The 11th Street Teochew Fish Soup – A Soul-Warming Bowl Lands at Tam Chiak Kopitiam Bidadari

A good bowl of fish soup is really hard to come by. It’s not just about boiling some bones and tossing in fish slices. A truly satisfying fish soup needs quality ingredients, a well-balanced broth, and that little something extra that warms both the stomach and the soul.

So you can imagine my excitement when 11th Street Teochew Fish Soup decided to open their newest outlet at Tam Chiak Kopitiam Bidadari—my kopitiam. I’ve heard raves about them for a while, and one of my friends was over the moon when he found out. “This is even better than First Street Fish Soup,” he told me. And now, I finally get to try it for myself—without having to leave the coffeeshop!

The owner, Bryan, isn’t just a hawker—he’s a fish supplier. That means he knows his seafood well and sources air-flown batang fish directly from Indonesia, just so his customers can taste the freshness. And it shows. Every slice of fish in my bowl was firm, sweet, and incredibly fresh. None of that fishy aftertaste that ruins an otherwise good bowl of soup.

The menu here is simple but solid—just six options to choose from, but each one carefully curated. I ordered the sliced fish soup with minced meat ($8.80 small), and from the first sip of broth, I was hooked. The soup was cloudy with a deep golden hue—flavour-packed from boiling fish bones, pork bones, and Bryan’s secret blend of ingredients, including homemade flat fish powder (ti poh) that he painstakingly debones, fries, and blends himself. That extra step gives the broth a rich earthiness and depth that you don’t find easily anymore.

Every bowl comes generously filled with thick fish slices, tofu, lettuce, and bitter gourd, but the highlight for me was the minced meat—formed into juicy bite-sized balls that added so much flavour. And don’t skip their homemade bean paste sauce—lightly salty, and the perfect dip.

If you’re looking for variety, go for the twin fish soup. It gives you the best of both worlds—fresh sliced fish and chunky pieces of fried fish that are so satisfying, they feel like fish nuggets. The fried fish stayed crispy even after soaking in the broth, and gave a lovely contrast in both texture and flavour.

Feeling fancy? Their red grouper fish soup ($10.80 small) is also worth a splurge. The slices are thick and meaty, with a nice chewy skin that adds richness to the broth. It’s the kind of bowl you’ll crave when you need comfort food that still feels like a treat.

And before you dig in, don’t forget to add a spoonful of their homemade fried shallots—peeled, sliced, and fried in-house. A small touch, but one that shows the level of care that goes into every bowl.

In a time when people grumble about rising hawker prices, we often forget the work and passion behind every dish. Bryan doesn’t cut corners—from the ingredients to the finishing touches, you can taste the difference in every sip. With this level of heart and craft, I know they’ll do well here. And I’ll definitely be coming back for seconds. Maybe thirds.