Peter’s Curry Fish Head (咖喱鱼头) @ Setapak

I have been eyeing the fish head curry here for the longest time. Just didn’t have the right quorum of people to attack one huge fish head, but since I have some errands to run around this area and with Cat, the fish head lover accompanying me, I finally have my chance to pay Peter’s a visit.

As a matter of fact, most, if not all Curry Fish Head aficionados out there would have certainly heard of this fish head powerhouse that has spanned over a period of two decades. You can’t be around for that long without a good reason.

The setup here is simple – a few tables and a standard menu. Stocky guy with the back facing us is Philip, the son of the founder of this curry house, Peter.

The lunch crowd here is immense, forever forming a bee line especially during the peak lunch hours, so, don’t be misled by the picture. It was taken at the time we were leaving, which was… closing time!

You can have your fish head curry dish in four diferent sizes: small, medium, large and extra large. And, for seafood lovers, add-ons like prawns and squid are available with additional price, all displayed clearly on this striking yellow board by the wall.

Nam Yue Fried Chicken Wings @ RM 8.00 ~ Side-kick to the Curry Fish Head was the NYFCW. Even though everyone goes for the fish head curry at this shop but I noticed the fried chicken wings were equally good. I devoured it with fervour since I’m especially fond of fried chicken wings – juicy, crispy and full of flavor. The dipping chili sauce was left untouched as the wings were good on its own! We went on to order a second plate. It was that good!

Seafood Bean curd @ RM 8.00 ~ Lightly fried on the outside, silky smooth on the inside. It wasn’t entirely “tofu” because they mixed with some fish paste as well to give it a little bounce to the texture. The fried tofu was good enough to be eaten on its own but if you prefer to dip it into some mayo that came along with it, then go ahead and indulge.

Curry Fish Head + Prawn @ RM 51.00 (L) ~ Ceremoniously brought out in a enormous metal pot, the fish head and prawns were bathed in a fiery looking gravy with okras, eggplants, long beans and tofu puffs. Garnished with mint leaves, the curry was mild with the aroma of the spices being totally subdued by the overwhelming coconut milk. If you don’t like  the empowering aroma of the coconut milk in your dish like me, you’ll definitely find this a complete letdown. 

The fish head was reasonably fresh….actually very fresh. The meat of the grouper was tender and smooth, the fish bones fell off as I ate it. There was a slight taste of fishiness on the gelatinous parts on the cheeks, giving a good balance between meat and supple fish oil. Definitely a dish to slowly relish with many bowls of hot white rice.. if not for that overwhelming “coconut milk” curry! Pity!

Apart from the fish head, we ordered addition prawns (RM 15.00) to this pot of piping hot curry fish head. The mid-sized prawns were again a letdown. It was slightly overcooked and wasn’t as fresh compared to the fish head. It would have been be great if it was otherwise.

Overall, the meal was ok albeit being far from my high expectation after hearing all the praises and recommendations from friends and curry fish head lovers out there. For those who are curious, you’ll probably want to find out if this ordinary dining, out of style in a non-pretentious coffee shop is worthy a drive. Nevertheless, I was lucky that there was at least a tasty dish which left an impression during this visit, the chicken wings. I look forward to another round of it and maybe, maybe giving the famous Curry Fish Head yet another shot but I’ll make sure to remind them to watch the usage of coconut milk in their “signature dish”.

• Kedai Makanan & Minuman Peter Kari Kepala Ikan (咖喱鱼头) 
• No. 12, Jalan Angsana
• Taman P.Ramlee
• Setapak
• 53000 Kuala Lumpur.
• Tel – 603-4021 5809
• Business hours – 11.00-1430 (Mon-Sun)
• Closed – Tuesdays
• GPS Coordinates
• N03°11.449  E101°42.494