Whampoa Keng Fish Head Steamboat - Fried Bones, Rich Fish Broth

Whampoa Keng Fish Head Steamboat has served Teochew-style fish head steamboat since 1990, when its founder began the business as a single hawker stall in the Whampoa area. The stall later moved to its current shophouse premises at Balestier when the original food centre closed for renovations, and it continues to be run by the founder and his wife, Doris. The restaurant is best known for cooking its fish stock with deep-fried fish bones, a technique that forms the base of its signature broth. Diners can begin with the appetisers and side dishes before working through to the centrepiece of the meal.

Fish Head Steamboat

The fish head steamboat is the restaurant’s titular dish and its main draw. The broth is prepared using deep-fried fish bones, which are simmered down to form a rich, fish-based stock. Diners can choose between bucket pomfret or red garoupa, which are priced the same regardless of selection. Each steamboat is served with fried yam, sour plums, fried sole fish, crown daisy (tang orh), and Chinese cabbage, all cooked together in the pot. The stall does not separate fish head from sliced fish in its offering, so both cuts are included together rather than sold as separate choices. Additional servings of crown daisy or other steamboat ingredients can be added on request for an extra charge.

Crispy Truffle Rolls

This appetiser is made from deep-fried spring roll skins, which are then finished with truffle oil. The rolls are served as soon as an order is placed, ahead of the rest of the meal, and are priced separately from the main dishes.

Fish Roe

Fish roe, understood to be from batang (mackerel) rather than pomfret or garoupa, can be ordered as a separate side to accompany the steamboat.

Prawn Paste Chicken Wings

Also known as har cheong gai, this dish consists of chicken wings marinated in prawn paste before being deep-fried. The marinade is worked into the meat before cooking, giving the wings their distinct savoury flavour. They are served hot and are noted to remain crisp even after cooling, making them suitable for takeaway.

Deep-Fried Prawn Rolls

Known locally as hae zor, this dish wraps a prawn-based filling in a crisp, deep-fried casing. It is one of the restaurant’s longer-standing zi char offerings and is typically ordered alongside the steamboat as a fried counterpart to the soup-based main.

Claypot Pork Trotters — $16
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This braised dish is prepared in a claypot and is listed on the English menu as pork trotters, distinct from the Chinese menu name that refers to pork tendon. The meat is braised until it separates easily from the bone, while the skin is cooked to a soft, gelatinous texture.

Salted Egg Pork Ribs

This dish coats pork ribs in a salted egg sauce, prepared boneless so the meat can be eaten without needing to work around bone. The salted egg coating is cooked to cling to the meat, giving the ribs a rich, savoury finish.

Specialty Food Street Tofu — $14

This tofu dish is cooked in a gravy made with egg and dried shrimp. The gravy is reduced to coat the tofu, combining the dried shrimp’s savouriness with the richness of the egg.

Whampoa Keng Fish Head Steamboat remains a long-running fixture in Balestier for Teochew-style fish head steamboat, with a broth built on a technique of deep-frying fish bones before simmering. The range of zi char dishes alongside the steamboat gives diners a full meal built around the restaurant’s central specialty.

556 Balestier Road #01-556, Singapore 329872
Opening Hours: Daily, 11:00am – 11:30pm
Tel: +65 6356 7371
Website: https://whampoakeng.getz.co
Facebook: facebook.com/WhampoakengSteamboat