If you’re a fan of locally-farmed seafood, you might have heard of Ah Hua Kelong. The fish farm has a seafood delivery business and supplies produce to restaurants like Michelin-starred Labyrinth and Level33. It also boasts its own seafood restaurant called Scaled.
It recently opened its first hawker concept, fish soup stall called Sliced by Ah Hua Kelong specialising in sea bass offerings. Tucked away at the back of a MacPherson coffeeshop, the month-old farm-to-table concept is run by Ah Hua boss Wong Jing Kai (left in picture) and Alan Goh (right), who oversees the operations and logistics at the company.
It stands out among its neighbours thanks to its edgy tattoo-like logo featuring a sea bass mascot and their kelong, and media reports of its fish farm at its stall front. The farm specialises in sea bass, pearl grouper and red snapper, as well as shellfish like la la from off the coast of Singapore.
“We want to let people know we are Ah Hua Kelong, a farm-to-table concept, and share our journey as a fish farm with our customers,” Wong told 8days.sg.
THEIR DAYS ARE CRAZY
(Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
The 35-year-old pals, who met during National Service when they were 19, have a passion for fishing and F&B. In addition to running Scaled and Sliced, Wong co-owns Madu Bakery and modern fusion restaurant Pilot Kitchen.
They juggle their day jobs with running the stall. Goh, who helms the kitchen, arrives at the joint at around 6am to prep fish and broth for the day, and Wong joins him at around 10am, after going to the fish farm off Ubin or Madu Bakery.
And when Sliced closes for the day at 3pm, it’s back to managing deliveries at Ah Hua for Goh, while Wong helps out at Pilot or Scaled – it’s a wonder how they get enough rest.
While the lads admit that their days are tiring, they have taken to being hawkers like fish to water. In fact, Goh prefers the hawker life to his day job: “I am in my element here (because) I enjoy cooking.”
When things stabilise, they intend to extend business hours to include dinner and hire more staff.
STARTED HAWKER BUSINESS TO REACH OUT TO THE MASSES
Sliced has been three years in the making. The idea to start a fish soup stall came about when they were thinking of ways to use their stockpile of fish bones. But the venture was put on the back burner as they “had other plans”. They invested around S$15,000 to open Sliced in December last year.
The hawker biz is also another avenue to showcase the freshness of their produce and reach out to the masses.
“We want to bridge that gap. We are always asking people to buy our seafood, but a lot of people don’t want to cook. They tell us, ‘You cook, and we’ll come to you.’ So now there’s not just Scaled, but also Sliced. Pilot does seafood too,” said Wong.
CARVING OUT THEIR OWN SPACE IN THE FISH SOUP WORLD
(Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
Sliced offers a twist on traditional fish soup. Instead of the usual Teochew or Cantonese-style fish soups, the guys developed a fish broth made by brewing sea bass bones, anchovies, vegetables and garlic for more than six hours. No seasoning or milk is added. They also offer a Japanese-inspired dashi made with bonito flakes and more.
“Everyone has their favourite fish soup stall or traditional flavour that they like. But here we want to build a broth based on what we like and what we feel people will like,” shared Wong.
To “break from the norm”, they also decided to shine the spotlight on the fish farm’s poster fish – sea bass – which isn’t commonly used for fish soup.
“Many people say sea bass is not nice or has a muddy taste, but not if it is farmed well. We love it and we want you to try it. If it is good enough for Michelin-starred restaurants, why not for fish soup?” said Wong.
Sliced uses sea bass that are around 3kg as the meat is most ideal for fish soup. The bigger ones will be tougher, said Goh.
Sliced also offers the usual batang fish soup, as well as seafood soup using la la and prawns. There are plans to introduce specials such as wild-caught local fishes like seabream and orange spotted grouper in future.
BUSINESS HAS BEEN SLOW
Since Sliced opened late December, business has been rather slow due in part to their “ulu”, or remote, location (Wong has a penchant for opening F&B establishments in areas with low footfall). It doesn’t help that the coffeeshop they are in is closed on Sundays.
“We need the weekend crowd. We are speaking to the landlord to see if we can open on Sundays,” said Wong.
They’ve also had to offer more affordable options to cater to the working crowd following feedback that their sea bass soup, previously priced from S$8, was a tad steep.
“There are a lot of foreign workers in this area and to them, price point is very important. So now we have a small portion that starts from S$6. We also added batang fish soup, which starts from S$4, to our menu,” shared Wong.
“We’re a local fish farm, so we don’t have batang (which is wild-caught). But no choice, I have to offer batang to feed the crowd.”
THE MENU
(Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
Sliced offers two types of broth for their sea bass soup: Traditional (S$6) and dashi (S$9). Also on offer are sea bass belly soup (S$10), batang fish soup (S$4), and seafood soup (S$10). All the soupy offerings come with a generous serving of napa cabbage and tofu, while carbs like thick bee hoon and udon are available at 80 cents and S$1.50 respectively. There is also a small selection of sides like tempura fried fish (S$5) and otah (S$3).
SEA BASS FISH SOUP, S$6
(Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
We decided to start with the sea bass soup, which is their best-seller. Our S$6 bowl comes with four fresh, meaty slices of delicate sea bass and a generous serving of cabbage and tofu. The slightly cloudy soup is light and elegant, allowing the naturally sweet fish to shine.
We particularly enjoy the topping of leek and crispy fried garlic bits which impart a punchy depth and texture. We had the leftovers a few hours later and the soup, perfumed with fried garlic, was even more fragrant and flavourful.
If you like your food with a bit of heat, go for their Thai dipping sauce, which is the same as the one offered on Ah Hua Kelong’s website (S$8 for 180ml). Concocted by Goh, the tangy condiment perks up the soup and gives your palate a kick.
BATANG FISH SOUP, S$4
(Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
Blanched in fish broth and served with the same fixings, the batang slices are clean-tasting and springy. It’s a good-value meal if you do not wish to splurge on the premium fish.
SEA BASS DASHI SOUP, S$9
(Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
We prefer the dashi broth for its robust flavour. Made by fusing dashi (Japanese soup stock with kelp and smoky bonito) with fish broth, the soup is bursting with umami with a nice hit of smoke and added brininess from the bonito flake topping.
The dashi soup is available from a medium serving which comes with six slices of fish. We don’t normally have fish soup with carbs but on Goh's recommendation, we tried it with udon (top up S$1.50). Cooked al dente, the noodles are springy and slurp-worthy. We find this combination more comforting than the traditional fish broth.
SEAFOOD SOUP, S$10
(Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
For S$10, you get this heaping bowl of clams and tiger prawns perfectly cooked in fish broth. Elevated by the sweet prawns, briny clam juice and a splash of hua diao wine, the soup is seriously addictive.
TEMPURA FRIED FISH, S$5
(Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
Think of this as mini fish and chips. Thick, moist chunks of sea bass wrapped in a light crispy batter, thanks to a double fry. The fish is very subtly brined so you can taste the freshness and hint of natural sweetness, and the petite size means a higher ratio of batter to flesh. Served with a side of mayo.
These also make a great pairing with the fish broth, a la fried fish soup (add S$1). But be sure to only dip the sea bass in soup when you want to eat it as leaving it swimming inside for too long will cause the fish to break apart.
BOTTOM LINE
A hawker gem with a refreshing, more elegant take on fish soup. The umami sea bass dashi soup, with its super fresh fish and addictive broth, is right up there among our favourite fish soups. If you prefer more wholesome flavours, the clean-tasting fish broth option is more than satisfactory. A must-visit if you are in the area – especially for now since the towkay himself is cooking at the stall during this opening period.
Sliced by Ah Hua Kelong is at 171 MacPherson Rd, Singapore 348536. Open daily except Sun, 10am to 3pm. Closed on public holidays and from Feb 7-13. More info via Instagram and website.
This story was originally published in 8Days.
For more 8Days stories, visit https://www.8days.sg/
Continue reading...
It recently opened its first hawker concept, fish soup stall called Sliced by Ah Hua Kelong specialising in sea bass offerings. Tucked away at the back of a MacPherson coffeeshop, the month-old farm-to-table concept is run by Ah Hua boss Wong Jing Kai (left in picture) and Alan Goh (right), who oversees the operations and logistics at the company.
It stands out among its neighbours thanks to its edgy tattoo-like logo featuring a sea bass mascot and their kelong, and media reports of its fish farm at its stall front. The farm specialises in sea bass, pearl grouper and red snapper, as well as shellfish like la la from off the coast of Singapore.
“We want to let people know we are Ah Hua Kelong, a farm-to-table concept, and share our journey as a fish farm with our customers,” Wong told 8days.sg.
THEIR DAYS ARE CRAZY
(Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
The 35-year-old pals, who met during National Service when they were 19, have a passion for fishing and F&B. In addition to running Scaled and Sliced, Wong co-owns Madu Bakery and modern fusion restaurant Pilot Kitchen.
They juggle their day jobs with running the stall. Goh, who helms the kitchen, arrives at the joint at around 6am to prep fish and broth for the day, and Wong joins him at around 10am, after going to the fish farm off Ubin or Madu Bakery.
And when Sliced closes for the day at 3pm, it’s back to managing deliveries at Ah Hua for Goh, while Wong helps out at Pilot or Scaled – it’s a wonder how they get enough rest.
While the lads admit that their days are tiring, they have taken to being hawkers like fish to water. In fact, Goh prefers the hawker life to his day job: “I am in my element here (because) I enjoy cooking.”
When things stabilise, they intend to extend business hours to include dinner and hire more staff.
STARTED HAWKER BUSINESS TO REACH OUT TO THE MASSES
Sliced has been three years in the making. The idea to start a fish soup stall came about when they were thinking of ways to use their stockpile of fish bones. But the venture was put on the back burner as they “had other plans”. They invested around S$15,000 to open Sliced in December last year.
The hawker biz is also another avenue to showcase the freshness of their produce and reach out to the masses.
“We want to bridge that gap. We are always asking people to buy our seafood, but a lot of people don’t want to cook. They tell us, ‘You cook, and we’ll come to you.’ So now there’s not just Scaled, but also Sliced. Pilot does seafood too,” said Wong.
CARVING OUT THEIR OWN SPACE IN THE FISH SOUP WORLD
(Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
Sliced offers a twist on traditional fish soup. Instead of the usual Teochew or Cantonese-style fish soups, the guys developed a fish broth made by brewing sea bass bones, anchovies, vegetables and garlic for more than six hours. No seasoning or milk is added. They also offer a Japanese-inspired dashi made with bonito flakes and more.
“Everyone has their favourite fish soup stall or traditional flavour that they like. But here we want to build a broth based on what we like and what we feel people will like,” shared Wong.
To “break from the norm”, they also decided to shine the spotlight on the fish farm’s poster fish – sea bass – which isn’t commonly used for fish soup.
“Many people say sea bass is not nice or has a muddy taste, but not if it is farmed well. We love it and we want you to try it. If it is good enough for Michelin-starred restaurants, why not for fish soup?” said Wong.
Sliced uses sea bass that are around 3kg as the meat is most ideal for fish soup. The bigger ones will be tougher, said Goh.
Sliced also offers the usual batang fish soup, as well as seafood soup using la la and prawns. There are plans to introduce specials such as wild-caught local fishes like seabream and orange spotted grouper in future.
BUSINESS HAS BEEN SLOW
Since Sliced opened late December, business has been rather slow due in part to their “ulu”, or remote, location (Wong has a penchant for opening F&B establishments in areas with low footfall). It doesn’t help that the coffeeshop they are in is closed on Sundays.
“We need the weekend crowd. We are speaking to the landlord to see if we can open on Sundays,” said Wong.
They’ve also had to offer more affordable options to cater to the working crowd following feedback that their sea bass soup, previously priced from S$8, was a tad steep.
“There are a lot of foreign workers in this area and to them, price point is very important. So now we have a small portion that starts from S$6. We also added batang fish soup, which starts from S$4, to our menu,” shared Wong.
“We’re a local fish farm, so we don’t have batang (which is wild-caught). But no choice, I have to offer batang to feed the crowd.”
THE MENU
(Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
Sliced offers two types of broth for their sea bass soup: Traditional (S$6) and dashi (S$9). Also on offer are sea bass belly soup (S$10), batang fish soup (S$4), and seafood soup (S$10). All the soupy offerings come with a generous serving of napa cabbage and tofu, while carbs like thick bee hoon and udon are available at 80 cents and S$1.50 respectively. There is also a small selection of sides like tempura fried fish (S$5) and otah (S$3).
SEA BASS FISH SOUP, S$6
(Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
We decided to start with the sea bass soup, which is their best-seller. Our S$6 bowl comes with four fresh, meaty slices of delicate sea bass and a generous serving of cabbage and tofu. The slightly cloudy soup is light and elegant, allowing the naturally sweet fish to shine.
We particularly enjoy the topping of leek and crispy fried garlic bits which impart a punchy depth and texture. We had the leftovers a few hours later and the soup, perfumed with fried garlic, was even more fragrant and flavourful.
If you like your food with a bit of heat, go for their Thai dipping sauce, which is the same as the one offered on Ah Hua Kelong’s website (S$8 for 180ml). Concocted by Goh, the tangy condiment perks up the soup and gives your palate a kick.
BATANG FISH SOUP, S$4
(Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
Blanched in fish broth and served with the same fixings, the batang slices are clean-tasting and springy. It’s a good-value meal if you do not wish to splurge on the premium fish.
SEA BASS DASHI SOUP, S$9
(Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
We prefer the dashi broth for its robust flavour. Made by fusing dashi (Japanese soup stock with kelp and smoky bonito) with fish broth, the soup is bursting with umami with a nice hit of smoke and added brininess from the bonito flake topping.
The dashi soup is available from a medium serving which comes with six slices of fish. We don’t normally have fish soup with carbs but on Goh's recommendation, we tried it with udon (top up S$1.50). Cooked al dente, the noodles are springy and slurp-worthy. We find this combination more comforting than the traditional fish broth.
SEAFOOD SOUP, S$10
(Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
For S$10, you get this heaping bowl of clams and tiger prawns perfectly cooked in fish broth. Elevated by the sweet prawns, briny clam juice and a splash of hua diao wine, the soup is seriously addictive.
TEMPURA FRIED FISH, S$5
(Photo: 8Days/Dillon Tan)
Think of this as mini fish and chips. Thick, moist chunks of sea bass wrapped in a light crispy batter, thanks to a double fry. The fish is very subtly brined so you can taste the freshness and hint of natural sweetness, and the petite size means a higher ratio of batter to flesh. Served with a side of mayo.
These also make a great pairing with the fish broth, a la fried fish soup (add S$1). But be sure to only dip the sea bass in soup when you want to eat it as leaving it swimming inside for too long will cause the fish to break apart.
BOTTOM LINE
A hawker gem with a refreshing, more elegant take on fish soup. The umami sea bass dashi soup, with its super fresh fish and addictive broth, is right up there among our favourite fish soups. If you prefer more wholesome flavours, the clean-tasting fish broth option is more than satisfactory. A must-visit if you are in the area – especially for now since the towkay himself is cooking at the stall during this opening period.
Sliced by Ah Hua Kelong is at 171 MacPherson Rd, Singapore 348536. Open daily except Sun, 10am to 3pm. Closed on public holidays and from Feb 7-13. More info via Instagram and website.
This story was originally published in 8Days.
For more 8Days stories, visit https://www.8days.sg/
Continue reading...