Fish head curry is the kind of dish that carries a story. Born in the 1950s when South Indian restaurateurs began cooking for Chinese diners who prized the fish head as the most flavourful part, it has quietly become one of Singapore’s most beloved cross-cultural staples. But finding a good halal-certified version has always been harder than it should be — until now.
Asian Market Café at Fairmont Singapore has launched its new Claypot Series, a year-long culinary programme celebrating Singapore’s food heritage through six rotating claypot creations. The first instalment, Chef de Cuisine Mohamad Ariff’s Fish Head Curry, is available now through 31 August 2026.
A Year-Long Journey Through Singapore’s Claypot Heritage
The Claypot Series is designed as an evolving showcase of the restaurant’s culinary expertise, with six distinct dishes to be unveiled every two months. Each creation will draw from Singapore’s rich and diverse food traditions — and if the first is any indication, the bar has been set high. Already confirmed for the next edition: an Assam Pedas Fish Head.
What Makes This Fish Head Curry Special
Chef Ariff’s recipe uses fresh grouper fish head, prized for its tender cheek meat and collagen-rich portions. The house-made curry paste combines garlic, ginger, shallots, dried red chillies, turmeric, coriander, cumin and curry powder, enriched with candlenut and infused with lemongrass, mustard seeds and fenugreek. The result is a deeply aromatic curry served warm in a traditional claypot — one per table, per bill.
“Fish head curry represents the story of Singapore on a plate,” says Chef Ariff. “It is a dish born from different cultures coming together, and I wanted to create a recipe that honours those traditions while making it accessible to our halal diners. Sharing a claypot of fish head curry around the table is something many Singaporeans grew up with, and I hope guests can create new memories over this dish at Asian Market Café.”
Part of the Halal Seafood Extravaganza Buffet
The Fish Head Curry is served alongside Asian Market Café’s halal-certified Seafood Extravaganza buffet, which features an impressive Oceanic Seafood Galore on Ice — mud crab, cooked prawns, half-shell scallops, venus clams and mussels, plus salmon sashimi, tuna tataki, sushi and maki. Interactive stations include a DIY Cuttlefish and Kangkong station, alongside noodle stations dishing up Singapore Laksa and Silky Fish Broth.
The buffet also includes perennial favourites: Singapore Chilli Crab with Golden Mantou, freshly grilled satay, and the crowd-pleasing Durian Pengat. On selected evenings, premium additions like freshly shucked oysters and baby lobster make an appearance too.
Pricing and Booking
The Claypot Fish Head Curry is available as a special add-on to both lunch and dinner buffets, with one claypot served per table, per bill, from now until 31 August 2026.
Lunch Buffet — Monday to Thursday: S$80++ per adult / S$40++ per child (6–12 years). Friday to Sunday: S$82++ per adult / S$41++ per child.
Dinner Buffet — Monday to Thursday: S$98++ per adult / S$49++ per child. Friday to Sunday: S$108++ per adult / S$54++ per child.
For reservations, call +65 6431 6156 or email [email protected]. Asian Market Café is located at Level 2, Fairmont Singapore, 80 Bras Basah Road, Singapore 189560.
