There is a certain patience to a fish head steamboat meal. The pot arrives at the table, the rich broth begins to bubble, and the fish slowly gives up its sweetness as yam, silken tofu, and vegetables cook around it. It is food that asks everyone to stay for a little while and enjoy the mouth-watering experience.
For this guide to the best fish head steamboat Singapore has to offer, we looked beyond the most familiar names. The list brings together five lesser-known places with two established restaurants, covering charcoal-fired pots, grouper, pomfret, herbal broths, and neighbourhood-style zi char dining, including popular cze char stalls.
7 Fish Head Steamboat Places to Know
- Star Kitchen by First Stop
- HuaLong Fishhead Steamboat
- 1036 Fusion
- 151 Fish Head Steamboat
- Hong Li Seafood
- Nan Hwa Chong Fish Head Steamboat
- Whampoa Keng Fish Head Steamboat
Hidden Fish Head Steamboat Finds
1. Star Kitchen by First Stop: Charcoal Fish Head Steamboat in Ubi
- Location: Blk 3014 Ubi Road 1, #01-308, Singapore 408702
- Price: Around $20–$30 per person
- Opening hours: Daily, 11am–10pm
- Dining style: Casual zi char and seafood dining
Tucked inside the Ubi industrial estate, Star Kitchen by First Stop feels like the sort of place people discover through a regular rather than a sign on a main road. The restaurant serves JB-style zi char alongside its charcoal fish head steamboat, with both open-air seating and an air-conditioned second floor for other dishes.
The grouper fish steamboat is a practical order for a table, with the broth becoming fuller as the fish cooks. The wider menu also includes prawn paste chicken, salted egg pork ribs, fried garlic pork, and salted egg prawns, so a fish head steamboat meal can easily become a shared zi char dinner.
Fish-head highlights:
- Charcoal fish head steamboat
- Grouper fish steamboat
- Curry fish head
- Fresh fish with soup
2. HuaLong Fishhead Steamboat: A Neighbourhood Pot with Grouper
- Location: 347 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, #01-2142, Singapore 560347
- Price: Around $15+ per person for casual dining; fish choice affects the final bill
- Opening hours: Daily, 4:30pm–11pm
- Dining style: Casual coffeeshop-style dining
HuaLong gives the head steamboat its own place in a neighbourhood setting. The current listed outlet is in Ang Mo Kio, where the restaurant serves fishhead steamboat alongside zi char dishes. Its current listing describes it as a group-friendly spot, with a typical spend of around $15 per person.
The broth is the main part to watch. Published menu material describes the broth as slow-cooked with charcoal using ingredients including old mother hen, anchovies, yellow beans and rock sugar. The combination of fish, yam, cabbage, and vegetables makes this a meal that changes as the pot stays over the heat.
Fish-head highlights:
- Charcoal fishhead steamboat
- Red grouper
- Pomfret
- Yam and vegetables
3. 1036 Fusion: Charcoal Fishhead Steamboat in Seletar
- Location: 11 The Oval, The Oval @ SAP, Singapore 797869
- Price: $35 nett for Charcoal Fish Head Steamboat
- Opening hours: Current listings show roughly 10am–9:30pm daily
- Dining style: Casual zi char with outdoor, camping-inspired seating
1036 Fusion sits at The Oval in Seletar Aerospace Park, away from the usual restaurant streets. Its charcoal fishhead steamboat is the clearest reason to make the trip: the current listing puts the dish at $35 nett, with no GST or service charge added.
The setting is part of the experience. There is outdoor seating, a camping-style atmosphere, and space suited to groups. The restaurant’s recent research notes that weekday evenings are more manageable, while weekend peak periods can bring long waits. Its fish head pot is best treated as a shared dinner rather than a quick meal.
Fish-head highlight:
- Charcoal Fish Head Steamboat — $35 nett
- Fresh fish head cooked over charcoal
- Rich, flavourful broth
- Yam and vegetables
- Shared pot suited to 4–8 diners
4. 151 Fish Head Steamboat: Red Grouper and Herbal Broth in Joo Chiat
- Location: 151 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427429
- Price: Casual to mid-range; check the current fish selection and size
- Opening hours: Tuesday–Sunday, 10am–10pm; Monday closed
- Dining style: Neighbourhood Chinese / zi char dining
Previously known as Joo Chiat Fish Soup, 151 Fish Head Steamboat now puts the fish-head pot more visibly at the centre of its menu. Listings and diner reports associate the restaurant with red grouper fish head steamboat, fresh-fish hotpot, curry fish head, and fish soup.
The herbal version gives the meal a different direction from the clear soup found elsewhere. Thick slices of fish, yam, and vegetables make the pot suitable for sharing, while the spacious setting works for a table of friends or family. There have been mixed comments following a change in ownership, so I would treat this as a neighbourhood option worth exploring rather than assuming every visit will be identical.
Fish-head highlights:
- Red grouper fish head steamboat
- Herbal fish head pot
- Fresh fish hotpot
- Curry fish head
Popular Fish Head Steamboat Favourites
5. Hong Li Seafood: Red Grouper in a Charcoal Pot
- Location: 5023 Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park 2, Singapore 569526
- Price: Around $40 for the red grouper fish head steamboat
- Opening hours: Around 11am–9:30pm daily
- Dining style: Industrial coffeeshop zi char
Hong Li Seafood is hidden in an industrial canteen, which is exactly what makes the restaurant interesting. The current listing describes it as a Chinese zi char and steamboat spot, with fish head steamboat among its main offerings.
Its signature pot uses red grouper, cooked over charcoal so the broth stays hot at the table. Recent coverage also shows the steamboat being ordered alongside sambal prawns, salted egg prawns, and abalone-sauce enoki mushroom tofu, making it easy to turn the fish pot into a full spread.
Fish-head highlights:
- Red grouper fish head steamboat
- Charcoal-cooked broth
- Fresh fish
- Sambal prawns and tofu as accompanying dishes
6. Nan Hwa Chong: A Heritage Fish Head Steamboat Restaurant
- Location: 812 North Bridge Road, Singapore 198779
- Price: Fish head steamboat from around $39, depending on fish and size
- Opening hours: Daily, 11am–12am
- Dining style: Traditional Chinese restaurant with casual and al fresco seating
Nan Hwa Chong has been serving its fish head steamboat tradition since 1927. The restaurant still uses ember-charcoal to prepare its soup, rather than switching entirely to modern gas-stove cooking. Its current site continues to describe the restaurant around this original charcoal method and traditional recipe.
The menu allows diners to choose between fish including grouper, pomfret, snapper, and song fish. The pomfret steamboat is one of the useful choices to highlight, while red grouper offers thick slices and firmer pieces. Yam and vegetables round out the pot, and the broth becomes more developed as the table continues eating.
Fish-head highlights:
- Pomfret steamboat
- Red grouper fishboat
- Snapper
- Yam
- Fresh fish slices
7. Whampoa Keng Fish Head Steamboat: A Full Table Around the Pot
- Location: 556 Balestier Road, #01-556, Singapore 329872
- Price: Soup base $18; fish is charged separately, with current examples including red garoupa at $55 and bucket pomfret at $72
- Opening hours: Daily, 11am–1am
- Dining style: Casual Chinese restaurant / zi char
Whampoa Keng keeps its 鱼头 炉 — fish head steamboat, as a dedicated menu category. Its current ordering menu lists a soup base at $18, with fish choices such as red garoupa at $55, boneless batang slices at $45, and bucket pomfret at $72.
There is plenty to add around the pot. Yam, seaweed, cabbage, crown daisy, tofu, bee hoon, and vermicelli are available, while the wider menu includes prawns, chicken, pork, and vegetables. The current value sets also pair the signature fish head steamboat with dishes such as prawn paste chicken, salted egg stuffed tofu, and crispy cereal prawns.
Fish-head highlights:
- Signature Fish Head Steamboat
- Red garoupa
- Pomfret
- Batang sliced fish
- Yam and tofu
- Bee hoon
Fish Soup, Fish Head and What Goes Into the Pot
A traditional fish head steamboat is essentially a communal fish soup cooked at the table. The fish head provides meat, collagen, and flavour, while ingredients such as yam, tofu, vegetables, ginger, herbs, dried plaice, and sour plums build the broth around it.
The choice of fish changes the character of the meal. Red grouper gives thick, firm pieces of fish, while pomfret tends to have a more delicate texture. Fresh fish slices can also be added toward the end, especially when diners want a lighter bite after the richer parts of the fish head have been eaten.
Some restaurants use a clear broth; others develop a fuller or slightly milky soup. Charcoal cooking adds another layer, keeping the pot hot while contributing a gentle smoky character. Yam is particularly useful because it softens in the broth and gives the soup a subtle sweetness.
If you enjoy lighter fish-based meals too, our guide to the best fish soup in Singapore covers more comforting bowls of fresh fish and flavourful broth worth exploring.
How to Recognise a Good Fish Head Steamboat
A good pot does not need to taste aggressively salty. The broth should have enough depth to support the fish while allowing its natural taste to remain clear.
Look for:
- Fresh fish: The fish should have clean aromas and firm flesh.
- Balanced broth: It should be flavourful without relying entirely on salt or sauce.
- Proper texture: Fish should remain tender rather than dry or rubbery.
- Good ingredients: Yam, tofu, and vegetables should complement the fish instead of overwhelming it.
- Steady heat: A table pot should stay hot enough to keep the soup simmering without boiling everything too hard.
It is also worth asking how large the fish head is before ordering. A small pot may suit two people, while larger fish and extra vegetables make more sense for family gatherings or a table of friends.
The Pleasure of Letting the Pot Stay
Fish head steamboat has remained part of Singapore dining because it gives a table something to do together. The fish is shared, the vegetables go into the pot one round at a time, and the broth changes as dinner progresses.
The quieter restaurants on this list show that you do not have to follow the busiest dining crowd to find a worthwhile steamboat dinner. Sometimes a trip to an industrial estate, a neighbourhood coffeeshop, or an older restaurant is enough. The important thing is to arrive hungry, order for the table, and let the pot take its time.
For more local discoveries beyond fish head steamboat, Hidden Eats Around brings together lesser-known food spots across Singapore worth adding to your next food trip.