Lau Hock Guan Kee Bak Kut Teh

Address 328, Joo Chiat Road #01-02

Opening Hours 8.30am-4pm, 5pm –1am closed on Thursdays

I am back at Joo Chiat, again. Not just because I’m a Katong-ite (okay, okay..I was a tad lazy to trawl the island for content this week and I did not want to overload you with more cheese or cheesy mooncake stories. But if you’re wondering, this week’s recommendation is a great palate prelude to moon cakes). But Joo Chiat is one of those places where you can’t get enough of, can’t hate nor fall too much in love with.

Of late, in light of the negative nocturnal activities, the regular busts of the area had dulled the “buzz” there and affected some fly-night-night makan stall opportunists. Yippeeeee!

But for those who stayed or dared to set up new makan ventures now, they are the reasons why folks still flock to there for a makan tryst.

It is no big secret that fish head curry, Singapore style, was made popular by an imaginatively enterprising Indian bloke named Gomez. He once operated a bustling little stall opposite the old Rex cinema area off Serangoon Rd.

But then, there’s this other theory that it was the soldiers of the old Punjabi regime here that created it. If so, then I’m really not getting the kind of Punjabi friends that I desire to have. Those I know are kind of shy to offer me this dish when I visit for makan.

Then I came across Mr Tan Keng Hock some ten years ago, who once sold bak kut teh and was doing roaring business along Joo Chiat Road. One fine day in 1977, imaginatively like Gomez, and without rhyme or reason, Mr Tan decided to sell fish head curry. This, from a hawker who has eaten this spicy fish dish only once before then and felt like selling this on a whim.

It was a disaster.

“I just bought fish curry powder from the market, added water, vegetables and fish head.” , recalling his first attempt at the iconic street dish. “ The customers around Katong were not kind with their comments. Some said it should not sold.” But there were those who genuinely gave sincere feedback. All pointers, pointed to one fact- get a good powder and prepare a solid rempah and lift the piquancy quotient with assam. But the best feedback was – use some coconut milk. He cannot recall who, but I suspect it was some coconut milk loving Nonya who suggested it (although Peranakan style assam ikan kepala does not feature coconut milk).

He did. The rest was common sense. Like that fact that you need damn fresh snapper heads (which he pays a 40% premium to get his suppliers to pre-select for him), and a simple technique of steaming the vegetables and fish head (instead of blanching it in curry). This helps retain the flavour and colour of the fish and texture of the greens.

I have devoured their fish head curry many times before and it has always been consistent. The fish is fresh, white and soft while the curry is punchy and smoothened with a hint of coconut milk which does not overwhelm. Even the style of not flooding it with too much curry, is consistent (sometimes I throw my weight around and ask for more, but I guess you have to pester!). The steamed lady’s finger (ochra), brinjals, onions and tomatoes retains its qualities are delightfully textured, unlike some others, which ends up like a mush. They don’t even bother to serve it with papadums or on a banana leaf.

“When I first started selling the dish, my brother Keng Guan, who helps out at night, was not keen to sell it. He wasn’t impressed with the recipe. But when dinner customers started asking for it, he relented.” Today, despite an old signboard that touts bak kut teh, their fish head curry has become their numero uno money spinner.

Of course, he does not let me in onto just what kind of powder is best. But I prodded. “ I found out from my suppliers there are four types of powders, a natural mix, some blended with jagong (corn), a fried and a non fried version.” All work well but Mr Tan is fond of the fried version as it is not too earthy in flavour and goes well with his recipe.

One very popular version of his curry, strangely, often requested for during lunch, is the curry fish tail. Mr Tan does this with the meaty and sweet ikan kurau tail (threadfin), but stocks are usually limited and it’s a good idea to call ahead for orders. If you find sifting through eyeballs and gills for your culinary pleasure disgusting, this will please.

So, the Indians have had a shot at this, so did the Chinese and Malays (with their assam kepala ikan), anybody out there with an Eurasian devils fish head curry…anyone? It’ll then become the most democratic dish in Singapore!