Chong Qing Grilled Fish

Hello! Another post on fish after my Fish & Co post which I had friends commenting "Huh Fish and Co? Really?" Anyway this time this is Chinese fish, not Western. I love all fish, regardless of race or nationality. Meow.

As seen from the picture above, Chong Qing Grilled Fish is very popular, especially on weekend nights. In fact, there was a queue already waiting at 6.30pm on a Friday. Patronage was a mix of local and PRC. I would recommend you to call and reserve to avoid disappointment.

Ordering is a simple and idiot-proof (but not fickle-minded proof) three-step process:

So many choices!

We chose the sea bass in fermented black bean (甘香豆豉) soup, and beancurd skin and enoki mushrooms as our sides. We were so excited when the fish came in a huge saucer with the hot stove beneath! The regular size ($30) was huge and enough for two pax. A thin layer of chilli spice powder was sprinkled on top to give a kick to the fish which was grilled to perfection. The sea bass was very tender, fresh and tasty, evident of the oil, herbs and spices that were used to marinate the fish. We slurped all of the black bean soup which was aromatic, and packed a balanced punch of saltiness, savouriness and sweetness. We were very satisfied with every aspect of the fish and there was really nothing to nitpick. 

Sea bass in fermented black bean soup

We had the opportunity to try the authentic Chongqing spicy style - Spicy Fragrant 一品香辣(medium spiciness) on another occasion. OMG. I can only say the spicy fragrant soup is not for the faint-hearted. The chilli oil was very hot, spicy and numbing. I am not exaggerating. My fellow diner, who is a major consumer of the chilli industry, also found it too spicy and numbing. By the end of the meal, we felt our tongues did not belong to us. Good idea to bring a frenemy here if you want to do a kamikaze.

Sea bass in spicy fragrant soup (medium spiciness lvel)

But this is their signature lah. Chong Qing Ma La mah. Suggest you choose mild spiciness level. Just drink more water which is free. I think I drank more water than the soup. Or have some cooling desserts just opposite Chong Qing Grilled Fish. I highly recommend the durian shaved ice at Desserts First - read review here.

Indoors are air-conditioned but you are more likely to smell like grilled fish at the end. Outdoors might be too humid on a hot day. If you are lucky like us, you might get a seat that is indoors but close to the main door-less entrance which will grant you the best of both worlds - Cool air-conditioning and good ventilation. 

Address: 1 Liang Seah Street, #01-05/06 s189022
Tel: 63339148