On our last day before heading back to Singapore, we popped by JB’s Old Town to grab cakes from Hiap Joo and squeeze in one final brunch. Previously, when we visited Chai Ji Fish Soup’s neighbour Tian Xin Lou for dim sum brunch, I’d spotted this place next door and made a mental note to return.
After days of heavy feasting, I desperately needed something soupy and comforting. Fish soup felt like exactly what my stomach was crying out for.
Inside Chai Ji Fish Soup
Once we grabbed a table at Chai Ji Fish Soup, the staff handed us the menu and an order chit. The system’s straightforward – just indicate what you want on the chit and pass it back to the staff. No fuss.
Whilst waiting for our food, I struck up a conversation with one of the staff members. She dropped this brilliant piece of information: the three traffic light shophouses – Chai Ji Fish Soup, Tian Xin Lou, and Bei’s Pastry – actually belong to the same boss.
Here’s the genius part: you can cross-order from their menus. Sitting in Chai Ji Fish Soup but fancy some dim sum from Tian Xin Lou? No problem! They’ll bring it right over. Nice touch, really.
The Chai Ji Fish Soup Menu: Endless Possibilities
Their menu at Chai Ji Fish Soup is quite extensive, and everything’s customisable. Whether you pick from the seafood, fresh fish, fried fish, meat and fish ball, or pork series, you can take your pick from the list of carbs – noodles, rice, or porridge. You can also choose additional ingredients to add on.
There are honestly endless possibilities to create your ultimate bowl at Chai Ji Fish Soup. It’s like building your own comfort food masterpiece.
What We Ordered
Signature Fried Fish Slice Soup – RM21.90
I chose thick bee hoon for this signature dish from Chai Ji Fish Soup. When it arrived, the soup looked incredibly refreshing with pickled vegetables and ginger strips.
The soup wasn’t fishy at all – it tasted very fresh and clean. The fish slices were impressively thick with very firm meat. This was genuine quality fish, not those heavily battered pieces where you can’t even taste the texture of the actual fish.
There was also tofu and tomato in the bowl, adding extra comfort to the mix. I loved the soup so much that I polished off the whole bowl with no problem. It was exactly the comforting, light meal I’d been craving.
Chaiji Pork Meat Soup – RM15.90
My husband chose mee pok for his order. This bowl delivered a very homely taste – not the MSG-laden kind you sometimes encounter at other places.
The soup had natural meat flavour and sweetness without being overly salty. Inside were lean meat slices, minced meat, and two types of meatballs. We could easily finish the soup in this bowl too – it was just comforting and perfectly seasoned.
Chaiji Fried Pork – RM12.90
This tasted quite similar to Hakka-style fried pork belly. The pieces were crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The meat wasn’t the super tender type, but it wasn’t tough either – it gave a good, nice chew.
For the fried pork, you definitely need to dip it in that homemade chilli sauce that you can help yourself to on your table. So shiok!
Fried Flat Fish Wonton – RM11.90
I really enjoyed this dish. The wontons were fried till crispy and crunchy, with the flat fish giving a nice umami flavour that really elevates the taste of otherwise regular wontons.
Again, the fried wontons paired beautifully with that homemade chilli sauce. Don’t skip it!
Worth the Price?
Price-wise, I’d say Chai Ji Fish Soup is quite close to Singapore prices, so it’s quite expensive by local standards. But thank goodness, the food was genuinely good, so it felt like money well spent.
Service Quality
Service was good and friendly throughout our visit. The staff were helpful and efficient.
The fact that they can coordinate cross-orders between the three food establishments shows they’ve got their operations well sorted out.
Final Verdict
All in all, Chai Ji Fish Soup is not a bad place for a meal. The location in JB’s Old Town makes it convenient to reach, and the environment ticks all the right boxes – clean, comfortable, and well-run.
There’s honestly nothing we didn’t like about this place. The food quality exceeded our expectations, especially after days of heavy eating. Sometimes you just need something light, soupy, and comforting, and this place delivers exactly that.
Now that we know we can also order from Tian Xin Lou next door, we can have even more variety to feast on during future visits. That cross-ordering system really opens up the possibilities.