Halal Tian Tian Mala Hotpot in Sembawang serves bold and authentic flavours

There’re not many halal spots that serve Chinese flavours that stick close to their roots — and really, that alone is no small feat.

Tian Tian Mala Hotpot, a stall located in a quiet corner of Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre, manages to do just that.

Bruce Zu, 46, who has been in Singapore for over two decades, runs the stall. It opened towards the end of 2024. 

Before that, he worked as a chef in five-star hotel kitchens, before stepping away during Covid-19 to chart a different path as a hawker.

The dishes here aren’t toned down. Its flavours come from experience — shaped by years as a chef and, as Bruce readily admits, refined through lots of trial and error. While every ingredient is sourced from halal-certified suppliers in Singapore, the cooking remains firmly grounded in Chinese techniques and sensibilities.

More than anything, Bruce shares his love for the cuisine and a desire to make it accessible to everyone.

Choosing to go halal was not an easy journey. Bruce describes the certification process as a demanding one, which required him to undergo extensive training, and sit for the required exams twice, before approval was finally granted.

Today, he says the effort has been worth it. The stall has drawn in many of who he fondly refers to as his “Muslim friends”, some of whom return with friends of their own. He tells us others come after seeing the stall on social media.

The stall’s name, Tian Tian, is a personal one — named after Bruce’s 11-year-old son. He speaks candidly about the long hours and the limited time he gets with his family on the stall’s Instagram page.

Tian Tian Mala Hotpot seems to serve as a labour of love to share the authentic Chinese flavours he cares about with as many people as possible.

Grilled fish hotpot and mala offerings

While mala is the stall’s signature draw, the real highlight to us was Bruce’s speciality — Chongqing-style grilled fish (from S$20.50). It weighs from 700 to 900g and is available in four flavours: Garlic, mala, tom yum, and curry.

The fish used is patin (pangasius catfish) with tender and soft flesh — firm enough to hold up beautifully in the hotpot. The fish is served in a communal pot brimming with spices, kept close to Chongqing tradition.

The heat hits first, a lingering, numbing warmth to the palate. Its aromatic ensemble features a whole fish bathed in a spicy and oily broth — with dried red chilies, numbing Sichuan peppercorns, garlic slices, wood ear mushrooms, cabbage, and fresh cilantro and scallions.

The mala (dry) offerings are equally impressive, with plenty of ingredients to pick from. A standout worth mentioning is the thick, plump sea prawns that we loved. Red sweet potato noodles are also offered — a change from usual maggi noodles.

Our bowl came up to S$27.50. It’s a generous serving easily shared between three or more people. Prices here are approachable, which was something we appreciated.

Here’s what sets the stall’s mala apart: The mala sauce, handmade by Bruce, is a fragrant mix of Chinese herbs and spices, and steamed over two days for a maximum depth of flavour. It results in a rich, fully aromatic Chinese flavours — made entirely with halal ingredients.

Authentic mala markers are also offered — such as beef tripe, sliced beef rump, and black fungus — essential to the traditional Chinese mala. Of course, crowd-favourite classics such as quail eggs and bean curd skin are also available.

Even the malatang, which we didn’t try on this visit, shows promise. It is served in four soup bases: Tomato, chicken broth, tom yum, and hot spicy. We’d like to try this on our next visit — it’s something we can easily imagine being as rich and layered in flavour.

For those on a tighter budget, the stall also offers two budget meals (from S$3.50) and a student meal (S$4.50), available on weekdays from 2pm to 5pm, at the stall. Each comes with rice and varying portions of vegetables, chicken, and mushrooms.

For more halal eats, read on what we had at Rostii in Telok Ayer or the halal-Filipino eatery Nanay’s Kitchen.