The Origin of Salted Egg Fish Skin
When was the last time you opened a pack of salted egg fish skin and found that you just couldn’t stop until you’d finished it? This snack has become one of Singapore’s most iconic and addictive creations. Crispy, savoury, and bursting with buttery umami, it keeps you reaching for more. What began as a humble zi char dish has turned into a global sensation. Travellers snap up multiple packs to bring home. But have you ever wondered who actually invented this snack?
Salted egg fish skin, as we know it, was created by Chef Kelvin Yam in 2008. During a trip to Hong Kong, he discovered crispy fish skin, which was commonly eaten with hotpot at the time. Fascinated by the ingredient, he brought some back to Singapore and began experimenting with different sauces. He tried black pepper and chilli sauces.
However, the real breakthrough came with salted egg sauce, which quickly won over his restaurant customers. At the time, Kelvin was the Executive Chef at Different Tastes Restaurant in Novena. The salted egg fish skins were first offered as a snack there.
When he opened Yam’s Kitchen at Downtown East in Pasir Ris in 2011, the salted egg fish skins became a starter dish on the menu, and the rest, as they say, is history!
So, that’s how crispy fish skin made its way from Hong Kong to Singapore. It got transformed into an iconic snack and made its way back to Hong Kong!
Other Zi Char Creations
Besides his iconic Salted Egg Fish Skin, Chef Kelvin is also the man behind the Yuan Yang Hor Fun, which he created in 1998. The dish was inspired by the Malaysian Yuan Yang, where bee hoon is paired with hor fun. I’ve had Yuan Yang Hor Fun many times before and never quite understood what the fuss was about. The crispy kway teow always felt a little out of place to me.
But Chef Kelvin’s version finally won me over. His kway teow is different. It was crisp, airy, and most importantly, tasty, almost like keropok. He tells me it took months of experimentation to perfect the recipe. The secret lies in marinating the kway teow in egg and soy sauce before frying.
I can only imagine that the chefs who tried to copy his creation must have simply tossed the hor fun straight into hot oil to make it crisp up! Well worth trying, especially if, like me, you’ve always been underwhelmed by the dish! 4.5/5
Starter Dishes
Our meal began with a selection of six of Chef Kelvin’s most popular starters. These included his signature salted egg fish skin. This is a must-try — not just because it’s delicious, but because the dish actually originated from this chef. Alongside it were rojak 4/5, carrot cake with otak 4/5, ice plant dressed with sesame sauce 4/5, Hakka-style fried pork 3.75/5 (a little dry), and crispy prawn rolls 4.25/5 that were beautifully executed. All these starters are available à la carte, and if I had to pick just two, it would be the crispy prawn rolls and the salted egg fish skin 4.5/5.
Ala Carte Dishes
A new dish that Chef Kelvin created for Yam’s Treasure is the Fried Soon Hock with Pig Stomach Soup. Instead of the usual chicken, he uses wild-caught soon hock. This is quite a clever twist that brings the dish to another level. The peppery pig stomach soup is rich with collagen goodness. I found that the delicate fish actually pairs very well with it. I’m usually not a fan of pig offal. Even so, I have to admit that his version was surprisingly easy to stomach. (Yes, please roll eyes and sigh.) 4.25/5
Chef tells me that his cooking is influenced by his Hakka and Teochew heritage. He presented Hakka Salt Baked Chicken two ways. One was dressed in a tasty soy sauce, and the other with a green shallot and ginger sauce. Between the two, I preferred the soy sauce version.
Although he calls it Hakka Salted Chicken, it actually comes across more like the classic Cantonese-style poached chicken. Still, it’s a very good dish and well worth ordering. 4.5/5 (Soy Sauce), 4.25/5 (Ginger & Shallot)
I found this dish a little too mild for my taste. Personally, bittergourd with black bean sauce usually packs quite a punch. It serves as an impetus to eat more rice, but Chef’s version is noticeably more delicate. The kurobuta pork was very tender, even though Chef told me it isn’t marinated with baking soda. He also adds pork tendons, an uncommon ingredient that gives the dish an extra layer of texture. 4/5
For vegetables, we were served a delightful dish of stir-fried broad beans, pork lard, and chicken mince. The pork lard was exceptionally fresh. Its crispiness contrasted beautifully with the crunch of the broad beans, creating a satisfying interplay of textures. 4/5
Dessert
For dessert, we had a very special jelly made from fish scales! Chef actually makes the jelly by boiling fish scales until they release collagen, then serves it with peach gum and longan soup. To be honest, it tastes like any other jelly, but knowing it’s made from fish scales — and therefore rich in collagen — made me feel like my skin got a little taut after the dish! 4.25/5
Conclusion
We had an excellent meal at Yam’s Treasure. There is no doubt that Chef Kelvin is a highly creative and skilled chef. He can proudly claim that several of his creations have become iconic Singaporean dishes. Chef previously ran a few restaurants before the COVID pandemic, but they have since closed. Yam’s Treasure is now the only restaurant he personally helms. I am confident that you will enjoy your meal there!
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