If you’re wondering where to enjoy a hearty bowl of fish soup in Singapore, Hup Lok on Havelock Road gives us a fairly specific answer.
It’s a seafood spot with a full menu, but on a first visit, there’s really only one place to start. Grandpa’s Pomfret Soup. Order that first, then figure out the rest of the table later.
Here’s what we’d want a friend to know before they sit down.
What Actually Comes in Grandpa’s Pomfret Soup?
The star is pomfret. Generous, meaty pieces of it, tender and soft, sitting in a broth that’s hot and full of body.
The broth itself is savoury and rich, but it doesn’t sit heavy on you. That’s mostly down to two things working quietly in the background: tomato and salted plum. The tomato brings a gentle sweetness and a little brightness, and the salted plum adds a soft, tangy edge that keeps the whole bowl from feeling one-note.
There’s also shiitake mushroom for a deeper, earthy note, julienned ginger for warmth, and a splash of hua tiao wine that gives the soup its slightly aromatic lift. You’ll smell it before you taste it.
Put simply, it’s a comforting bowl that tastes layered without trying too hard.
The name, by the way, comes from founder Hong Junchen’s father. It’s tied to Teochew family taste memory, the kind of home cooking that stays with you. (We’ll leave the rest of that story to the folks who tell it better.)
Is This a Milky Fish Soup?
Fair question, and worth answering plainly.
The broth looks rich, and it has real body to it. But that thickness isn’t coming from milk. There’s no milk in it.
What gives it that substantial feel is collagen drawn out of the fish. The base is built on batang fish bones simmered down with a shell element, and slow cooking releases the natural richness from those bones into the broth. That’s the “weight” you feel on your spoon.
So if you usually avoid milky fish soups, this one plays differently. It’s rich, but in a cleaner, fish-forward way.
One Thing We’d Do Before Chatting Too Long
Eat the pomfret first.
Here’s the thing. The broth comes to your table properly hot, and it keeps working on the fish even after it lands in front of you. Sit and chat too long, and that lovely tender pomfret quietly firms up while you’re not looking.
Soup can wait a few minutes. Fish texture can’t. So go for the pomfret while it’s at its softest, then take your time with the rest.
Is It Filling Enough for a Proper Meal?
Honestly, yes.
Between the generous portion of pomfret, the seafood, and a broth with real substance, this isn’t a light starter you’ll finish still hungry. It’s warm, it’s satisfying, and it holds up as the centre of a meal on its own.
If you’re the type who likes a bit more on the table, Hup Lok has a broader seafood menu to round things out. But the soup alone does the heavy lifting just fine.
So, Would We Order It Again?
For a first visit, this is the easy call. Start with Grandpa’s Pomfret Soup.
We won’t tell you it’s the single best fish soup in the country, because that’s not really our thing, and taste is personal anyway. What we’ll say is this: it’s a warm, hearty, well-balanced bowl that makes a lot of sense as your first order at Hup Lok.
Come hungry, eat the fish first, and let the rest of the meal follow from there.
That’s where we’d begin.
