Hawker: Cheng Ji Steamed Fish Head in Hot Sauce

With 200 over food stalls at the newly reopened Smith Street Food Complex, one would surely get a headache just deciding what to eat. But Claypot Chicken Rice (Sa Boh Fun) and Steamed Fish Head are the two prominent dishes here.

It can get pretty crowded at night, with many people ordering Steamed Fish Head and Claypot Chicken Rice. We came for lunch, and decided to order Steamed Fish Head with Hot Sauce from Cheng Ji, which also occupies another stall a distance away.

Despite being a freshwater fish, the meat tasted fresh and the sauce (although on the salty side) did complement the fish well. I just love the jelly-like flesh near the head area! Do beware the large bones, though.



We also ordered "Ku Lu" Pork, fried crispy pork in a tomato based sauce. This was really good. It came hot and crispy, but do eat it quickly or its gets soggy from the sauce.



Finally, there are quite a few hidden gems here, with less common dishes like this Teochew Pork Jelly. Cooking fatty pork would result in a gelatinous layer on top of the cooked broth. This dish is created by adding some meat and chilling this layer and then cutting it into blocks of strips.

Another hidden find is a German stall tucked away at the far end. They have Cordon Bleu, Pork Knuckle, Goulash and German Beer, all at reasonable prices. Just nearby (not in food complex but directly downstairs) is another German stall selling breads. I love their half-size French-style Baguette, and they have pretty interesting innovations like the Fragrant Onion Bread.

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