New Restaurant At Techlink Canteen
Last month, I shared that Nan Hua Chang has relocated from its old Techlink spot to a new location just across the intersection. If you’re unaware of this move and visit Techlink, you’ll now find Black Rock Steamboat in its place. This new restaurant, managed by Kay Lee Roast, continues to serve Fish Head Steamboat but also offers Char Siu and Roast Duck on the menu.
New Restaurant Brand by Kay Lee Roast
Kay Lee faced a difficult period after being famously acquired by the Aztech Group for a substantial $4 million. The brand expanded rapidly, but poor management ultimately led to its decline. Recently, the group divested the restaurant business, and Kay Lee was taken over by a new team.
This new management has scaled back to focus solely on the flagship stall, aiming to restore the brand to its former glory. Kay Lee also operated the canteen at Techlink, previously in partnership with Nan Hua Chang. When Nan Hua Chang decided to relocate, Kay Lee decided to run the Zi Char themselves and to created Black Rock Steamboat.
Black Rock Steamboat happens to be managed by a friend of mine who has hired an experienced Head Chef, formerly from Ah Yat Seafood. Thanks to his expertise, their menu features more refined Chinese restaurant-style dishes alongside the usual Zi Char favorites. I have been there twice and I found the food very good. It’s certainly worth a try if you are after a Fish Head Steamboat meal in a comfortable air-conditioned environment with ample, easy parking!
In case you’re wondering, “Black Rock” refers to the charcoal used to fire the steamboat!
Fish Head Steamboat
Their Fish Head Steamboat is very similar to Nan Hua Chang, which is a classic Teochew style fish soup. The broth is made from pork, chicken and fish bones that have been simmered for hours together with various dried seafood. The fish is fresh — though that is to be expected. But what stood out was the quality of their yam, which is excellent!
If you like your soup to have a little tang, do ask for sour plums to be added. They are optional since some customers don’t like the added tartness. But if you are after traditional Teochew fish soup, this is an obligatory ingredient! I also like the fact that they use the same stock to refill your steamboat so that it retains its robust flavor. 4.25/5
They have an option of pomfret, red grouper, and snapper. The large version $82 (Red Grouper as shown) is served with a separate plate of sliced fish which you can cook yourself. The small snapper steamboat starts at $29.
Renewed Kay Lee Roast Duck and Char Siew
I was an ardent fan of Kay Lee in the old days. Not only were the roasts exceptional, but the Lao Ban Niang was also quite a character! However, their standards dropped dramatically after the new management took over. The current management told me that, to gear up for expansion, they converted the ovens from charcoal to gas. The rest, as they say, is (bad) history. Recently, the management has reverted to charcoal ovens, and I sense a glimmer of hope for this legendary brand. Their roast duck was excellent—the skin is crisp, the meat tender and moist, and they’ve crafted a very balanced and delicious Dang Gui sauce to complement the duck. 4.25/5
They have chosen to use fresh bu jian tian (pork armpit) for the char siu, just like the original Kay Lee. This is steering away from the current trend of using pork belly. This is a very welcome return, as I believe bu jian tian is a superior cut for char siu. While pork belly can be enjoyable, its fat can sometimes be overwhelming. Bu jian tian, on the other hand, has a single layer of fat nestled between two layers of marbled meat—just perfect for a balanced, flavorful char siu.
Their current char siu is a vast improvement from when they were running multiple stalls. It carries a hint of the old Kay Lee flavor, though the roasting time could use a bit more tweaking to achieve that perfect tenderness and moisture. Roasting char siu is truly an art form, heavily reliant on the skill of an expert roaster. I’m hopeful they’ll eventually restore it to its former glory! 4/5
Review of Zi Char Dishes
There are a few dishes that really impressed me, the first is their cereal soft-shell crab. You can actually choose squid or prawns with the cereal. It doesn’t really matter because the cereal is the true star of the dish. They use larger flakes, which have a satisfying crunch, and they’ve managed to fry it to perfection—flavorful yet not oily. It’s the best cereal-crusted dish I’ve had in recent memory and definitely a must-order! 4.5/5
Another dish I’d order again is their salted fish pork belly. This Malaysian favorite, known as “hum yee fa lan bou,” (in Cantonese) is one of those dishes I can’t resist if I see it on the menu. They’ve captured that addictive flavor perfectly. Though it would be even better if served in a piping hot clay pot to allow the gravy to thicken and coat the tender slivers of pork. A bowl of rice is added to the claypot at the table and mixed in with the gravy. This is optional but the combination really works well! 4.25/5
This is a good dish to order if you are after some noodles to end the meal. The crispy fried noodles are topped with lump crab meat and a sauce made with hairy crab roe and topped with tobiko. Just make sure you don’t drown the crispy noodles with the sauce provided so that it retain some crunch! 4/5
The housemade charcoal tofu is very good. It is fried perfectly such that the inside is still silky while the skin is nice and chewy. The added charcoal powder is only for presentation as it really doesn’t taste any different from the usual fried tofu.
The two ways kailan was expertly fried such that the stems where crunchy while the leaves were crispy. I just felt it would have been better if they topped it with pork floss instead of fried ikan bilis. 3.5/5
Conclusion
This newcomer to the Fish Head Steamboat scene is well worth a try. Their fish head steamboat is excellent, and they offer dishes that are a notch above the usual zi char quality. The most impressive is the cereal soft-shell crab, which alone makes the trip worthwhile if you’re specifically seeking this dish!
Disclosure
This was a media tasting and the manager is my friend.
