Zai Shun Curry Fish Head (Michelin Bib Gourmand) – Popular Among West-siders

Started by Uncle Ong, Zai Shun Curry Fish Head used to be located at one of the hawker stalls at Yuhua Food Village. They have been in the business for 37 years, and only shifted to the current coffeeshop(just a block away) 14 years ago. Uncle Ong learnt the recipes and cooking techniques from his brother. When asked how he felt about receiving the Michelin Bib Gourmand Award 2017, he humbly said, “I have to thank my loyal customers for their support all these years, or I wouldn’t have made it to where I am today”.

The order system is quite disorganised, and the place can get chaotic during lunch hour. We went ahead with the Curry Fish Head, priced according to the portion that’s ideal for the number of persons you dine with. We paid $26 for a 3-pax portion. 

Wild caught Red Snapper from the South China Sea is used at Zai Shun for the Curry Fish Head. The fish head boasts many different textures, and is much sweeter than the flesh. Uncle Ong isn’t stingy when it comes to the size of the fish head. Nowadays, the fish heads you get elsewhere are shrinking in size, but Zai Shun’s portion will not disappoint. 

The fish is so fresh, and there’s no fishy odour at all. The curry at Zai Shun is done Assam style. The light gravy is addictive, and it has an alluring tanginess.

The Braised Pig’s Trotter ($8) is another highlight for our lunch. The pork trotters are stewed for hours in a pot with Zai Shun’s secret ingredients. They are soft, tender, and actually quite sweet. We would have loved for the taste of vinegar to be stronger though. A delicious dish like this is best paired with a bowl of piping hot white rice. 

We also ordered a plate of Prawn Paste Chicken ($8) to share. Each golden-brown winglet is armed with a good crisp. The flesh within is quite tender, but we thought that the winglet could have been tastier. It would also have been better if the flavour of the prawn paste is more prominent.

Do note that they are closed from 27 June to 6 July 2017 for renovation.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Zai Shun Curry Fish Head. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!