You know a restaurant is good and worth trying when an
international food television series features the restaurant in one of its
episodes. Appeared in Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, Chong Yen Steam Fish
Head Food Stall has gathered an even bigger crowd for a taste of their infamous
steamed fish head. Coming from humble beginnings of the classic
hole-in-the-wall stalls, due to incoming new developments, the stall had to
relocate to a nearby shop house. Even so, they still do not consider themselves
a restaurant and continue to be known as a food stall.
As all specialised restaurants go, Chong Yen knows what
sells and what kept people coming, so their menu is limited to the dishes that
they do very well. Starting off with the star, the Steamed Fish Head comes in
two serving style, Original with Garlic and Ginger, or Fermented Soy Bean.
Depending on your taste buds, you could either go for light and fresh, or dark
and tangy to chow down your fish with. Other than the obvious, the stall also
served Choy Sum Vegetables with Oyster Sauce, Steamed Tofu, and Fish Maw, as
well as a few others. Customers also like to go for their chewy Steamed Kampung
Chicken, and the crisp Deep-fried Pork Loin that is marinated in 5 spices and
served in fermented soy bean sauce.
Chong
Yen Steamed Fish Head is so synchronised with Chan Sow Lin road (where it’s located)
that it is widely known as the Chan Sow Lin Fish Head. The stall has been here
for generations and from the looks of it, it’s not going away anytime soon.
