Also commonly referred to as Chongqing grilled fish, ‘shao kao yu’ or Chinese grilled fish, has joined the ranks of mala xiangguo and crawfish ‘xiao long xia‘ to become a beloved food item here in Singapore. The appeal of this dish is the combination of fresh, deep-fried fish set atop rich, spicy broth that can come in a wide variety of flavours. The dish also has features of another favourite – steamboat and hotpot – as you can order extra toppings such as vegetables, fungi and noodles to soak up the unctuous juices and make it a satisfying meal. Keep scrolling to find out where to get the best Chinese grilled fish, or shao kao yu, in Singapore.
Tanyu, or ‘seeking fish’ in Chinese, is an established chain that has almost 300 outlets in China. They started in Singapore in 2017 and has since expanded to three stores. Besides mala, Tanyu also has many flavour pairings with their grilled fish including fresh green pepper, beancurd, garlic, soy sauce and pumpkin soup. You can also pick between four fish options – Limbo, Qingjiang, Limbo fish fillet and Sea Bass.
Tanyu has multiple locations in Singapore.
As the name implies, Chong Qing Grilled Fish’s star dish is what we clicked in for. For protein, choose between Flounder, Sea Bass, Golden Snapper and Patin Fish then pick from eight flavours for the soup base. The flavours are the signature Mala (Spicy Numbing), Spicy Fragrant, Mushroom Herbs, Fresh Chillies, Hot and Sour, Fermented Black Bean, Pickled Cabbage, Golden Pumpkin Soup Assam. They also have Dual Flavour Grilled Fish if you want to try two flavours at a go.
They have multiple locations in Singapore.
Founded in 2005 by two friends in China, Riverside Grilled Fish is another Chinese chain with over 50 outlets in China. Sea Bass, Patin, Golden Pomfret and Qingjiang fish are available here with flavours Signature Fragrant Spicy, Mala, Black Bean, Fragrant Paste, Sweet Fragrant, Double Cut Red and Green Chilli, Pickled Vegetables and one called ‘Unique’ Sauce.
They have multiple locations in Singapore.
Grilled fish lovers would know that Liang Seah Street in Bugis is a place to go for Chinese food. But if the queues are too long, take a short stroll to Ming Tang instead. Choose between Sea Bass or Ling Bo fish and pick from nine flavour options: Lychee, Spicy Pure Love, Spice Spirit, Mango Fish, Pineapple Hot and Sour, Chinese Cabbage, Grilled Mushrooms and Mandarin Fish.
470 North Bridge Rd, #01-03 Bugis Cube, Singapore 188735
We’ve previously featured Old Chengdu in our stories on various types of Chinese food in Singapore and where to go for crawfish ‘xiao long xia’. But among their extensive range of Sichuan food, Old Chengdu sells grilled fish too. Choose from Grass Carp, Sea Bass, Limbo Fish and Marble Goby and six flavours: Chilli, Mala Grilled Fish with Tofu, Green Paper, Sichuan Pickles, Soy Sauce and Grilled Fish in Parchment Paper.
80 Pagoda St, Singapore 059239
Ba Shu is another Sichuan restaurant that we have featured before. They have their own take of the dish with Ba Shu Grilled Fish with three flavour options – Fragrant and Spicy, Green Pepper and Pickles.
219 Bedok Central, #01-122, Singapore 460219
Located in Marina Square, Sea Chuan Kungfu Fish has four types of fish available: Barramundi, Qingjiang, Red Snapper and Special Cod. Flavours-wise, the signature is the Mala variant but they also have Fresh Chilli & Pepper, Chinese Cabbage, Red Hot Chilli, Beijing Soy Sauce and Kungfu Tomato.
6 Raffles Blvd, #02-103 Marina Square, Singapore 039594
Another grilled fish restaurant to check out along Liang Seah Street is Kuan Kuan Gan Guo. The brand offers a whopping 14 flavours to their grilled first set. These are – Ma La Spicy, Spicy, Chopped Pepper, Ma La Spicy with Sour Bean, BlackBean, Sweet & Sour, Green Pepper, Tomato Egg, Garlic Spicy, Mushroom Chicken, Hot & Sour, Hot & Spicy Peppery, Sichuan Peppercorn and Pickled Pepper.
32 Liang Seah St, Singapore 189053
Pagoda Street in Chinatown is another place for a plethora of Chinese food options, especially given its convenient location just outside Chinatown MRT. At SiChuan Restaurant, pick from two types of fish – Sea Bass and Patin – and eight flavours – Spicy, Mala Spicy, Soy Sauce, Fungus Sweet, Chopped Chilli, Pickled Pepper, Green Pepper and Pickled Mustard.
72 Pagoda St, Singapore 059231
Hunan cuisine is the focal point at Xiang’s Signature and its cuisine varies from its neighbour Sichuan by being lighter while keeping to the spicy theme. Here, they only have two options for grilled fish, Spicy and Sour Spicy, both of which are made with barramundi. But since you’re here, why not give other Hunan dishes a shot?
14 Liang Seah St, #01-12/13/ 189022, Singapore 189035