When I saw the sight of the hawker presenting the Claypot Pig’s Liver to the table with a lively sizzling sound, I knew I needed to have it.
That brief, dramatic moment of steam rising, the unmistakable aroma of ginger and scallion.
Nan Zhen Seafood has operated at ABC Brickworks Food Centre for decades, building a reputation for honest zi char.
Established in 1966, the one dish they are most famous for is their Hokkien Mee Sua Vermicelli, sometimes affectionately called “the poor man’s shark’s fin soup”.
Nan Zhen Seafood highlights several signature dishes right on its signboard, including Mee Sua Vermicelli ($7), Prawn Roll ($12), Hotplate Deer Meat ($12), Claypot Pig’s Liver ($9, $11), and Hong Kong Style Cuttlefish (market price).
Other zi char options feature Sweet & Sour Pork ($8, $10), Braised Pork Ribs with Banana Flower & Black Fungus ($10, $12), Sliced Pork with Black Pepper ($8, $10), Prawn Paste Chicken ($10, $12), Lemon Chicken ($10), and Hotplate Beancurd ($8, $10).
The Mee Sua Vermicelli ($4.50, $7) arrived in a bowl of thick, cloudy bowl of noodles.
What you get are thin strands of mee sua with a delicate, silky texture and just a little bite.
They rely on simple, honest ingredients like minced pork and small prawns, and remains one of the few stalls in Singapore still serving this dish the traditional way.
To be honest, it tasted plainer than expected but still comforting, while a little dash of vinegar helped add more depth of flavour.
For me, the true star was the Claypot Pig’s Liver ($9, $11).
It came to the table bubbling hot in its claypot. The hawker gave it a quick toss at the tableside (or the counter) to release all the ginger, scallion, and rice wine aromas.
Served sizzling, the liver slices were tender and had soaked up the rich, savoury sauce, with fresh scallions on top.
Plus the liver had no gamey taste (can tell they were well-prepared). So good.
The menu’s other dishes maintain the same tasty old-school standard. Nothing too showy or over-complicated.
The Prawn Rolls ($8, $10, $12) were golden and crisp on the outside, with a filling of pork, prawn, and water chestnut that stayed moist inside.
The Har Cheong Gai, or Prawn Paste Chicken ($10, $12), featured mid-wing cuts that had been marinated overnight in prawn paste and spices before being deep-fried to a crisp golden brown.
The result was wings that were both juicy with a pronounced prawn paste fragrance (you can still smell it at the table).
I also had the homely Pig Trotter Mee Hoon of fine rice vermicelli fried in a rich, gelatinous gravy made from long-stewed pork trotters. Just like how my grandma would cook it.
However, do note that Nan Zhen Seafood is unhurried.
Wait times can stretch during busy hours (and I read reviews that food may not be served out in sequence), but the kitchen’s patience pays off in the food.
If you are after a taste of old-school zi char, Nan Zhen Seafood is a find.
Nan Zhen Seafood 南珍海鲜
ABC Brickworks Food Centre #01-37, 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, Singapore 150006
Opening Hours: 4:30pm – 10pm (Tues, Thurs – Sun), Closed Mon, Wed
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Yu Cun Curry Fish Head (Sultan Gate)
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