Nan Hwa Chong Fish Head Steamboat Corner claims to be the oldest fish head steamboat restaurant in Singapore, with its fourth-generation restaurateur Jessie Tan, 41, telling 8days.sg that it is "a brand established by my great-granduncle in 1927." The 240-seater eatery occupies three shophouse units along North Bridge Road, where it dishes out the communal Teochew dish in a pot heated with smouldering charcoal alongside zi char fare.

But good news for Easties: there is now a more convenient place to get your fix of fish head steamboat from the storied brand. Jessie recently opened a spin-off eatery in a Kaki Bukit industrial estate called Nan Hua Chang Traditional Fish Head Steamboat (notice the slightly different spelling).

Open since October 1, it comfortably seats 350 in a fully air-conditioned space, whereas the North Bridge Road restaurant is only partially air-conditioned with around a quarter of its seats alfresco.

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Photo: Facebook/ Nan Hwa Chong Steamboat Corner

Convoluted history dating back to 1927

According to Jessie, the brand’s history sorta began in the late ’20s, when her great-granduncle started selling fish steamboat out of a shophouse in Clarke Quay after relocating to Singapore from China. The eatery has since passed through different management at several locations with slight name changes.

To cut a long story short, there are three restaurants in operation now that have been affiliated with the family at some point in their history. The oldest is Nan Hua Chang Seafood Restaurant, which opened in 2000 along Crawford Lane. According to Jessie, it is now in the hands of a former business partner with zero involvement from the Tan family.

Just across the road from this ‘original’ eatery is the always-crowded Nan Hwa Chong Fish Head Steamboat Corner on North Bridge Road (pictured above), run by her father Tan Lek Chew (affectionately known as Ah Chew; below), 71, with another business partner. This eatery was opened in 2002.

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Finally, the newest restaurant in the trilogy is Nan Hua Chang Traditional Fish Head Steamboat in Kaki Bukit, and it is majority-owned by family members including Jessie, her hubby and Ah Chew. While some share of the biz is in the hands of a new silent partner, Jessie says that the daily running of the restaurant “is entirely in the hands of the family”.

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Same recipe at both restaurants Ah Chew is involved in

Jessie and her hubby manage the Kaki Bukit outlet, while Ah Chew continues to run things at North Bridge Road (though he no longer cooks). The same family recipe for fish soup is used at both restaurants.

But what does Ah Chew’s business partner from the North Bridge Road restaurant feel about them opening a new eatery without him? Says Jessie: “My dad and his partner came to an agreement. They manage their own place, and we manage ours. As the recipe is our family’s, establishing our own business is really up to us. I’ve done my best to be as ethical as I can [in a business sense], as I opened the restaurant at a different location.”

Jessie also notes that she didn’t “bring over any of the current staff” when opening the spin-off joint. “We have a [Malaysian] chef that used to work at Nan Hwa Chong, but he left about two years back. My dad managed to get him back to be our head chef here.”

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The look

The eatery is housed within the premises of a roomy food court, where it is the sole operator — apart from a roast meat stall. It is simply decorated with pics of old-timey Singapore adorning a couple of pillars and walls.

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Now might be a good time to visit if you can’t be bothered to jostle for seating at the North Bridge Road joint, as things are still “pretty quiet” at the Kaki Bukit restaurant. “We haven’t really done any social media promotions yet – just waiting for word-of-mouth and walk-in customers,” says Jessie.

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Signature charcoal fish head steamboat slightly cheaper here

Nan Hua Chang Traditional Fish Head Steamboat offers their signature charcoal-heated fish head steamboat with four types of fish: Song Fish, Red Snapper, Red Grouper and Pomfret, with a fish bone, pork bone and ti poh (dried flat fish) broth that’s been simmered for “at least eight hours” prior to serving.

Prices range from $20 to $70 here, depending on size and fish. By way of comparison, the dish at the North Bridge Road restaurant costs $22 to $72. According to Jessie, portions are roughly similar across both restaurants.

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No GST and service charge here

Most of the zi char dishes are comparable in price, although the older Nan Hwa Chong does offer some slightly cheaper options. Pork and beancurd items start at an average of $10 at both restaurants, while vegetable dishes are around $9. 

Apart from fully air-conditioned seating, one upside to the newer restaurant is that it doesn’t charge for GST or service, unlike the North Bridge Road branch. Here are some other signature dishes you can expect when you drop by:

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Oyster Omelette, from $12

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Fried Pork Belly, from $12

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Tofu Prawns, from $18

Nan Hua Chang Traditional Fish Head Steamboat is at #02-01 Techlink, 31 Kaki Bukit Rd 3, S417818. Tel: 6015-0112. Open daily 10.30am – 2.30pm; 5.30pm – 10.30pm. More info via Facebook.

Photos: Nan Hua Chang Traditional Fish Head Steamboat, Nan Hwa Chong Fish Head Steamboat Corner

 No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.