If you frequent Chinatown often and are looking for new spots to check out, Nian Nian You Yu is just the place to head to. Despite opening in early April, they have already gained immense popularity, drawing crowds daily to their stall at Maxwell Food Centre. Serving up incredible and affordable Steamed Fish Sets and seafood dishes, this is a spot to definitely check out!
Nian Nian You Yu At Maxwell Food Centre
Opened by good friends, Issac Lim And Eric Kee, they first met each other during their National Service together before opening up their hawker stall this year. Issac, who handles all the cooking has worked at Michelin-starred restaurants like Sommer as a junior sous chef while Eric, who handles everything else was previously managing his family’s hawker stall at a Kopitiam in Yishun. They were inspired to serve individual steamed fish sets as they realized most places like Zi Char stalls only offered the whole steamed fish, which was more for sharing.
Their stall’s menu is pretty small, offering Steamed Fish Sets along with a few other dishes like Steamed Tiger Prawns with Lala & Vermicelli, Lala, and sides like Seared Eggplant. For the Steamed Fish, customers can choose between the Pomfret or Seabass, which is served in a Hong-Kong style sauce consisting of soy sauce, ginger, and chicken stock. For an additional dollar, you can switch it up with a sour and spicy Thai dressing with garlic, chilli, and lime.
Pomfret In HK-Style Sauce ($7)
Using the more affordable farmed golden pomfrets, each portion weighs around 250g. The sauce is made with soy sauce, chicken stock, garlic, and ginger, giving it the perfect amount of saltiness that pairs well with the mild sweetness of the pomfret. Additionally, the crispy fried garlic gives an extra layer of crunch and umami to the dish!
To cater to the office workers that are usually on a short lunch break, Issac cooks the fish in huge batches and keeps them warm in the steamer. Although the fish has a decent bite, it is, however, a tad overcooked and dry. Considering you don’t have to wait for the entire cooking duration, it is honestly a pretty good trade-off and still a tasty dish overall!
Seabass With Thai-Style Sauce ($8)
Served with seabass, the meat is slightly dry but the skin, however, has a pleasant bite to it. Using a Thai-style sauce made with lemongrass, chicken stock, chilli sauce, and lime juice, it tastes pretty similar to tom yum, but the flavour isn’t as strong. This allows the flavour of the fish to shine without being overpowered by the sauce. Each bite is a good mix of the flavour of the fish with the tanginess and acidity from the sauce. Additionally, each Steamed Fish Set comes with rice and a comforting bowl of soup, which is reminiscent of your typical ABC Soup.
Steamed Tiger Prawns With Lala & Vermicelli ($8.50)
Lastly, this is the perfect sharing dish for you seafood lovers! This seafood delight is served with fresh tiger prawns and lala on a bed of vermicelli doused with soy sauce. The prawns come already peeled, giving it a huge plus point. They are also cooked perfectly, giving them an incredible bite while being really juicy and sweet at the same time. As for the lala, it is slightly sweet as well and you can definitely taste its freshness.
The vermicelli soaks up the sauce well, making it incredibly flavourful. It does however get a bit too salty after a while so be sure to eat it fast. As the ingredients are cooked separately, the vermicelli sadly is unable to absorb the sweetness from the seafood, making it more savoury due to the soy sauce. Additionally, the fried garlic elevates the sauce with its added flavour and crispiness!
 Try Nian Nian You Yu Today!
For those heading down for lunch, it would be best to head down early as some items can be sold out as early as 1pm. Alternatively, you can also go down for an early dinner which might not be as crowded then. For those solo diners looking for a comforting and satisfying meal, this is a spot definitely worth checking out. Hurry down today!
Address: 1 Kadayanallur St, #01-78, Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore 069184
Operating Hours: Daily, except for Sun, 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. & 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Cover Photo:Â Singapore Foodie
For more incredible food at Maxwell Food Centre, check out Ah Gong Minced Pork Noodle!
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