Nan Hwa Chong - Singapore’s Original Fish Head Steamboat

At a corner shophouse where North Bridge Road meets Jalan Sultan in Kampong Gelam, Nan Hwa Chong Fish Head Steamboat has been preparing the same recipe since 1927. Founded by the grandfather of Ah Chew, who migrated to Singapore from Swatow in coastal Guangdong, China, the establishment is among the oldest continuously operating eateries in Singapore serving the traditional steamboat format. 

What distinguishes Nan Hwa Chong from the contemporary steamboat restaurants that have since proliferated across the city is its refusal to modernise the cooking method: every pot is still prepared over ember-charcoal, with fresh fish and the original recipe passed down from the founding generation. Today, the restaurant is managed by Michael Lee, whose father Lee Hong Chuan was Ah Chew’s longtime partner, carrying forward a legacy built on two families’ shared commitment to this singular dish.

Fish Head Steamboat — from $39

The broth at Nan Hwa Chong is composed of roughly 12 unique ingredients and herbs, producing an umami-forward base that carries both depth and clarity.  Diners choose from four types of fish — Pomfret, Grouper, Snapper, and Song Fish  — with the fish head and accompanying ingredients cooked directly in the pot at the table. The grouper pot is prepared with cabbage, yam, and tofu in a pork bone broth enriched with sole fish , while the Pomfret remains the most frequently ordered option. The aluminium steamboat pots used here are the same format the restaurant has always used, and the charcoal heat produces a sustained simmer that draws out the natural sweetness of the fish into the soup.

Signature Pork Belly (南乳花肉)

The Signature Pork Belly is marinated in nam yu — fermented red bean curd paste — overnight  before being deep-fried. The result is a crispy exterior with a succulent interior, where the fermented beancurd flavour is present but not overpowering. The extended marination allows the paste’s enzymes to work into the meat, producing a more integrated flavour than a surface-seasoned preparation would achieve. It is frequently paired with the house chilli sauce.

Signature Homemade Tofuq

The Signature Homemade Tofu is a soft, flavoursome tofu encased in a light, crispy batter.  The tofu paste is made in-house from a blend of seafood, fish, and tofu , giving it a denser and more textured profile than commercially produced varieties. The dish is seasoned before frying, with the interior remaining smooth against the thin, crackling crust.

Prawn Paste Chicken Wings (虾酱鸡) — from $10

The Prawn Paste Chicken Wings are deep-fried to a golden brown, with the prawn paste marinated through the meat rather than applied as a surface glaze.  The technique produces wings where the fermented shrimp flavour permeates each piece evenly. Three pricing tiers are available, corresponding to portion sizes.

Salted Egg Pork Ribs (咸蛋排骨)

The Salted Egg Pork Ribs are deep-fried pork ribs coated in a creamy salted egg sauce.  The ribs are fried first to develop a crisp exterior before being tossed in the salted egg preparation, ensuring the coating adheres without losing its texture. The dish follows the same salted egg treatment applied to several items across the menu, reflecting the broader zichar repertoire the restaurant has developed alongside its steamboat offering.

Cuttlefish Kang Kong

The Cuttlefish Kang Kong is cooked in a fragrant sambal sauce, with the cuttlefish sliced thick to maintain a firm, bouncy texture.  The kang kong retains a crunch from precise wok timing, and the sambal provides the heat-and-sweet balance that characterises the dish in its traditional zi char form. It is one of several vegetable-based dishes on a menu that extends well beyond the steamboat itself.

Sambal Lala (叁巴啦啦)

The Sambal Lala is one of two lala preparations on the menu — the other being a ginger and spring onion version — and draws on the same wok technique applied across Nan Hwa Chong’s zi char offerings. Clams are stir-fried over high heat in a house sambal, the quick cooking preserving the natural brininess of the lala while the sauce delivers a layered heat from dried chillies, shrimp paste, and aromatics. The clam shells open in the wok as the sambal coats each piece, producing a dish where the shellfish liquor mixes with the sauce into a light, spiced gravy at the base of the plate. It is a frequently ordered side dish among regular diners and pairs naturally with the rice served alongside the steamboat.

Oyster Omelette

The Oyster Omelette at Nan Hwa Chong reflects the Teochew home-cooking roots of the restaurant’s kitchen, combining plump oysters with eggs and chives in a preparation that is rich without being heavy.  The omelette is part of a broader selection of egg-based dishes — alongside prawn omelette, bittergourd omelette, minced pork omelette, and fu-rong omelette, each prepared without excessive seasoning  — but the oyster version stands as the most frequently ordered of the set. The oysters themselves contribute a briny depth that runs through the egg, while the chives provide a mild sharpness to balance the richness of the yolk. It is a consistent order for regular diners and commonly paired with the fish head steamboat as part of a shared table.

Nan Hwa Chong Fish Head Steamboat has operated through nearly a century of change in the Kampong Gelam neighbourhood without altering the methods that define it. The charcoal-fired broth, the original 12-ingredient recipe, and the tradition of fresh whole fish cooked tableside remain the core of every meal here. For those seeking a zi char meal anchored by a heritage steamboat, the restaurant at North Bridge Road continues to offer one of the most historically rooted versions of the dish in Singapore.

Address: 812/814/816 North Bridge Road, Singapore 198779
Opening Hours: Daily, 11am – 12 midnight
Tel: +65 8613 2732 / +65 6297 9319
Website: nanhwachong.com.sg
Facebook: facebook.com/nanhwachong
Instagram: @nanhwachong1927
Reservations: Available via Chope