with fried fish and evaporated milk. Each style offers a unique experience: some stalls focus on clean, original taste with simple flavors, while others serve hearty, creamy bowls topped with fried shallots and spring onions.
This guide highlights eight standout places across Singapore, from bustling CBD food centres and coffee shops to a heartland spot with a MICHELIN nod, including popular venues like Maxwell Food Centre and Amoy Food Street Centre. All are worth trying for your next fish soup fix, whether you prefer white fish soup or other fish soups with generous servings and a surprisingly light broth.
Quick Summary to Singapore's Best Fish Soup From Clear Teochew Bowls to Milky Fried-Fish Broth
Venue | Location | Signature Dish | Price Range | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Havelock Rd | Grandpa’s Pomfret Soup | S$11 to S$20 | 4.5/5 | |
Tai Seng | Batang Fish Soup | S$7–S$15 | 4/5 | |
Amoy Street Food Centre | Sliced Fish Bee Hoon | S$6–S$10 | 4/5 | |
Amoy Street Food Centre | Fish & Prawn Soup | S$8–S$23 | 4/5 | |
Bedok North | Red Grouper Fish Head Soup | S$6–S$15 | 4.5/5 | |
Beach Road | Fried Fish Soup | S$7–S$15 | 4/5 | |
Maxwell Food Centre | Fish Head Bee Hoon | S$6–S$15 | 4/5 | |
Yishun | Sliced Fish Soup | S$10–S$20 | 4/5 |
1. Hup Lok — Grandpa’s Pomfret Soup That Reframed the Restaurant
Price range: S$11–S$20 | Location: Havelock Road | Rating: 4.5/5
Hup Lok has increasingly centred its identity around fish soup, although that was not how the restaurant began. Its earlier menu leaned more heavily towards prawn mee before Grandpa’s Pomfret Soup emerged as the dish that drew the strongest response from diners. The recipe was created by Chef Kee Leng during the COVID period, first appearing during Nude Seafood’s delivery phase before being revived at Hup Lok. It is named after founder Hong Junchen’s father, rather than being an inherited family recipe.
The Grandpa’s Pomfret Soup (S$13.80) combines a generous amount of tender pomfret with a batang-based collagen broth and Teochew accompaniments. The fish is best eaten early as the residual heat continues cooking the delicate flesh after the bowl reaches the table. The broth has more body than a conventional clear fish soup, but retains clarity of flavour through tomato, salted plum, ginger, shiitake and hua tiao wine. Its richness comes from fish collagen rather than adding milk or adding evaporated milk, giving the soup a rounded texture without covering the natural sweetness of the pomfret.
Hup Lok’s seafood sourcing also sits downstream of the founder’s family wholesale fish business, providing additional context for the restaurant’s focus on fish quality and generous portions. The result is a restaurant-style Teochew fish soup that places equal attention on the seafood and the stock rather than treating one as secondary to the other.
Good news for: Diners looking for pomfret, a fuller fish-based broth and a sit-down alternative to the usual hawker fish soup.
Bad news if: You prefer fried fish, a very light clear broth or the lower price point of a basic hawker bowl.
2. First Street Teochew Fish Soup — The Clear Broth Done Properly with Fresh Fish Slices
Price range: S$7–S$15 | Location: Tai Seng | Rating: 4/5
First Street Teochew Fish Soup is one of those popular fish soup stalls that traditional Teochew fish porridge lovers hold onto quietly. There’s no milkiness here, no shortcut to richness. Just a clear fish soup base made by boiling fish bones and pork bones for hours, resulting in a clean tasting soup with a slight sweetness. The sliced batang fish is cut thick enough (around 0.6 to 0.8cm) to hold its texture after poaching, making the tender fish slices the real star.
We’d send anyone to the Batang Fish Soup (from around S$6.80) first. The fresh fish slices come out silky and clean, the clear soup restrained in a way that lets the fish stay the point. Each bite of the tender fish melts smoothly, showcasing its natural sweetness without being overly fishy. The broth is light yet flavorful, with subtle hints of sliced ginger that add a gentle warmth. We appreciated the generous amount of green veggies, which brought a fresh crunch to balance the dish. If you want to spend a little more, the pomfret fish soup or red grouper options (from around S$9) offer gentler, sweeter fish, though the entry-level bowl already checks all the boxes for a classic clear fish soup in Singapore. Don’t skip the fermented soybean-and-chilli dip either—it’s the small thing that pulls it all together.
Good news for: Traditional Teochew food lovers who want clean broth and honest, well-cut fish slices.
Bad news if: You came craving a heavy, milky, fried-fish bowl.
3. Han Kee Fish Soup — CBD Value That Earned Its Reputation for Fresh Fish Soup
Price range: S$6–S$10 | Location: Amoy Street Food Centre | Rating: 4/5
Han Kee Fish Soup at Amoy Street Food Centre has been a fixture for as long as we can remember, and it made this list by doing one thing very well: thick slices of sliced batang fish in a clean, umami-rich clear fish soup. It is a MICHELIN-recognized restaurant for its good-value street teochew fish soup, and on a weekday, half the CBD seems to agree.
The Sliced Fish Bee Hoon (from around S$6) is the order to get. We found the fresh fish slices to be generous and beautifully tender, melting softly with each bite. The clear broth was gently savoury and clean, allowing the natural flavours to shine without any heavy seasoning. Paired with thick bee hoon, the dish felt comforting and light, perfect for a satisfying lunch. At six dollars, it’s excellent value for a fresh, no-fuss fish soup experience with generous serving.
Good news for: Office workers and batang fish lovers wanting a fresh, cheap, fish-forward lunch.
Bad news if: You can only visit on weekends, or you dislike queueing.
4. Piao Ji Fish Porridge — Han Kee's Richer Neighbour for Fish & Prawn Soup
Price range: S$8–S$22 | Location: Amoy Street Food Centre | Rating: 4/5
Piao Ji Fish Porridge sits just a short walk from Han Kee in the same food centre, and people often lump the two together. We’d gently push back on that. Under its newer ownership, Piao Ji has leaned into a fuller, more robust soup base with pork bones and fish bones, enriched with fried pork lard giving it real depth. The result is more robust and savoury than Han Kee’s cleaner style, giving this mixed soup combination a distinctly heartier character.
We tried the Fish and Prawn Soup (from around S$13, larger portions up to around S$22) and were impressed by the generous chunks of fresh batang fish slices that were smooth and tender, bursting with natural sweetness without any fishy aftertaste. The prawns were firm and fresh, adding a satisfying bite to the bowl. The clear broth carried a rich, hearty flavor, subtly enhanced by the fish maw and pork bones, making it comforting yet not overwhelming. Paired with a side of white rice, the soup’s delicate balance allowed the fresh seafood to shine, making it a fulfilling and warming meal perfect for a hungry day.
Good news for: Seafood lovers who want prawns, fresh batang and a broth with more savoury depth.
Bad news if: You are after the cheapest possible bowl or a very light, delicate fish soup.
5. Boon Keng Road Fish Head Bee Hoon — The Heartland Bib Gourmand with Fish Head and Bee Hoon
Price range: S$6–S$15 | Location: Bedok North | Rating: 4.5/5
Boon Keng Road Fish Head Bee Hoon, despite the name, you’ll find this popular fish soup stall in Bedok North now, and it’s worth the trip east. A 2026 MICHELIN Bib Gourmand selection, it’s earned that recognition on fresh fish, a flavourful soup base, and a genuinely useful range of choices: Spanish mackerel (batang fish), red grouper, or regular grouper, served as fish head, poached fresh fish slices, or fried fish slices.
The Red Grouper Fish Head Soup is a comforting bowl that truly stands out with its tender, generous fish head pieces. The broth is deeply satisfying, offering a rich, full-bodied flavor that works beautifully whether you opt for the clear or milky version. We appreciated the balance between the fresh fish and the subtly sweet, savory soup. The Double Fish Ee Mian (around S$5-S$8) also impressed us with its generous portions and the addition of bitter gourd or preserved vegetables added a pleasant contrast. Sharing one clear and one milky soup between us helped highlight the distinct qualities of each, making for a well-rounded and memorable meal.
Good news for: East-side families and fish head fans who want both clear and milky options.
Bad news if: You need somewhere directly beside a train station.
6. Blanco Court Fried Fish Noodles — For When Fried Fish and Milky Broth Are Exactly What You Want
Price range: S$7–S$15 | Location: Beach Road | Rating: 4/5
Some days you don’t want restraint. You want golden chunks of fried fish slices sitting in an off-white milky broth thickened with evaporated milk, and for those days, Blanco Court Fried Fish Noodles is where we go. The Beach Road shop has been doing this hearty, milky style for a long time, and it does it with conviction.
The Fried Fish Soup (from around S$7) is our go-to for a comforting, hearty meal. The fried fish pieces arrive large and satisfyingly crisp, with a lightly seasoned batter that holds its texture well even after soaking in the broth. The soup itself is rich and umami-packed, thanks to the ikan bilis, egg tofu, fried garlic, and fresh napa cabbage. The broth has a creamy, milky quality from the evaporated milk added by default, giving it a smooth, warming finish. For a little extra, we like to request the fried fish on the side so the batter stays crisp longer, making each bite a perfect balance of crunchy and tender.
Good news for: Fried-fish lovers who want a hearty, milky, comforting bowl.
Bad news if: You only enjoy delicate, clear fish soup.
7. Jin Hua Fish Head Bee Hoon — The Maxwell Food Centre Standby for Fish Head and Cloudy Soup
Price range: S$6–S$10 | Location: Maxwell Food Centre | Rating: 4/5
Maxwell Food Centre is famous for its chicken rice, but Jin Hua has quietly held its ground at stall #01-77 for years. Its specialty is fish head and sliced fish bee hoon in a broth that’s a little richer and cloudier than the classic Teochew style, the kind of bowl that anchors a hawker crawl rather than showing off.
The Fish Head Bee Hoon is a comforting classic that hits the spot every time. The cloudy broth is rich and satisfying, with a depth of flavor that warms you from the inside out. The fish head is tender and fresh, offering generous servings of succulent meat that pairs perfectly with the silky bee hoon noodles. For those who prefer something easier to eat, the sliced fish soup is a great alternative; still packed with fresh fish slices and the same hearty broth, making it a perfect choice for a quick, fulfilling meal. We enjoyed both options as part of a Maxwell food crawl, appreciating the balance of flavors and textures without feeling overwhelmed.
Good news for: Chinatown wanderers and fish head fans doing a Maxwell food crawl.
Bad news if: You want air-conditioning or dislike eating fish around bones.
8. Xin Yuan Ji Fish Soup — The One for Groups Who Can't Agree on Fish Soup or Seafood Soup
Price range: S$10–S$20 | Location: Yishun | Rating: 4/5
Sometimes you want fish soup but the rest of the table doesn’t, and that’s exactly where Xin Yuan Ji earns its place. Unlike the specialist hawker stalls on this list, its larger outlets serve fish soup alongside seafood soup, fish head dishes, steam fish soup, and other zi char staples, all in a comfortable mall food centre setting.
The Sliced Fish Soup (from around S$10–20) offers a comforting and satisfying experience. The fish is fresh and tender, perfectly cooked to maintain its delicate texture. The broth is warm and soothing, with a balanced flavor that complements the fish without overpowering it. We enjoyed how the soup felt like a hearty, home-style meal, ideal for sharing with family or friends. Pairing it with the fish head steamboat and a vegetable dish made for a fulfilling and communal dining experience, showcasing the versatility and comfort Xin Yuan Ji Fish Soup brings to the table.
Good news for: Families and groups with mixed cravings who want comfort and choice.
Bad news if: You’re after a purist, low-cost hawker bowl.
Other Fish Soup Spots Worth Knowing
The eight restaurants above cover a broad range of styles, but Singapore’s fish soup scene extends further. An Shun Seafood Soup has shifted to Jalan Lokam and remains known for both sliced and fried fish with clear or milkier broth options. Jun Yuan House of Fish in Pasir Ris takes a different approach, with choices including XO Double Fish Soup, black grouper and Herbal Seafood Soup.
At Berseh Food Centre, Mei Xiang Black & White Fish Soup keeps the menu to a single mixed bowl combining fresh sliced fish with fried fish. The stall currently charges S$6.50 and operates within a short weekday lunch window, often selling out before closing.
Newton Food Centre is another useful stop for traditional fish soup, particularly for diners exploring established Teochew-style stalls. Across these places, keeping the fish fresh remains the common baseline even when the broth, fish preparation and accompaniments move in very different directions.
Which Bowl of Fish Soup to Pick, and When
Eight places, and no single winner, because that was never the point. If you want the best fish soup in Singapore with a clear, classic Teochew broth, Hup Lok, First Street Teochew Fish Soup and Han Kee Fish Soup are where we’d start. Piao Ji Fish Porridge is the richer alternative when you want prawns and fish maw, and Boon Keng Road Fish Head Bee Hoon is the versatile all-rounder now carrying a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand.
For fried fish and milky broth, Blanco Court Fried Fish Noodles is the one. Jin Hua Fish Head Bee Hoon fits neatly into a Maxwell afternoon, and Xin Yuan Ji Fish Soup is the easy choice when the table can’t decide. The truth is that clear Teochew fish soup and milky fried-fish bee hoon are two different comforts, and most of us reach for each on different days.
Pick the one that matches your craving, your budget, and the kind of afternoon you’re having. And if this guide was useful to you, come read more food news at Food Reporter SG, where we keep sharing the bowls and quiet tables worth knowing about around Singapore.