Food Review: Black Rock Fishhead Steamboat at 31 Kaki Bukit Rd 3, #02-01, Singapore 417818

 Who would have thought that there will be good zichar and fishhead steamboat inside an industrial building? But that is exactly the case with Black Rock Fishhead Steamboat at 31 Kaki Bukit Rd 3, located on the second floor of the Techlink building. This also means there is air-conditioning in the massive second floor eatery served by the fishhead steamboat and zichar stall and the Kay Lee Roast Meat Joint just next to it. That's great because steamboat and zi char are often sweaty affairs. However, the AC is not super strong (how can it be with such a big space) and the charcoal smell does linger a bit but it wasn't too bad and at least it was not the greasy food smell.

We could see the neon signs for the eatery on the second floor when driving in. There's plenty of parking inside after 6pm when I went for an invited dinner with 6 of my friends (it is also a farewell dinner for a dear friend who's relocated to the US).

Here's the menu. The fish head steamboat uses charcoal to heat up the soup (hence the name black rock), but it also lent the steamboat with a smoky aroma. Prices are super decent in this economy. We opted for red grouper slices because I am a super noob and an impatient eater - I ain't got the skills nor patience to eat around the fish head!

There are also other seafood dishes available.

And of course, Kay Lee Signature Roasted Meat from the next stall since both are owned by the same person/group. A perfect match, since we could surf and turf! I think we had Signature Dang Gui Roasted Duck (half $38) and Signature Char Siew (Small $15, Large $35).

Other than their fish head steamboat, Black Rock is also known for their Signature Crab Roe Noodles which we did not get a chance to try since there were many other dishes then. I will be back for those!

The Signature Dang Gui Roasted Duck (half $38) arrived first. This was perfection with shiny, crackling skin and juicy duck meat all surrounded by that mild herbal fragrance. 4/5

The Signature Char Siew (Small $15, Large $35) was faultless too - the fatty slices with that caramelised charred smokey exterior really whetted my appetite for more. One of my favourite lunch dishes is char siew roast meat rice, and if this was closer to my place I would be a regular. 4.5/5

The Red Grouper slices Fish Head Steamboat (Small $52, Medium $67, Large $82) arrived promptly after a short while, piping hot and boiling from the charcoal inside. It was chock full of ingredients like yam and veggies. There's also seaweed inside, which to be honest, overpowered some of the sweet taste of the broth. Next time I will request for it to be put aside! The fish slices were super fresh tasting and cooked in seconds in the piping hot soup. The soup was so addictive that we kept drinking it but be warned because it can get a bit salty towards the end. 4/5

We were also treated to two huge crab dishes, which are new at Black Rock. Apparently the head chef used to work at Ah Yat Seafood. And though I am sure prices are seasonal, it was only $88 for two crabs in a single sauce - chilli crab or salted egg when we went in May 2025. That is such a good deal! 

While I really liked the sweet and salty salted egg combi that coated the crabs, the crab meat itself was a bit dry and stale compared to the chilli crab's. I think it might be due to the preparation method since I saw fresh crabs in a cage outside the stall so they were fresh. 3/5

The chilli crab was so good on the other hand. Some people in my group felt that the sauce was a bit too sweet for their liking, but I do enjoy this tomato-ey sweetness more than the aggressively spicy and salty type. The crab meat here was sweet, succulent and elevated by the sauce. 4.5/5

We also had a few accompanying dishes to try such as the Two Ways Kailan S$12, $18, $23)

 topped with pork floss. I enjoyed the crispy fried kailan (a bit like kale) on topped of the normal cooked kailan which was a bit overcooked for me. 3/5

We were also given the Claypot Pork Belly with Mei Xiang Salted Fish (Small $20, Large $28) to try, which is a rare dish in Singapore. A Malaysian delicacy that smartly combines the umami flavours of the salted fish with the tender braised pork belly slices! I felt like this rendition was not bad, a little too salty (it is a rice thief) but I suspect that the ones in Malaysia will taste even better. 3.5/5

We also had a classic, the Prawn Paste Chicken ($12, $18, $22), to round off the dinner. These disappeared quickly - they were fried to golden perfection with that distinctive seafood flavour. Another zichar genius. 4/5

Overall, despite some misses, I would still recommend Black Rock Fish Head Steamboat to anyone who is looking to have a big group family-style zichar and steamboat dinner because of the value, the dining experience and the signature dishes. You won't go wrong with their signatures. There could be slightly longer wait times when the crowd comes in, but every dish is made a la minute fresh so I think it is worth waiting for. 

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BLACK ROCK FISHHEAD STEAMBOAT (黑石鱼头炉）

Techlink building, 31 Kaki Bukit Rd 3, #02-01, Singapore 417818

Daily 11.15am to 2pm and 5 to 10pm

Reservations call or WhatsApp 81393599

Thank you James for the invite!